By James V. Ruocco
It's a source of joy, strength, beauty and opportunity.
Then, now and always, the music and lyrics of the much-loved 1996 musical "Rent" are unmistakably catchy, inspiring and timely. And well, they should be.
Like all great music or art, if you prefer, they have acquired a history, a rhythm, a pulse, a thrill, a life and a universal vitality that goes way beyond the Bohemian stratosphere from whence they came.
"Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six-hundred minutes.
Five hundred twenty-five
Moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure - measure a year?
In daylights - in sunsets
In midnight's - in cups of coffee
In inches - in miles
In laughter - in strife"
Five hundred twenty-five
Moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure - measure a year?
In daylights - in sunsets
In midnight's - in cups of coffee
In inches - in miles
In laughter - in strife"
"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!"
No matter how you look at it - left, right, upside down or sideways - the legacy that is "Rent" remains the brainchild of the very man himself - 35-year-old Jonathan Larson, the visionary composer, lyricist and author of the hit musical who died of an aortic aneurysm on January, 25, 1996, just days before his ground-breaking rock opera made its official 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.
This, of course, came as no surprise to anyone in the cast, the audience, the producer's chair, the backstage crew or the creative team.
"Rent" was a Broadway musical, like no other.
Diverse.
Revelatory.
Unhinged.
Prolific.
Captivating.
"Rent" was a Broadway musical, like no other.
Diverse.
Revelatory.
Unhinged.
Prolific.
Captivating.
Winner of the 1996 Award for Best Musical and Best Musical Score, among others, "Rent" completely changed the face of musical theater - Broadway, West End, National Tour - with an adrenaline-pumped, frenzied musical score of seamlessly mixed salsa, reggae, opera, gospel, tango, electric rock, pop and Sondheim-tinged eclecticism.
Its angst-filled story of gay and straight characters fighting for survival in N.Y 's bohemian milieu of St. Mark's Place was fueled with grit, hope, boldness, revelation, lust and unabashed vitality. And when the "Rent" cast stood on the edge of the proscenium stage facing the audience at the start of Act II to sing the harmonic anthem "Seasons of Love," a tearful reminder of living and measuring life on borrowed time, your heart just broke and broke and broke.
Its angst-filled story of gay and straight characters fighting for survival in N.Y 's bohemian milieu of St. Mark's Place was fueled with grit, hope, boldness, revelation, lust and unabashed vitality. And when the "Rent" cast stood on the edge of the proscenium stage facing the audience at the start of Act II to sing the harmonic anthem "Seasons of Love," a tearful reminder of living and measuring life on borrowed time, your heart just broke and broke and broke.
At Downtown Cabaret Theatre, where "Rent" has settled in for a five-week run that jump starts the venue's 2022-2023 season, the in-the-moment exhilaration and pseudo pop concert feel of its roots and identity set the stage for an explosive celebration of musical theatre that does full justice to Jonathan Larson's vision, his concept, his story, his rock score and his myriad of colorful, glorious characters.
The cast is new. The production is new. The direction is new. The staging and the choreography are new. The sets are new. The lighting and the costumes are new. The sound effects are new.
But this is "Rent" the way it was meant to be performed in all its raw, gritty, sexy and heartfelt glory.
It is thrilling and uplifting.
It is celebratory and privileged.
It is bold and brazen.
It is real and thought-provoking.
It is raw and edgy.
It is urgent and romantic.
It is vibrant and hauntingly touching.
But this is "Rent" the way it was meant to be performed in all its raw, gritty, sexy and heartfelt glory.
It is thrilling and uplifting.
It is celebratory and privileged.
It is bold and brazen.
It is real and thought-provoking.
It is raw and edgy.
It is urgent and romantic.
It is vibrant and hauntingly touching.
It jumps.
It snaps.
It pops.
It entices.
It snaps.
It pops.
It entices.
It invigorates.
It delivers.
Everything about this production is absolutely perfect.
It basks in the atmospheric eclecticism and primal frenzy it is famous for.
It is also strikingly original.
It is also strikingly original.
True to its roots, the Downtown Cabaret Theatre revival of "Rent" kicks into orbit with invigorating pop and dash and never once shows any sign of slowing down or running out of fuel. It works everyone on stage and in the audience into a feverish, voltage-charged lather, which, when you think about it, is probably what Larson envisioned all along for his mind-blowing bohemian character opus.
The book, as written by the late composer and lyricist, deals openly and creatively with truthful, personal stories about addiction, eviction, materialism, queerness, struggle, legacy, sexual identity, transgender activism, death, poverty, individualism, urban redevelopment and AIDS. Its raw, stringent language ("fucking weird," "fucking bitch," "dildo," "clit club," "queer," for example), hits hard and home without any form of hesitation or censorship. The characters are full-on and reflective of their impoverished East Village milieu. And nothing is taken for granted, pumped up or thrown in to knock the audience off-center or kick them in the ass.
