So, in the nineties I rediscovered that I loved Broadway musicals. There was a time when Frank and I would venture into the city and see a show, and most of the time they were either funny or boring, but only one stuck with me for life, and that was, naturally, Jonathan Larson’s masterpiece, Rent. I saw it a few times, and for bragging rights, one of those times starred the original cast. Years later, a film adaptation was made and I was beyond ecstatic. Most of the original cast reprised their role, with the addition of Rosario Dawson as Mimi and Tracey Thoms as Joanne. My Vincent was as obsessed with Rent as I, and there was a day shortly before he died, about which I’ve often spoken, when he unexpectedly showed up at my house to drive us into the village for the afternoon. On the ride in, we played the Rent film soundtrack and sung, badly, along. It was a healing day for our relationship, and in the moments that followed that day, we were brought back to when we first found each other and became what we eventually did to each other. He was MY Angel Dumott Schunard, and I think we both knew, that day, that he wasn’t long for this world. I cannot hear this song without welling up. I listen to the reprise of I’ll Cover You, which is sung at Angel’s funeral, and I am overwhelmed with the harmonies, and I am reminded that you can’t buy love, you can only rent it. It’s fleeting and limited, so when you have it, hold it and cover it and protect it.
From the historical writing archive. Original date: November 17, 2017. Recovered from local source material; editorial review is still in progress.
