Jonathan Larson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Jonathan David Larson February 4, 1960 Mount Vernon, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 25, 1996 (aged 35) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Education | Adelphi University (BFA) |
| Years active | 1982–1996 |
| Notable works |
|
Jonathan David Larson (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American composer, lyricist and playwright, most famous for writing the musicals Rent and Tick, Tick... Boom!, which explored the social issues of multiculturalism, substance use disorder, and homophobia.
Larson had worked on both musicals throughout the late 1980s and into the 1990s. After several years of workshopping, Rent began an Off-Broadway run in early 1996, though Larson died from an aortic dissection the day before its first preview performance. The show went onto enjoy critical and commercial success, and transferred to Broadway that April. Larson posthumously received three Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Rent was also adapted into a 2005 film. Tick, Tick... Boom! received an Off-Broadway production in 2001, and was also adapted into a film, which was released in 2021.