I guess I am in the minority (so what else is new?), but I still say that any show that gets children to see Broadway theater or any live theater is a plus, not a minus. I agree that when I was a teenager, the shows I would have wanted to see would not have been cartoons, but real musical theater. However, with ticket prices topping out at over $100.00, I doubt very many children have a say in if they see a Broadway show, let alone what the show might be.
Personally, I think RENT is a piece of crap, but if it stirs the interest of young people enough to buy the CD or to see the production I am all for it. The child who sees RENT or BEAUTY AND THE BEAST today, is the child that is going to fall in love with live theater; and years from now it is that child who will be turning to Sondheim, R & H, Jerome kern, Kander & Ebb, etc., etc. (okay etc.)