By James V. Ruocco
The lyrics for "Rent" are unmistakably familiar, catchy, inspiring, and still relevant, 23 years later.
"There's only us, there's only this.
Forget regret, or life is your's to miss.
No other path, no other way.
No day but today"
"How do you document real life
When real life's getting more like fiction each day?
Headlines, bread-lines blow my mind
And now this deadline, eviction or pay rent"
"Five hundred twenty-five thousand Six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure - measure a year?
In daylights - in sunsets
In midnights - in cups of coffee
In inches - in miles
In laughter - in strife"
And bloody hell, they should be.
"Rent" was...."Rent" is...."Rent" remains the celebrated, iconic work of Jonathan Larson, the 35-year-old composer/lyricist and author who died of an aortic aneurysm on January, 25, 1996, just days before his exhilarating, ground-breaking rock opera made its official big debut off-Broadway to heightened fanfare and subsequently, was later transferred to Broadway in April of the same year, where, it became the "Hamilton" of its day.
Of course, this came as no surprise to anyone in the cast, in the audience, in the producer's chair or on the creative team.
I remember it well
Sitting there, fifth row orchestra center (on the aisle, of course) at the Nederlander Theatre, just two days after its big Broadway bow, I remember thinking, "How bloody lucky am I to be sitting here watching this musical event unfold" and..."How bloody lucky are those people on stage ...Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Idina Menzel, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Fredi Walker, Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin...to get to do something as wonderful and exciting as this eight times a week."
Twenty-three years later, "Rent" still works and reworks that same theatrical magic on today's adrenaline-fueled audience as it did for first-timer's on 79 East Fourth St in the East Village and at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway. The cast is new. The production is new. The perspective is new. The sets, the sound and the lighting are new. The costumes are new.
But make no mistake, this is "Rent" the way it was meant to be seen....in all its colorful, gritty, heartfelt, cinematic-like glory. It snaps. It pops. It tingles. It seduces. It invigorates. It gets the pulses racing.
One major difference, however.
This time around, however, the audience.....well, at least 85 percent of them, anyway... come to "Rent" knowing every song and lyric, every line of dialogue, every characterization, every plot twist, every heartbreak, every revelation, every drum roll, every tick, every kick, every beat, every nuance, every dance move, every shock, every sexy moment and every surprise. They also know all the inhabitants of Larson's colorful East Village bohemia (artists, drag queens, drug addicts, homosexuals, lesbians, songwriters, dancers, filmmakers, homeless people and those living with HIV) and how they evolve during both Act I and II.
But it doesn't really matter. When the house lights dim, you can sense the buzz immediately as they are ready to take hold of "Rent" lock, stock and barrel...one more time. They applaud all the entrances and exits of the main characters. They sing out loud. They laugh. They cheer. They jump out of their seats. They lovingly shout the names of who's who on stage. They lose control when their favorite moment comes. They go absolutely crazy when a song starts or finishes. And they cry...they cry..oh, God, how they cry.
Some are actors, Broadway groupies, musicians, college students, buskers, homosexuals, grandmothers, high school students, drag queens, transgenders, pink-haired lesbians, business executives, fresh-scrubbed kids, Jamie Campbell wannabees or just die hard theater buffs who live, eat and breathe all things musical.
And let's not forget those mad but merry RENT-heads, who still follow the show from city to city and have seen "Rent" more than 500 or 600 times (the stage musical, the 2005 film adaptation and the recent-not-so-live "Rent Live!" on Fox Television). They set the tone for the entire LIVE performance. They encourage the on-stage actors to pump things up and get ready to go. And then, it happens. "Rent" begins. "Rent" entices. "Rent" explodes. And, what an explosion it is.
Inspirational.
Frenzied.
Stirring.
Humorous.
Savvy.
Resilient.
Heartbreaking.
Solidified.
On the road, the 2019 National Touring edition of "Rent" more than delivers its emotional wallop of snap, dazzle, crackle and pop. It works everyone on stage and off into a fervent, often playful lather of invigoration and delirium, which, when you think about it, is probably what Larson envisioned all along. It ironically stands the testament of time as it deals openly and creatively with stories about grief, rage, addiction, eviction, materialism, struggle, heroism, comfort, survival, legacy, sexual identity, transgender activism, death, poverty, individualism, urban redevelopment and AIDS. Its raw adult language ( "fucking weird," "fucking bitch," "dildo," "clit club," "mucho masterbation," "to sodomy, it's between God and me," "who the fuck do you think you are?" for example) hits hard and home without hesitation. The characters themselves are full-bodied and reflective of their East Village milieu. Nothing is taken for granted or thrown in to knock the audience off balance or on its ass. It looks at life. It is full of life. It celebrates life. It is life.
