original ▁concept ▁& ▁additional ▁lyr ics ". ▁ ▁Jonathan ▁Lar son ▁focused ▁on ▁compos ing ▁R ent ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁waiting ▁tables ▁at ▁the ▁Mo ond ance ▁D iner ▁to ▁support ▁himself . ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁years , ▁Lar son ▁wrote ▁hundreds ▁of ▁songs ▁and ▁made ▁many ▁dr astic ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁show , ▁which ▁in ▁its ▁final ▁inc arn ation ▁contained ▁ 4 2 ▁songs . ▁In ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁Lar son ▁approached ▁James ▁Nicola , ▁art istic ▁director ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁Theatre ▁Work shop , ▁with ▁a ▁t ape ▁and ▁copy ▁of ▁R ents ▁script . ▁When ▁R ent ▁had ▁its ▁first ▁st aged ▁reading ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁Theatre ▁Work shop ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁it ▁became ▁evident ▁that , ▁despite ▁its ▁very ▁prom ising ▁material ▁and ▁moving ▁musical ▁numbers , ▁many ▁struct ural ▁problems ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁addressed , ▁including ▁its ▁cum bers ome ▁length ▁and ▁over ly ▁complex ▁plot . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Theatre ▁Work shop ▁version ▁of ▁R ent ▁featured ▁songs ▁that ▁never ▁made ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁final ▁version , ▁such ▁as : ▁▁ ▁" You ' re ▁a ▁F ool " ▁ ▁" Do ▁a ▁Little ▁Business ", ▁the ▁prede cess or ▁of ▁" You ' ll ▁See ", ▁featuring ▁Ben ny , ▁Mark , ▁Roger , ▁Collins ▁and ▁Angel ▁ ▁" F em ale ▁to ▁Fem ale ▁A ▁&