Rent
Book, music, and lyrics by Jonathan Larson; Directed by Benjamin Evett, Musical Direction by Todd C. Gordon, Choreographed by Kelli Edwards; Kathryn Kawecki, Scenic Design; Frances Nelson McSherry, Costume Design; John R. Malinowski, Lighting Design; Joe Stallone, Properties Design; Julien Winter Tremblay, Stage Manager, Misaki Nishimiya, Assistant Stage Manager
CAST (in alphabetical order): John Ambrosino, Julia Broder, Danny Bryck, Aimee Doherty, Eve Kagan, Robin Long, Joe Longthorne, Grant MacDermott, Andrew Oberstein, Adrienne Paquin, Maurice E. Parent, Matthew A. Romero, Cheryl D. Singleton, Robert St. Laurence, Nick Sulfaro
Performances through September 25 at New Repertory Theatre, Arsenal Center for the Arts, Watertown, MA; Box Office 617-923-8487 or www.newrep.org
The question in my mind, or perhaps the elephant in the room, at the opening of Rent, only five days before the tenth anniversary of 9/11, was whether or not this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical could still be relevant fifteen years after its Broadway premiere and more than a decade into the new millennium. Would the world-changing events during that time period make the struggles of a small cohort of Greenwich Village starving artists, junkies, and people with AIDS seem minuscule or self-indulgent? Or could the story be viewed through a new metaphorical lens to broaden the scope of its message, "No day but today?"
New Repertory Theatre and Director Benjamin Evett answer the relevancy question with a resounding "yes," staging an intimate and emotionally powerful production of Jonathan Larson's ground-breaking rock opera based on Puccini's La Boheme. In a world that has grown more dangerous and uncertain, and a nation where the gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen, and the needs of individuals often take a back seat to corporations, Rent's emphasis on the necessity of love and friendship offers a shining beacon to light the way back to what is truly important in life.
Musical Director Todd C. Gordon on keyboards and his band of three musicians are tucked away under a staircase, but their presence on the stage helps to keep the vibrant music front and center. In this cast of singer-actors, some are natural rockers, and others - like Aimee Doherty, Maurice E. Parent, and Cheryl Singleton - better known for their musical theatre accomplishments, show their versatility adapting to the rock style. Larson's score provides the characters' back stories and we really get to know them through their songs.
Aspiring filmmaker Mark (John Ambrosino) and recovering addict Roger (Robert St. Laurence) are friends and roommates who anchor the group and chronicle the events on video and in song. Former roommate Benny (Danny Bryck) has become their landlord and threatens to evict them for non-payment of rent, unless they agree to stop a protest aimed at his real estate development company by Maureen (Doherty), Mark's lesbian ex-girlfriend. While Mark and Maureen's new lover Joanne (Robin Long) commiserate at arm's length about the vagaries of life with her, romance sparks for Roger when neighboring junkie Mimi (Eve Kagan) drops in looking for a match ("Light My Candle"), and their friend Tom Collins (Parent) is picked up and nursed by drag queen Angel (Nick Sulfaro) after a street mugging. Faced with the daily challenges of no heat, power outages, scarce food, and a killer virus, the group tries to find meaning and nurturing in their lives and relationships, surviving on dreams and a little help from their friends.
The reward for making it through the broadly expository first act is the more dramatically taut second act, beginning with the show's anthem-like "Seasons of Love." (New Rep adds a nIce Touch here with names of cast, crew, and audience members' loved ones scrolling on a projection as a memorial and celebration of their lives.) Following months of upheaval in their relationship, Maureen and Joanne battle it out in a take no prisoners rendition of "Take Me or Leave Me." After Mimi and Roger decide to go their separate ways, Kagan sings the achingly beautiful "Without You," while Collins tenderly cares for the debilitated and dying Angel, sans makeup, wig, and provocative costume. Parent's gospel-style reprise of "I'll Cover You" and St. Laurence's "Your Eyes" just before the finale are profoundly sad and sniffle-inducing.
