Jonathan Larson – musical stars share their favourite quotes to mark his passing

No musical theatre fan needs reminding of the utter tragedy of Jonathan Larson’s passing just hours before Rent made its Off-Broadway debut.

The legacy that the composer and his works have left behind cannot be understated.

Throughout the summer, The Jonathan Larson Project will make its UK premiere, featuring well-known numbers from Rent, tick, tick… Boom!, and previously undiscovered works. We’ve spoken to alumni of these much-loved shows about the words that mean the most to them.

Michael Ahomka-Lindsay

‘Cages or wings, which do you prefer? Ask the birds’

“Though this is a quote from tick, tick… Boom!, my connection to Jonathan Larson is via Rent. My first professional project. Amongst a lot of things, Jonathan Larson wrote about the importance and value of being present when tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. It’s a fearlessly loving lifestyle that is also expressed in this quote. It somehow implicitly expresses understanding that fear or desire for safety creates an inevitable pull of the cage. But asks the simple question, you may be afraid, but what is your other option? Stay in the cage? Or fly? Those who have tasted flight would answer the opposite with ease. Interesting that there is no third option of ‘failure’ either, as long as you are not caged, you are flying.”

Jocasta Almgill

‘… There’s no other path, no other way, no day but today’

“It was so lovely reminiscing about Larson’s incredible work. It brought back a flood of memories and reminded me of how much I adore Joanne Jefferson. Singing this line always made me tear up, and I think it’s something we could all do with embracing a bit more. It really resonated with me deeply.

“I’d also like to share this wonderful quote with you: ‘The opposite of war isn’t peace… It’s creation!’ In our crazy world, where people in power are constantly creating war and disaster, this quote is incredibly important. It shows that we can’t just sit back and hope things get better. We have to be active; we have to create the world we want to live in. Let’s create in any way we can!”

Luke Bayer

‘Forget regret or life is yours to miss…’

“I think as I’ve got older, I’ve realised we can’t hang on to things. It’s about how we process them, learn from them, move and grow. So much of Jonathan Larson’s work, and speaking specifically in terms of Rent, is about finding joy in the present and being able to open our eyes, be present, and live.

“I played Mark in Rent at the Hope Mill in 2021. It was truly one of the most special experiences of my career. We are all bonded forever, having done that show together.”

Tarik Frimpong

‘Cages or wings? Which do you prefer? Ask the birds’

“Singing this every night in the UK revival of tick, tick… Boom! last year really made me examine the way I live my life and whether I was leading with “fear or love”! A brilliant lyric from a brilliant writer and artist!”

Cassidy Janson

“tick, tick… Boom! at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2005 was a massive experience in my life. The lyrics, the cast and creatives all highly influenced my understanding of theatre and of why what Jonathan brought to musical theatre was so important. He profoundly changed what type of music was permissible in musicals, namely, rock music and musical theatre’s never been the same since.”

Lucie Jones

‘Only thing to do is jump over the moon’

“Rent was the first show I ever saw on Broadway. I remember falling in love with Angel beyond anything I had ever experienced before. When I was working on Rent’s 20th anniversary tour, our director Bruce Guthrie put me in touch with Jonathan’s father, the late Allan Larson, over email. We connected about the protest number my character, Maureen, does at the end of act one – ‘Over the Moon’.

“We chatted at length about Jonathan’s upbringing and some of the references in the piece that I hadn’t come across before. It gave me an insight into who he really was, and I loved the work all the more for it. ‘Over the Moon’ became a bit of a love letter to him, his own fights, protests and adorations, and his work. I’ll always think of him shooting for the stars like he did when writing all of his work, especially Rent, when I hear this lyric.”

Christina Modestou

‘Why do we follow leaders who never lead? Why does it take catastrophe to start a revolution if we’re so free, tell me why? Someone tell me why so many people bleed?’

“Jonathan Larson’s work puts artists at the forefront of his storytelling. His outlook on life bursts through his timeless writing and his messages and questions about life through his work are still so prevalent. I spent three months of 2025 singing these lyrics, and you could see and feel audiences connecting to the world we are in today.

“Larson’s tragic and untimely death at the age of 35 shook the theatre world. Even discovering his music years after his death, I have felt the loss of his brilliance and what could have been. He had so much to give and we were lucky enough to get a beautiful snippet of that legacy. I am currently doing the play Our Town with the Welsh National Theatre, and the character Emily asks the question, ‘Do any human beings ever realise life while they live it? Every, every minute?’ To which the Stage Manager responds, ‘No. The saints and poets, maybe – they do some.’ I think Jonathan Larson got very close. I will be forever grateful for his work.”

Alex Thomas-Smith

‘There’s only now, there’s only here. Give in to love, or live in fear’

“Jonathan Larson’s legacy is both groundbreaking and deeply human. Rent showed us that living and loving are acts of courage. Anyone who steps into this work leaves something of themselves behind and is forever changed because of it.”

Layton Williams

‘Live in my house, I’ll be your shelter, just pay me back with 1000 kisses’

“I absolutely adored playing Angel and singing ‘I’ll Cover You’ with Ryan O’Gorman every night, which was so magical. It was also my first supporting lead role in a musical, and it really taught me a lot about being a performer, about work ethic and getting on stage and slaying, quite frankly. I think Jonathan Larson is one of the most incredible theatre writers of all time, and it was an honour to be Angel.”