what is rent the musical about

Rent is a rock musical that follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and friends living in Alphabet City, the East Village neighborhood of New York City, during the late 1980s and early 1990s under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The story centers on Mark, an aspiring filmmaker; Roger, an HIV-positive musician dealing with addiction and grief; Maureen, a performance artist staging protests; Mimi, a dancer with a heroin addiction; and their friends, including Tom Collins and Angel, who are also HIV positive. Themes of love, friendship, community, poverty, gentrification, illness, and hope weave through the narrative, along with the struggles of paying rent and facing eviction from their building. The musical is inspired by Puccini's opera La Bohème and is known for its raw portrayal of bohemian life, social issues, and resilience. It has been a landmark work in musical theatre, winning awards such as the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.