Editing Jonathan Larson (section)

==Early years==
Jonathan David Larson was born on February 4, 1960, in [[Mount Vernon, New York]], to Nanette née Notarius (1927–2018)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-11 |title=Obituaries in Westchester, NY {{!}} The Journal News |url=https://www.lohud.com/obituaries/wjn129447 |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=lohud.com |language=en}}</ref> and Allan Larson (1925–2021)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harms |first=Talaura |date=2022-01-03 |title=Allan Larson, Father of Rent Creator Jonathan Larson, Dies |url=https://playbill.com/article/allan-larson-father-of-rent-creator-jonathan-larson-dies}}</ref> of [[White Plains, New York]].<ref name = JUCM>{{cite news|url = https://www.jucm.com/story-jonathan-one-week-january/|title = The Story of Jonathan— One Week in January|date = June 15, 2009|work = Journal of Urgent Care Medicine|publisher = [[Urgent Care Association]]|accessdate = October 2, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/allan-larson-dead-father-playwright-jonathan-larson-1234903471/ | title=Allan Larson Dies: Father Of Playwright Jonathan Larson And Caretaker Of Legacy | first=Greg | last=Evans | work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] | date=January 1, 2022 | access-date=April 1, 2022 | archive-date=April 1, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401005251/https://deadline.com/2022/01/allan-larson-dead-father-playwright-jonathan-larson-1234903471/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.lohud.com/obituaries/wjn129447 | title=Nanette T. Larson Obituary (1927-2018) | work=[[The Journal News]] | date=February 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name=pbs>{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/jonathan-larson/ | title=Jonathan Larson | publisher=[[PBS]] | access-date=April 1, 2022 | archive-date=April 20, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420183727/https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/jonathan-larson/ | url-status=live }}</ref> His family was Jewish.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/stephen-sondheims-last-message/ | title=Stephen Sondheim's last message | first=BRIGIT | last=GRANT | work=[[Jewish News]] | date=December 9, 2021 | access-date=April 1, 2022 | archive-date=January 18, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118004005/https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/stephen-sondheims-last-message/ | url-status=live }}</ref> His grandfather, Bernard Isaac Lazarson, who was born in Russia, changed the family surname from Lazarson.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.jewishtampa.com/jews-in-the-news/jews-in-news-alana-haim-sean-penn-and-andrew-garfield | title=Jews in News: Alana Haim, Sean Penn and Andrew Garfield | work=Tampa JCCS and Federation | date=November 25, 2021 | access-date=December 1, 2021 | archive-date=December 1, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201215214/https://www.jewishtampa.com/jews-in-the-news/jews-in-news-alana-haim-sean-penn-and-andrew-garfield | url-status=live }}</ref> At an early age, Larson played the trumpet and tuba, sang in his school's choir, and took piano lessons. His early musical influences and his favorite rock musicians included [[Elton John]], [[The Doors]], [[The Who]], and [[Billy Joel]], as well as the classic composers of musical theatre, especially [[Stephen Sondheim]]. He also loved [[Pete Townshend]], [[The Police]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Liz Phair]], and [[The Beatles]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.americantheatre.org/1996/07/01/jonathan-larson-talks-about-his-writing-process-and-rent/ | title=Jonathan Larson Talks About His Writing Process and Making 'Rent' | first=JOHN | last=ISTEL | work=[[Theatre Communications Group]] | date=July 1996 | access-date=April 1, 2022 | archive-date=March 8, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308032555/https://www.americantheatre.org/1996/07/01/jonathan-larson-talks-about-his-writing-process-and-rent/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Larson attended [[White Plains High School]], where he was also involved in acting, performing in lead roles in various productions, graduating in 1978.<ref name="melg"/> He had a sister, Julie.

Larson attended [[Adelphi University]] in [[Garden City, New York]], with a four-year scholarship as an acting major, in addition to performing in numerous plays and musical theatre, graduating in 1982 with a [[Bachelor of Fine Arts]] degree. Larson stopped acting to focus on compositions.{{cn|date=March 2025}} During his college years, he began music composition, composing music first for small student productions, called cabarets, and later the score to a musical entitled ''[[The Book of Good Love]]'' (''Libro de Buen Amor''), written by the department head, Jacques Burdick, who was also Larson's college mentor.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

As a student at Adelphi University, Larson co-wrote ''[[Sacrimmoralinority]],'' a [[Brechtian]]-themed cabaret musical and his first musical, with David Glenn Armstrong.{{cn|date=March 2025}} It was first staged at Adelphi University in the winter of 1981. After Larson and Armstrong graduated in 1982, they renamed it ''Saved! - An Immoral Musical on the Moral Majority.'' It played a four-week showcase run at Rusty's Storefront Blitz, a small theatre on 42nd Street in New York, Manhattan, and won both authors a writing award from [[ASCAP]].{{cn|date=March 2025}}

After graduating, Larson participated in a [[summer stock theatre]] program at the [[The Barn Theatre|Barn Theatre]] in [[Augusta, Michigan]], as a piano player, which resulted in his earning an [[Equity card]] for membership in the [[Actors' Equity Association]].{{cn|date=March 2025}}