Actor Rapp recounts his life-changing experience in the original cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent. Rapp had a special feeling about Jonathan Larson's rock musical from his first audition, so he was thrilled when he landed a starring role. When Rent opened to thunderous acclaim off Broadway, the cast members knew that something extraordinary had taken shape. But even as friends and family were celebrating the show's success, they were also mourning Larson's sudden death. When Anthony's mom began to lose her battle with cancer, he struggled to balance the demands of life in the theatre with his responsibility to his family. Here, Anthony recounts the show's magnificent success and his overwhelming loss. He also shares his first experiences discovering his gayness, the tension it created with his mother, and his struggle into adulthood to gain her acceptance. --From publisher description.