The book, as written by the late composer and lyricist, deals openly and creatively with truthful, personal stories about addiction, eviction, materialism, queerness, struggle, legacy, sexual identity, transgender activism, death, poverty, individualism, urban redevelopment and AIDS. Its raw, stringent language ("fucking weird," "fucking bitch," "dildo," "clit club," "queer," for example), hits hard and home without any form of hesitation or censorship. The characters are full-on and reflective of their impoverished East Village milieu. And nothing is taken for granted, pumped up or thrown in to knock the audience off-center or kick them in the ass.
The defining pulse, sting and thrust of the show is Larson's inventive, optimistic, character-driven musical score. His creative and defining mix of anthems, duets, ballads, rock songs, plot-driven laments, rifts, pronouncements, declarations and lively showstoppers seamlessly reflect the anguish, rage, conflict and emotion he intended for "Rent."
"La Vie Boheme," "Another Day," "One Song Glory," "Light My Candle," "Rent," "Out Tonight," "I'll Cover You," "Take Me or Leave Me," "Seasons of Love," " "Without You," "Santa Fe," "Over the Moon," "What You Own," "Today 4 U," "Tango Maureen," "Will I?" "Your Eyes"
It's all here and nothing gets lost in the translation.
Larson's recurring themes - living on the edge, taking chances, tragic losses, fighting for survival, a strong sense of community, death and adversity, homophobia, shielding loved ones from danger, unspoken truths - are emotionally addressed and melodically revisited in the DCT mounting which is musically directed by Zachary Kampler, a vocal supervisor, musician and storyteller whose sharp, fierce, quick-shot handling of the pre-recorded material unfolds with the dizzying frenzy, spirit and magic of a great artwork set in motion.
Once this revival makes its presence known through the catchy, pulsating beat of the opening title song "Rent" - a fervent cry for help channeling the frustrations of twenty-somethings faced with financial hardships - Kampler cues the music through precise, seamless, well-timed beats and rhythms that follow every twist and turn of the story (the musical takes its cue from Puccini's "La Boheme") with the right sort of involvement and navigational detail intended by Larson.
The sound quality is magnificent with no room for error as "Rent" rips through moments of spontaneity, argument and escape, exuding an orchestral fluidity and flourish, mixed with a bustle or two of nostalgia that is hauntingly conceived and played with great warmth, passion and excitement. Timed to the millisecond, there is real immediacy and realization here that keeps the production centered, focused and productive throughout.
Larson's recurring themes - living on the edge, taking chances, tragic losses, fighting for survival, a strong sense of community, death and adversity, homophobia, shielding loved ones from danger, unspoken truths - are emotionally addressed and melodically revisited in the DCT mounting which is musically directed by Zachary Kampler, a vocal supervisor, musician and storyteller whose sharp, fierce, quick-shot handling of the pre-recorded material unfolds with the dizzying frenzy, spirit and magic of a great artwork set in motion.
Once this revival makes its presence known through the catchy, pulsating beat of the opening title song "Rent" - a fervent cry for help channeling the frustrations of twenty-somethings faced with financial hardships - Kampler cues the music through precise, seamless, well-timed beats and rhythms that follow every twist and turn of the story (the musical takes its cue from Puccini's "La Boheme") with the right sort of involvement and navigational detail intended by Larson.
The sound quality is magnificent with no room for error as "Rent" rips through moments of spontaneity, argument and escape, exuding an orchestral fluidity and flourish, mixed with a bustle or two of nostalgia that is hauntingly conceived and played with great warmth, passion and excitement. Timed to the millisecond, there is real immediacy and realization here that keeps the production centered, focused and productive throughout.
The irresistible draw of this "Rent" - aside from the music, that is - is the emotional intensity of the narrative, as shaped by director Andrea Pane, an artist and visionary whose connection to the piece is dynamic, controlled, driven and bursting with wonderful, tireless energy, electric tension and sonic thrust and boom. As guide and directorial storyteller, he crafts a perfect portrait of Larson's iconic story that is full-voiced and full-throttle, blended seamlessly together with an intoxicating mix of passion, buzz, vibrancy and exquisite detail.
If you've seen "Rent" before (is there anyone out there who hasn't?), this revival, though faithful, in part to Larson's original conceit is not a direct, copycat of the 1996 Broadway musical, the subsequent London edition or the recently staged "25th Anniversary Farewell Tour." And that is meant as the highest complement to Pane, who, as director, isn't interested in dusting off the blueprints of previous "Rent" productions or fashioning a play-by-the-numbers musical steeped in nostalgia or positioned to replay every moment, song or story point exactly as it was done 25 years ago. Pane dances to his own beat. And that is exactly what puts him at the top of his game.
