The problem with writing a show in which somebody dies of an illness that isn’t the subject of the show (Rent, La Traviata) is that as a rule the only way to convey clearly that characters are sick, other than making them talk or sing about it explicitly, is to have them cough. And the instant somebody coughs onstage, the audience knows s/he’s going to die before the end of the show, which makes it impossible for the event to have any suspense or surprise.
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