That said, this "Rent" is not a copycat, paint-by-numbers incarnation of the original 1996 Broadway musical conceived by Michael Greif or its 1998 London/West End counterpart. Here, "Rent" director Evan Ensign isn't interested in dusting off the blueprints of those two works to the point where his version of "Rent" is nothing more than a nostalgic, affectionate tribute to times long gone by. Instead, he puts his own thrilling, unique stamp on the new production without resorting to overkill or updating any of the dialogue, which every RENT-head in the audience could recite verbatim. He changes some of the original stage movement because this is 2019 and not 1996, so that's to be expected. He thrusts the action forward at a much brisker pace. He brings some of the upstage action downstage, a directorial conceit that makes it much more effective, edgy and shadowy for both actor and audience. He also respects and understands each of the conflicted characterizations that Jonathan Larson created and only fleetingly, makes a minor tweak or two with some of the core characters.
Elsewhere, he lovingly preserves some of the original staging created by Greif, most noticeable in the pulsating opening "Rent" production number, the poignant "Light My Candle" exchanges, the wickedly feverish "La Vie Boheme," which closes Act I and "What You Own," a catchy, character-driven song of self-discovery between Mark and Roger in the middle of Act II.
Marlies Yearby's crazed and frenzied dance movement and choreography ("Tango Maureen," "Today 4 U," "Out Tonight," "La Vie Boheme") provides the necessary pulse, momentum and spirit to get the juices flowing. It is energetic. It is modern. It fits perfectly into the dramatic spine work of the story. And when necessary, things are purposely amped up keep "Rent" fresh and exciting. Regardless, Yearby's choices, nonetheless, reflect the intentions and concept thrust forward by the show's originators.
Directorially, Ensign also brings an unabashed playfulness and zesty spin to "Rent's" many verbal and musical voice mails, phone calls and celebratory pronouncements, all of which are effectively staged and performed by members of the ensemble cast who tackle many, many different roles (waiters, parents, cops, bohemians, life support members, squatters, to name a few) and costume changes with the creative genius and passion of those who originally created the roles or played them in other productions of "Rent" all around the world. They have fun. We have fun. They get excited. We get excited. More importantly, no one in the audience flips through their playbills, checks their watches or looks confused by the onstage action. If they did, the RENT-heads would cause a bloody riot and go ballistic. Here, Ensign, as director, is at the top of his game, and it shows.
Then and now, the heart, drive and defining pulse of the show is Larson's inventive, intricate, character-driven musical score. His creative, definitive mix of anthems, duets, ballads, rock songs, plot-driven laments and lively showstoppers is unbeatable. "Rent," "One Song Glory," "Out Tonight," "I'll Cover You," "Take Me or Leave Me," "Another Day," "Without You," "Santa Fe," "Over the Moon," "What Your Own," "Tango Maureen," "Seasons of Love." The list goes on and on and on. And nothing gets lost in the translation. Larson's recurring themes: living on the edge, taking chances, fighting for survival, shielding loved ones from danger in the face of death and adversity are emotionally and melodically revisited by musical supervisor Tim Weil whose expert handling of the "Rent" material unfolds like great art that would make Larson ever-so-proud.
As "Rent" moves from scene to scene, Weil and his fine orchestral team are scrupulously attentive to Larson's music, the singers, the story and its rapid evolution. Here and there, they take risks with the tempos to give them a more contemporary feel. When necessary, they squeeze a little bit of extra pulp juice out of certain single phrases to make them more palpable. They also target certain songs with additional depth, beauty, confidence and flexibility. And, despite the show's familiarity, in everyone's more than capable "band/musician" hands, this incarnation of "Rent" sounds fresh, spunky, witty and surprisingly new.
Casting for the 2019 national tour is exceptional. For many "Rent" cast members, this is their first "on the road" experience. So yes, they want to thrill and electrify the audience, offer their own individual take on each of the now-iconic characters and when permissible, perhaps change a line of two to deliver uniquely different interpretations all together. As the two-act musical evolves, the principal, supporting and ensemble cast members connect seamlessly. They are young, attractive, intuitive, charismatic and diverse. They also represent the "Rent" milieu set forth by Jonathan Larson in terms of size, shape, gender, color and sexuality. They get "Rent." They understand "Rent." They are "Rent."
No one could play the part of relentless Jewish documentary filmmaker Mark Cohen like Anthony Rapp who created the role in the original 1996 Broadway production. That was a once-in-a-lifetime performance that has withstood the test of time. The good news about this "Rent" is that the very charismatic and likeable Logan Marks opts not to copycat his predecessor. Like Danny Harris Kornfeld who played the part in the 2017 national touring company of "Rent," Marks steers clear of all things Rapp. Instead, he offers his own take on Mark, his role in the evolution of the "Rent" story and his interaction with all of the other characters. It's a real, raw, hip and energetic performance fraught with appropriate passion and emotion. He nails all of the familiar character traits that Larson set forth for Mark. He takes chances and runs with them. Vocally, he's pitch-perfect and never once misses a beat. His portrayal of Mark is so invigorating (he doesn't just play the part, he owns it), you are never once reminded that this iconic character was once played by Anthony Rapp in the original Broadway production and the 2005 film adaptation.