Here, he takes chances. He tries things differently. He looks at new ways to stage key story points and elements of the popular musical. He also opts for an immersive, widescreen process of staging that opens up the material in thrilling three-dimensional fashion that heightens and enlightens the "Rent" live performance strategy, thus giving it a uniqueness all its own.
As interpreter, he brings some of the upstage action downstage, front and center, a directorial change that makes certain actor-audience moments much more powerful and effective. When possible, he gives certain ensemble members more to do by either adding them into scenes they normally wouldn't be a part or. Or he brings them full front with creative movements, blocking and body language which cements their importance to the ongoing story. He also brings an enlivened twist and perk to the show's many tune ups, voice mails and holiday greetings, which every RENT-head in the audience can recite verbatim.
If you've seen "Rent" before (is there anyone out there who hasn't?), this revival, though faithful, in part to Larson's original conceit is not a direct, copycat of the 1996 Broadway musical, the subsequent London edition or the recently staged "25th Anniversary Farewell Tour." And that is meant as the highest complement to Pane, who, as director, isn't interested in dusting off the blueprints of previous "Rent" productions or fashioning a play-by-the-numbers musical steeped in nostalgia or positioned to replay every moment, song or story point exactly as it was done 25 years ago. Pane dances to his own beat. And that is exactly what puts him at the top of his game.
Here, he takes chances. He tries things differently. He looks at new ways to stage key story points and elements of the popular musical. He also opts for an immersive, widescreen process of staging that opens up the material in thrilling three-dimensional fashion that heightens and enlightens the "Rent" live performance strategy, thus giving it a uniqueness all its own.
As interpreter, he brings some of the upstage action downstage, front and center, a directorial change that makes certain actor-audience moments much more powerful and effective. When possible, he gives certain ensemble members more to do by either adding them into scenes they normally wouldn't be a part or. Or he brings them full front with creative movements, blocking and body language which cements their importance to the ongoing story. He also brings an enlivened twist and perk to the show's many tune ups, voice mails and holiday greetings, which every RENT-head in the audience can recite verbatim.
Elsewhere, he proudly amps up the heat to deliver the musical's wildly pulsating opening anthem of "Rent," which sets the stage for the many of the important events that follow. The hilarious "Over the Moon," based on the 18th century nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle," is ignited by brilliantly orchestrated over-the-top kitsch and angst that thrusts it high flying high and onward. The wickedly feverish "La Vie Boheme," which closes Act I, also unfolds with an enlivened merriment that makes it even more enjoyable than it was before.
Choreography is key to the evolution and enhancement of the "Rent" story and Carly Jurman's playful, lively, character-driven dance movement ("Tango Maureen," "Today 4 U," "Out Tonight," "La Vie Boheme," for example) provides the necessary pulse, thrust and oomph necessary to get the juices flowing. It is original. It is energetic. It is modern. It is confident. It is expressive. It is athletic. It fits perfectly into the dramatic fabric of the story. It is also purposely amped up to keep this revival of "Rent" fresh and exciting. And much like that of the original work, it allows the audience to feel the emotions conveyed in the show by every one of the characters.
What's especially fun about Jurman's dance moves is that she takes chances and runs with them. Her unique take - decidedly different from that of the choreographed work of the show's predecessors - adds color, excitement and personality to the already familiar patterns, movements, styles and beats associated with "Rent." It works on every level imaginable while still maintaining the spirit, irony and excitement of the original musical and its voltage-infused choreography.
What's especially fun about Jurman's dance moves is that she takes chances and runs with them. Her unique take - decidedly different from that of the choreographed work of the show's predecessors - adds color, excitement and personality to the already familiar patterns, movements, styles and beats associated with "Rent." It works on every level imaginable while still maintaining the spirit, irony and excitement of the original musical and its voltage-infused choreography.
Playing the now-iconic role of Mark Cohen, Sean Davis is the perfect fit to bring the character of the young filmmaker to life. He's charismatic. He's confident. He's personable. He's driven. Acting wise, he taps believably into Cohen's psyche and delivers a fascinating performance that is so true to the show's sense of time, place and story. He also nails all of the familiar character traits that Larson set forth for Mark. Vocally, he imbues Mark's many songs with a rich-sounding musicality that is direct, immediate and refreshing. His knowledge and understanding of the "Rent" material also fuels and ignites his feel-good portrayal of the East Village filmmaker.
In the role of Roger Davis, the restless, singer/songwriter whose previous girlfriend committed suicide once she learned of her AIDS diagnosis, Dante DiFederico convincingly projects the emotional intensity and epic despair of his character with immersive, beguiling solidity. His raw, anguished rendition of the popular ballad "One Song Glory" is rendered with appropriate pain and pathos as is "What You Own," the character's big, fiery, harmonious duet with Mark (Davis excels here as well) in the middle of Act II.
