Allan Larson, Father of Rent Playwright Jonathan Larson, Dies, Lin-Manuel Miranda Confirms
Lin-Manuel Miranda/Twitter
Allan Larson, the father of Rent playwright Jonathan Larson, has died, according to Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The 41-year-old Broadway star announced Allan’s death Friday on Twitter. Allan was best known for maintaining his son’s legacy after his death in 1996.
“Faced with unimaginable loss, he made his son’s legacy his life’s work. For years, anywhere Jon’s work premiered in the world, Al would be there to tell the assembled casts about his son Jonathan,” wrote Miranda, who directed the 2021 Netflix version of Jonathan’s autobiographical musical Tick, Tick…Boom!.
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“Rest in peace, Al,” he added. “Thank you for your trust & friendship. Miss you already.”
Allan and Jonathan’s mother Nanette Larson were married for 68 years until Nanette’s death in 2018, according to Deadline. In 1960, Nanette gave birth to Jonathan, who died nearly 26 years ago at age 35.
Jonathan posthumously received three Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his hit musical, Rent.
Allan Larson (L) and wife Nanette Larson attend the 2011 Jonathan Larson Grants presentation at Lucille’s Bar & Grill at B.B. King Blues Club on March 29, 2011 in New York City.
D Dipasupil/FilmMagic
Shortly after their son’s death, Allan, Nanette and daughter Julie Larson established The Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation, which offered grants to support musical theatre composers, lyricists, and writers early in their careers.
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The American Theatre Wing took over the distribution of the grant in 2008 and rebranded them as Jonathan Larson Grants. Allan, who was president of the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation when the deal was struck, said the foundation was “extremely proud” of the agreement.
“Because of the Wing’s world-wide recognition as home of the Tony Awards, the establishment of the ATW Jonathan Larson Grants Fund is a major step toward assuring that a much larger group of aspiring theatrical writers and lyricists will always have a place where they can seek recognition,” said Allan at the time, per Deadline.
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