REVIEW: Rent

Everything is RENT

No matter how many times you experience it, RENT is an American musical classic. In my case, seeing the new tour of RENT at the Warner Theatre meant experiencing the show for the 15th time. Seeing it this time however meant that, for the first time, I would see a performance with two of the original stars, Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal. Of course, both performers starred in the film version of RENT, but this would be my first time seeing them live onstage.

Honestly, I expected to be disappointed. I expected to see two actors playing characters far too young for them. After all, they were the originals in 1996—13 years ago. At that time, they were age-appropriate for Mark and Roger. How could they possibly still be right for these roles? Having recently experienced an aged Ted Neeley in his pathetic star turn in Jesus Christ Superstar at this same theatre, I had good reason to be skeptical.

I was surprised and delighted to see that Rapp and Pascal could still pull it off. They looked great, sounded great, and for the most part seemed completely engaged in the show. Only once or twice did Pascal appear to be exhibiting a “just get me through this” mentality. They seemed genuinely committed—committed to their roles, committed to the show, and committed to giving this rock concert-like (and capacity) audience a great performance.

Each time I see RENT, I see something different. The show is layered with content and subtext, the staging complex, and the subtleties rich. Tonight I realized that during the ballad Without You, Angel, Mimi, and Roger take turns on the hospital bed with an IV next to it—a brilliantly simple and effective demonstration of the never-ending and random hospital visits that someone with AIDS faces. And, when Mimi is trying to seduce Roger, she is parroting the same words from the HIV support group, “No day but today.”

This time, I took a friend who had never experienced RENT. She didn’t see it on Broadway or any of the tours to the DC area. She even managed to escape seeing the film. After the show, the first thing she said was, “Can we see it again?”

When RENT first hit the NY stage, I kept the cast recording in my car CD-changer for well over a year. I was completely obsessed with the music and it became a vital part of my life. Having seen the show several times on Broadway, many times in cities across the country, and even London’s West End production, it remains one of my favorite shows of all time. In fact, when the Broadway production announced its closing, I made the journey back to New York for one final visit with my friends in Alphabet City.

Seeing this tour was a sweet reminder of who these friends are. It made me realize again, how much I miss Maureen, Joanne, Roger, Mark, Tom, Benny, Mimi and of course Angel. They will be with me forever. And, the CD set is now back in my car.