RENT
My thoughts on RENT or…hey old friends!
When people ask me if I could choose only one musical to see over and over forever, without hesitation, I always reply RENT. There’s something about Jonathan Larson’s retelling of Puccini’s “La Boheme” that I connect with deeply. The music and the story pull me in and keep me transfixed .
It’s been two years since I last saw a production of RENT and I was more than ready to revisit those old friends from the 90’s who live and love in NYC’s Alphabet City while AIDS ravages their community.
Sean Willard’s industrial looking two-level set provides the perfect gritty, cold reality for LCT’s RENT emphasizing the bare bones existence of the characters as do the mostly thrift shop finds costumes provided by Tina Christine. Ben Loub lights the show and Bryan Christensen’s sound keeps all those familiar songs sharp and audible.
Director Katlyn Snader mounts a reverently irreverent RENT. This is the first time I have seen the show from a female director’s perspective and her love for the characters is apparent. Nothing feels rushed here. Snader knows just when to make a scene move or to linger that one extra moment to bring more depth to a character. She keeps the edginess of the show intact but brings that extra “seasoning of love “
Music Director Joey O’Reilly has done a bang-up job getting amazing vocals from the company. The solos, duets, and especially the group numbers are impeccable. O’Reilly also helms the top-notch band that gives all those Jonathan Larson classics their due and then some. To hear that music pulsate through the LCT performance space is a real treat.
The choreography of Danny Vanegas is another reason to celebrate this RENT. Vanegas makes a nod to the original choreography but then makes it his own. He knows how to make it fun, exciting, and sensual when it needs to be. His staging of “Tango Maureen” is the best I have seen it done.
Of course, RENT requires excellent singer/actors, and this cast delivers. As I told a few cast members opening night, they sing full tilt for the entire show. So much so that I feared for their voices. There’s not a cast member in the group who doesn’t bring the passion.
Tucker Souther is Roger, the “pretty boy front man” who wants to write one great song before he succumbs to AIDS. He’s scruffy and unkempt and at odds with life, especially when it comes to relationships. Souther’s strong, slightly raspy rock star tenor fits Roger very well and he has a quiet sexuality that gives Roger appeal. His “One Song Glory” is exceptionally good, and he has a voice that harmonizes seamlessly with others.
As Roger’s roommate Mark Cohen, Timothy Lizarraga is pure stage charisma. Mark is in much less “Bohemian” than Roger. He’s a young Jewish man from Scarsdale who wants to be a filmmaker. He’s an idealist but, like Roger, he’s also unlucky in love. Lizarraga has a crystal-clear tenor that is so good at times I thought I was listening to the cast album. Lizarraga is also a fine dancer as he proves in “Tango Maureen” and he gives Mark a sense of fun. indeed, this is the first time I have ever seen an actor hump the ceiling of a theater. Sounds strange, but it works oh so well.
I feel like I am going to run out of adjectives describing how good Breana Deanda is as the drug addicted, exotic dancer with a romantic side, Mimi Marquez. Deanda’s Mimi s waiflike and tragic, but can she ever turn on the heat. She’s all sex appeal and when she rocks the theater with “Out Tonight,” I’m pretty sure LCT has the fire department on standby as Deanda’s voice and moves are pure fire. She’s equally good at being slyly sexy as she and Souther bring the house down with “Light My Candle.” They generate enough heat to make s’mores with. Add the stunning Breana Deanda’s name to the list of top DFW performers.
MD Christian is powerful as Tom Collins, a college professor and activist who is friends with Roger and Mark. He learns to love from Angel, who comes to his rescue when he is mugged. Christian has one of those soothing baritone voices and it gives Collins both strength and soul. Chrisitan is also a terrific actor and his rendition of the moving “I’ll Cover You” in Act II, which he sang through tears is the most moving moment of the show.
As the object of Tom Collins’ affection, Angel Dumott Schunard, Michael Valderas brings both levity and tragedy to the show. Valderas makes the cross-dressing Angel a delight. His Angel doesn’t so much walk as flounce when in drag. Valderas gets the thunderous applause he deserves singing Angel’s anthem “Today for You.” Christian and Valderas are a convincing loving couple as Collins and Angel and are at the core of the love and acceptance that RENT is all about.
Olivia Goodspeed is dynamite as Mark’s ex Maureen Johnson, who is now identifying as a lesbian. Maureen is a narcissist who is used to having her own way. She’s passionate about her cause and uses her skills as a performance artist to bring awareness. Goodspeed, with a belt that shakes the rafters, makes “Over the Moon” a comic highlight of the show. It was an honor to “moo” with you, Olivia!
Goodspeed also has great moments with her girlfriend Joanne Jefferson, played by the equally dynamic Noelle Saul. Saul’s Type A successful lawyer Joanne who “makes lists in her sleep” is the perfect foil to the free-spirited, flirtatious Maureen. Saul, an accomplished actor, gives Joanne no nonsense strength. She’s also a fine singer doing outstanding duets with both Mark and Maureen.
Dameron Crowe is the “yuppie scum” Benjamin Coffin III. Coffin was once one of the roommates of Mark and Roger but married into a successful real estate family and now owns the building where his former roommates still reside. He’s not the most admirable of characters as he cheats on his wife with Mimi, but he does pay for Mimi’s rehab and Angel’s funeral. He’s glib and a good businessman. Crowe is a commanding presence as Benny. He has a deep rich voice that is so pleasing it made me wish the character had more to sing.
In the smaller ensemble roles, Sara Parisa was excellent as the “Buzz Line” producer Alexi Darling and Micaela Workman dazzled with her solo in “Seasons of Love.” The talented ensemble also includes Kara Price, Andara Shahdae, John Wyatt Tompkins, Stephen Swart, Logan McGraw, and Robert Lee Escamilla.
RENT is a special musical to me, and I am happy to report LCT’s production met all my expectations and kept this vintage 1996 fan totally entertained and touched once again by its timeless message. I already have my ticket to return for the closing. This is RENT you will gladly pay.
