▁death . ▁While ▁critics ▁and ▁theatre ▁pat rons ▁had ▁largely ▁positive ▁reviews ▁of ▁the ▁show , ▁it ▁was ▁critic ized ▁for ▁its ▁s tere ot yp ically ▁negative ▁port ray al ▁of ▁les bian ▁characters ▁and ▁the ▁" gl am ou riz ation " ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁Village ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁Billy ▁Ar ons on ▁said , ▁" For ▁the ▁record , ▁although ▁I ▁was ▁amb ivalent ▁about ▁Jonathan ’ s ▁ideas ▁for ▁R ent ▁when ▁we ▁were ▁working ▁together ▁on ▁it , ▁I ▁have ▁come ▁to ▁love ▁the ▁show . ▁And ▁as ▁trag ic ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁that ▁he ▁didn ’ t ▁live ▁to ▁see ▁his ▁work ▁become ▁a ▁huge ▁success , ▁I ▁believe ▁he ▁knew ▁it ▁would ▁be . ▁In ▁our ▁last ▁conversation ▁I ▁asked ▁how ▁the ▁show ▁was ▁going ▁and ▁he ▁said , ▁with ▁complete ▁ass urance , ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁incred ible ." ▁ ▁Cultural ▁impact ▁and ▁legacy ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁" Se asons ▁of ▁Love " ▁became ▁a ▁successful ▁pop ▁song ▁and ▁often ▁is ▁performed ▁on ▁its ▁own . ▁Because ▁of ▁its ▁connection ▁to ▁New ▁Years ▁and ▁looking ▁back ▁at ▁times ▁past , ▁it ▁is ▁sometimes ▁performed ▁at ▁gradu ations ▁or ▁school ▁hol iday ▁programs . ▁ ▁R ENT - head s ▁R ent ▁gathered ▁a ▁following ▁of ▁fans ▁who ▁refer ▁to ▁themselves ▁as ▁" RENT - head s ." ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁originally ▁referred ▁to ▁people ▁who ▁would ▁camp ▁out ▁at ▁the ▁Nederland er ▁Theater ▁for ▁hours ▁in ▁advance