Berlin Charles' sassy and sparkly portrayal of Angel, the young gay drag queen who is dying of AIDS, is a whirl-and-twirl star turn of high kicks, glitter and individuality that the actor exudes with camp, reflection, gayness, engagement and accentuated flamboyance. He also turns Angel's big musical numbers - "Today 4 You" and "I'll Cover You" - into major showstoppers that earn him ovation-worthy applause at every musical turn. And when his character shows up at the conclusion of the Act II finale, there isn't a dry eye in the house.
Berlin Charles' sassy and sparkly portrayal of Angel, the young gay drag queen who is dying of AIDS, is a whirl-and-twirl star turn of high kicks, glitter and individuality that the actor exudes with camp, reflection, gayness, engagement and accentuated flamboyance. He also turns Angel's big musical numbers - "Today 4 You" and "I'll Cover You" - into major showstoppers that earn him ovation-worthy applause at every musical turn. And when his character shows up at the conclusion of the Act II finale, there isn't a dry eye in the house.
As Mimi Marquez, the drug stoked dancer with a serious heroin habit, Juliana Rivera deftly projects the sultry, slippery, sensuous and alluring persona intended for her character. Dancing wise, she cuts all the right moves liked a skilled acrobat allowing nothing to stand in her way. There's also wave of erotic electricity in "Out Tonight," her big dance-and-song solo in the middle of Act I rooted in a dance aesthetic of sheer fire, reinforced by an artistic strength and confidence of quicksilver application. Vocally, she also imbues "Light My Fire" and "Without You," her savvy duets with Roger, with a warmth and passion that smartly reflects the heart and soul of the original material.
Casie Pepe Winshell and Kelsey Senteio create all the right, necessary sparks and passion as the touchy-feely, sometimes combative, sometimes argumentative lesbians Maureen Johnson and Joanne Jefferson. Together, or alone, they each bring plenty of unabashed charm, flair, excitement and sizzle to their individual roles. Their big duet "Take Me or Leave Me" unfolds with enough fire and snap to cause a major power outage. "Over the Moon," Maureen's wonderfully wicked protest number is so impeccably conceived and timed, both comically and vocally, it deserves a standing ovation in itself. It's one of Act I's many showstoppers.
Everton George, in the pivotal role of Tom Collins, is both sincere and heartfelt as Angel's newfound boyfriend and lover. He plays the part with an emotional sweetness, warmth and charm that works especially well. And when it comes time for him to sing his character's poignant Act II reprise of "I'll Cover You," George stops the show with this tear-drenched vocal. His serious vocal heft makes this particular song soar and wound with applause worthy, chilling resonance. Martin Garcia also makes a strong impression as Benjamin Coffin, the local landlord and former roommate of Mark and Roger who shows up demanding "last year's rent."
The "Rent" ensemble - so full of life and love - play a variety of different roles throughout the two-act musical including artists, drug users, homeless people, parents and members of an important HIV/AIDs support group. They are Jessica Pescosolido, Daniela Sawyer, Brodey Ott, Sophie Katz, Steve Bell, Cierra Jordan, Markiss Roberts and Mason Sacco. The edgy contributions of all eight - exceptional performers and singers in their own right - are heightened by fresh, spontaneous, individual dramatic, humorous and musical turns that effectively portray Larson's realized, realistic snapshot of New York East Village life, circa, 1989 and 1990.
There's no show quite like "Rent" and Downtown Cabaret Theatre proves "there's no day but today" for this iconic 1996 Broadway musical created by the late, great Jonathan Larson.
Its prism of life, as seen through the eyes of Mark Cohen's camera, is gloriously conceived by director Andrea Pane who charts the familiar story of East Village bohemia with edge, intrigue, pseudo pop spine and Technicolor twinkle.
Its prism of life, as seen through the eyes of Mark Cohen's camera, is gloriously conceived by director Andrea Pane who charts the familiar story of East Village bohemia with edge, intrigue, pseudo pop spine and Technicolor twinkle.
There's real energy, thrust and vocal magic here, as the "Rent" cast use song, storytelling, dance and characterization to thrilling advantage channeling the inventive, intricate score of Larson's creation, going full tilt to celebrate the universal resonance and irony of the piece and everything else it has to offer.
It's an in-the-moment celebration of life and love that bears its soul loud and proud, mixed with struggles, reflections, conflicts and thoughts that not only find a glimmer of poignancy, but suggest a proudness that is rich, observant, kind and open-hearted.
Photos of "Rent" courtesy of Andrea Pane
"Rent" is being staged at Downtown Cabaret Theatre (263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, CT), now through October 16, 2022.
For tickets or more information, call (203) 576-1636.
website: dtcab.com
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