[RACHEL02189]

On the other side of the stage Criss was getting ready for his song with Mark.

MARK (imagining)
Hi. Mark Cohen here, reporting for Buzzline. Back to you, Alexi! Coming up
next, vampire welfare queens who are compulsive bowlers... Oh my God,
what am I doing?

WHAT YOU OWN

MARK
Don't breathe too deep
Don't think all day
Dive into work
Drive the other way
That drip of hurt
That pint of shame
Goes away
Just play the game
You're living in America
At the end of the millennium
You're living in America
Leave your conscience at the tone
And when you're living in America
At the end of the millennium
You're what you own

(Lights up on ROGER)

ROGER (Criss)
The filmmaker cannot see

MARK
And the songwriter cannot hear

ROGER (Criss)
Yet I see Mimi everywhere

MARK
Angel's voice is in my ear

ROGER (Criss)
Just tighten those shoulders

MARK
Just clench your jaw till you frown

ROGER (Criss)
Just don't let go

BOTH
Or you may drown
You're living in America
At the end of the millennium
You're living in America
Where it's like the Twilight Zone
And when you're living in America
At the end of the millennium
You're what you own
So I own not a notion
I escape and ape content
I don't own emotion - I rent

MARK
What was it about that night

ROGER (Criss)
What was it about that night

BOTH
Connection- in an isolating age

MARK
For once the shadows gave way to light

ROGER (Criss)
For once the shadows gave way to light

BOTH
For once I didn't disengage

MARK
Angel I hear you I hear it
I see it I see it
My film!

ROGER (Criss)
Mimi I see you I see it
I hear it- I hear it
My song

MARK (on the phone)
Alexi--Mark
Call me a hypocrite
I need to finish my own film
I quit

ROGER (Criss)
One song glory
Mimi
Your eyes

BOTH
Dying in America
At the end of the millennium
We're dying in America
To come into our own
And when you're dying in America
At the end of the millennium
You're not alone
I'm not alone
I'm not alone

As I listened to Criss sing I was starting to feel scared because my death scence was coming up. As I waited I felt a hand on my shoulder but when I turned around there nobody was there.


MARK
December 24th, ten p.m. Eastern standard time
I can't believe a year went by so fast
Time to see what we have time to see
Turn the projector on

(A rough title credit, "Today 4 U: Proof Positive," appears, followed by
a shot from last Christmas of ROGER tuning his guitar)

First shot Roger
With the fender guitar he just got out of hock
When he sold the car
That took him away and back

ROGER (Criss)
I found my song

MARK
He found his song
If he could just find Mimi

ROGER (Criss)
I tried - you know I tried

(MARK's image appears on-screen)

MARK
Fade in on Mark
Who's still in the dark

ROGER (Criss)
But he's got great footage

MARK
Which he's cut together

ROGER (Criss)
To screen tonight

In the back I was ready to get but I sent a letter to my mom telling her if she wanted to leave I'd understand. She sent me a note that just said: I'm fine. "Ready Mimi". "Just don't drop me"I replied as she picked me up.

MAUREEN
Mark! Roger! Anyone - help!

MARK
Maureen?

MAUREEN
It's Mimi - I can't get her up the stairs

ROGER
No

(They enter the loft)

MAUREEN
She was huddled in the park in the dark
And she was freezing
And begged to come here

ROGER
Over here
Oh, God

(They lay her down carefully on the table)

MIMI
Got a light - I know you - you're shivering

JOANNE
She's been living on the street

ROGER
We need some heat

MIMI
I'm shivering

MARK
We can buy some wood and something to eat

COLLINS
I'm afraid she needs more than heat

MIMI
I heard that

MAUREEN
Collins will call for a doctor, honey

MIMI
Don't waste your money on Mimi, me, me

COLLINS
Hello 911?
I'm on hold

MIMI
Cold...cold... would you light my candle?

ROGER
Yes we'll oh God - find a candle

MIMI
I should tell you
I should tell you

ROGER
I should tell you
I should tell you

MIMI
I should tell you
Benny wasn't any

ROGER
Shhh--I know
I should tell you why I left
It wasn't cause I didn't

MIMI
I know
I should tell you

ROGER
I should tell you

MIMI (whispering)
I should tell you
I love you

(MIMI fades)

ROGER
Who do you think you are?
Leaving me alone with my guitar
Hold on there's something you should hear
It isn't much but it took all year

YOUR EYES

ROGER
Your eyes
As we said our goodbyes
Can't get them out of my mind
And I find I can't hide
From your eyes
The ones that took me by surprise
The night you came into my life
Where there's moonlight I see your eyes

(Band takes over)

How'd I let you slip away
When I'm longing so to hold you
Now I'd die for one more day
'Cause there's something I should have told you
Yes there's something I should have told you
When I looked into your eyes
Why does distance make us wise?
You were the song all along
And before this song dies
I should tell you I should tell you
I have always loved you
You can see it in my eyes

(We hear Musetta's Theme, played correctly and passionately. MIMI's
head falls to the side and her arm drops limply off the edge of the table)

Mimi!

FINALE B

(Suddenly, MIMI's hand twitches. Incredibly, she is still alive)

JOANNE
She's back

MIMI
I was in a tunnel. Heading for this warm, white light

MAUREEN
Oh my god

MIMI
And I swear Angel was there and she looked GOOD! And she said, "Turn
around, girlfriend, and listen to that boy's song"

COLLINS
She's drenched

MAUREEN
Her fever's breaking

MARK
There is no future there is no past

ROGER
Thank God this moment's not the last

MIMI & ROGER
There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret or life is yours to miss

ALL
No other road no other way
No day but today

(As the finale grows, the entire COMPANY makes its way on stage)

WOMEN
I can't control
My destiny
I trust my soul
My only goal is just to be

MEN
Will I lose my dignity?
Will someone care?
Will I wake tomorrow
From this nightmare?

(MARK's film resumes, along with two more films projecting on the back
wall, "Scenes from RENT...")

WOMEN
Without you
The hand gropes
The ear hears
The pulse beats
Life goes on
But I'm gone
'Cause I die
Without you
I die without you
I die without you
I die without you

MEN
There's only now
There's only here
Give in to love
Or live in fear
No other path
No other way
No day but today
No day but today
No day but today
No day but today

ALL
No day but today

The curtain closed for a moment but it opened and we all took a bow as the crowd cheered JD and Costa even whistled. "Let's hear it for our first timers Christopher Sarantakos and Racheal Montel". Criss and I took a bow. "I'm surprised he pronounced your last name correctly"I whispered as Criss smiled. After we took our bows Criss ran to the back and he came out with a bouquet of roses and gave them to me. Tears fell down my face as the cast including Criss clapped and cheered.

(Epilogue)

The show went great untill Criss dropped out when he had to have surgery to remove his tonsils. After the show closed at The Luxor Zack got me a job to do another musical. When it was my time to perform I got the best surprise Criss and the cast from Rent came and saw me in it. My mom became good friends with Criss's mom they talk on the phone whenever possible and sometimes my mom takes weekend trips to New York to see Dimitra. My sister became friends with Criss's neice but for some reason Dimi had a good effect on my sister which I was surprised about. For me I'm still doing broadway and I bought my uncle's house up in Maine so I could have somewhere to relax and last year Criss came up again and I taught him how to fish and we had a contest for the time we were up there and it ended up in a tie but Criss and I made a promise to each other that every year no matter what we'd come up even when we have husband/wives and kids and so far we have kept it.

THE END....................