Is Javon King's sassy, sparkly, flamboyant and colorful portrayal of Angel, the young gay drag queen who is dying of AIDS as sensational as Wilson Jermaine Heredia who originated the role on Broadway and David Merino who played the same role in the 2017 touring edition of 'Rent?" You bet it is. As shaped and molded by King, it's a dizzying, showstopping full-bodied performance of high kicks, sentiment, individuality and transgender allure that the actor invests with wild abandon, multi-colored dazzle, spirit and flamboyance. It's also a refreshingly unique conceit that King uses to full advantage throughout "Rent" and in his showstopping musical turns "Today 4 You" and "I'll Cover You." And yes, the audience is with him every step of the way. It's impossible not to love or want to hug Angel. Then again, that's the point, isn't it?
whenever he cuts loose vocally, Joshua Bess is the perfect fit for the part of the troubled singer/ songwriter Roger whose previous girlfriend committed suicide once she learned of her AIDS diagnosis. His anguished, emotional, emblematic ballad "One Song Glory" is rendered with appropriate pain and pathos as is "What You Own," his big, fiery, harmonious duet with Mark in the middle of Act II. Vocally, his rock-style voice is controlled, expressive, dynamic and well-nuanced. He's as versatile and energetic as Adam Pascal was in the original 1996 Broadway production, using a crisp, polished musicality, depth, confidence and edgy clout to sell every one of his songs. And just in case he should take a tumble down a stairwell or trip over a pile of props, understudies Chase McCall and Sean Ryan are waiting in the wings to fill his shoes as this is a LIVE production. Nothing pre-recorded or re-blocked here.
As Mimi, the drug stoked dancer with a heroin habit, Deri' Andrea Tucker is sexy, lively, slippery, sensuous and alluring. Dancing wise, she cuts all the right moves liked a skilled acrobat. Her singing, however, lacks an emotional depth and verve that is particularly noticeable in her wildly erotic solo "Out Tonight," which is designed solely to turn the head of every straight male in the audience, But sadly, it doesn't quite deliver. It's good, but not great. Elsewhere, she redeems herself much later with "Without You," a savvy duet with Roger that catches fire and melts your heart, the way it was intended. Her performance, as a whole, however, lacks the spunk, frenzy and hotness that Daphne Rubin-Vega and Renee Elise Goldsberry brought to the Broadway production and Skyler Volpe kept ablaze in the 2017 national tour.
Lencia Kebede and Lyndie Moe create all the right sparks as the touchy-feely lesbian couple Joanne and Maureen. They have plenty of earthy, sexually charged energy, power and charisma. Their big raging break-up duet "Take Me or Leave Me" unfolds with enough sizzle and snap (kissing, ass-grabbing, breast-touching and simulated cunnilingus, to boot) to cause a power outage. "Over the Moon," Maureen's wonderfully wicked protest number is so unbelievably timed, both comically and vocally, it deserves a standing ovation in itself. And perhaps, an encore of sorts. That's how much fun it is.
Devinre Adams, as Tom Collins, is both heartfelt and endearing as Angel's newfound boyfriend and lover. He plays the part with a sweet sincerity that works especially well. And when it comes time for him to sing his character's big Act II showstopper "I'll Cover You (Reprise)," Adams stops the show with this tear-drenched rendition. His serious vocal heft makes this particular song soar and wound with chilling resonance.
Theatergoers, new to "Rent" will easily embrace this peppy, sensuous, hyperactive touring edition of the celebrated musical, which, in 2019 (and long before that), has become its very own brand name. And why not? Its inspired enthusiasm extends far beyond the proscenium wall of every theater that it plays with a sparkling urgency, depth and command that's pretty hard to resist. The familiar story of East Village bohemia is inhabited by a new group of excited and energetic performers who live, eat, sleep and breathe "Rent." The musical score by the late Jonathan Larson is smooth, ragged, raw and emotional. It gets the juices flowing. It seduces and invigorates. It gets you thinking. It also makes you happy that you bought a ticket.
No broken foot or sound glitches here either (i.e., "Rent Live!"). First time, second time, 100th time, "Rent" still electrifies. What fun! What joy! What a resurrection! Bohemia, thank the Lord, is not dead. It's alive and well with no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
"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"
"In these dangerous times, where it seems the world is ripping apart at the seams, we can all learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the face every day and [we] should reach out to each other and bond as a community, rather than hide from the terrors of life at the end of the millennium."
Jonathan Larson, author/composer of "Rent"
Jonathan Larson, author/composer of "Rent"
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