Moondance Diner

I happened to pass by the Moondance Diner while I was in the City the other day. It's one of those small and unassuming places that people pass by every day without realizing its significance.

Jonathan Larson, creator of "RENT" worked here as a waiter when he was a struggling artist, living the stereotypical bohemian lifestyle and trying to get his work off the ground. When he found out that "RENT" was going to be produced, he quit his job to focus on the show. Early buzz was mounting, and "RENT" was one of the most anticipated shows of the season in January 0f 1996. Jonathan's world was about to change in a way that most artists only dream about. Unfortunately, he never got to experience the dream.

Jonathan died suddenly of what was later determined to be a ruptured aortic aneurysm caused by Marfan syndrome. He had been to TWO different ERs in the days leading up to his death complaining of massive chest pains, shortness of breath, and nausea -- one diagnosed the flu, the other food poisoning, both sent him home.

In the years since Jonathan's death, the Larson Family (in particular his father Al) has worked with the National Marfan Foundation to raise awareness of the disorder in hospital emergency departments to prevent such unnecessary tragedies. If either hospital had recognized Jonathan's condition for what it was, he very likely would be alive today, and he would have been able to accept the Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize and other critical acclaim that the show received.

Marfan syndrome's connection to "RENT" has afforded us incredible opportunities to raise awareness, and it is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job (see my posting about our public service announcement in my blog archives). In a way, it connects me back to the theatre community that I always dreamed of working in. Maybe I should have been more specific in my dreams...