Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp: Acoustically Speaking: Celebrating 20 Years of Friendship

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Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp

Acoustically Speaking: Celebrating 20 Years of Friendship

Feinstein’s at the Nikko, San Francisco, CA, November 5, 2016

Reviewed by Steve Murray for Cabaret Scenes

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jpg” alt=”Adam Pascal (L) & Anthony Rapp” width=”212″ height=”212″ /> Adam Pascal (L) & Anthony Rapp

The boys from Rent are all grown up and celebrating 20 years of friendship that began with their collaboration on that highly successful Broadway show back in 1996. Since then, the two have had multiple successes on Broadway: Pascal has had roles in Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, as The Emcee in Cabaret, in Memphis, and just started a gig in Something Rotten!, while Rapp performed the role of Charlie Brown in the 1999 Broadway revival of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and originated the role of Lucas in the musical If/Then in 2014.

Rent fans are extremely devoted and packed Feinstein’s for the opportunity to share in a repeat of Pascal and Rapp’s successful two-week run at NYC’s Feinstein’s/54 Below, in which the two perform solo sets, then combine for a medley of songs from Rent. Each was greeted with tumultuous applause and seemed to relish the opportunity to present his unique perspectives on music.

Pascal took the first section, accompanying himself on a hollow-body acoustic guitar. Opening with a powerful gospel-influenced “Love Will Stand When All Else Fails” from Memphis (David Bryan/Joe DiPietro), he then merged Jeff Buckley’s haunting “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” with Sondheim’s “Johanna” from Sweeney Todd—a most unusual but stunning combination. Pascal has a solid rock tenor, never more evident than with his cover of Journey’s power anthem “Open Arms” (Steve Perry/Jonathan Cain). His voice was clear and powerful indeed.

Rapp took to the stage singing his Rent audition song, “Losing My Religion,” a smash hit by REM (Peter Buck). A lovely version of “Falling Slowly” from Once highlighted his easygoing approach to the lyrics and melody. His original, “Visits to You,” co-written with Joe Pisapia, was a touching tribute to his late mother, as was “Without You” (Jonathan Larson) from Rent.

The two joined voices for Rent’s “What You Own,” Larson’s beautiful ode to engagement in an age of disconnection and disillusionment. Pascal sang “One Song Glory,” his character Roger’s song about wanting to write one great last song. They closed the show with “Seasons of Love,” probably the most recognized number from that show.

Seems like, 20 years later, Rent is just as popular as it was then. It’s provided Pascal and Rapp with great opportunities that have brought them to this moment in their careers.

Steve Murray

Always interested in the arts, Steve was encouraged to begin producing and, in 1998, staged four, one-man vehicles starring San Francisco's most gifted performers. In 1999, he began the Viva Variety series, a live stage show with a threefold mission to highlight, support, and encourage gay and gay-friendly art in all the performance forms, to entertain and document the shows, and to contribute to the community by donating proceeds to local non-profits. The shows utilized the old variety show style popularized by his childhood idol Ed Sullivan. He’s produced over 150 successful shows, including parodies of Bette Davis’s gothic melodramedy Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte and Joan Crawford’s very awful Trog. He joined Cabaret Scenes 2007 and enjoys the writing and relationships he’s built with very talented performers.