' s ▁cre ator , ▁Jonathan ▁Lar son , ▁died ▁suddenly ▁of ▁an ▁a ort ic ▁dis section , ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁caused ▁by ▁und i agn osed ▁Mar fan ▁synd rome , ▁the ▁night ▁before ▁the ▁Off - B road way ▁premi ere . ▁The ▁musical ▁moved ▁to ▁Broadway ' s ▁larger ▁Nederland er ▁Theatre ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁ ▁On ▁Broadway , ▁R ent ▁gained ▁critical ▁acc laim ▁and ▁won ▁several ▁awards , ▁including ▁the ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize ▁for ▁D rama ▁and ▁the ▁Tony ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Musical . ▁The ▁Broadway ▁production ▁closed ▁on ▁September ▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁after ▁ 1 2 ▁years , ▁making ▁it ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁longest - running ▁shows ▁on ▁Broadway . ▁The ▁production ▁gross ed ▁over ▁$ 2 8 0 ▁million . ▁ ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁led ▁to ▁several ▁national ▁t ours ▁and ▁numerous ▁foreign ▁produ ctions . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁it ▁was ▁adapted ▁into ▁a ▁motion ▁picture ▁featuring ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁cast ▁members . ▁ ▁Con cept ▁and ▁gen esis ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁play w right ▁Billy ▁Ar ons on ▁wanted ▁to ▁create ▁" a ▁musical ▁based ▁on ▁Pu cc ini ' s ▁La ▁Boh ème , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁l us cious ▁spl endor ▁of ▁Pu cc ini ' s ▁world ▁would ▁be ▁replaced ▁with ▁the ▁co ars eness ▁and ▁noise ▁of ▁modern ▁New ▁York ." ▁In ▁