Rent

I have just returned from seeing the national touring production of Rent at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and the show is still resonating within me. This is one of the best touring productions—of any show—that I've ever seen. And the performance of Rent that I just witnessed was exceptional, with a profound impact. I did not expect that this show—which I've seen many times over the past 13 years, and which was not always well-maintained during its long Broadway run—would still hit me this hard.

This touring company is paced by the co-stars of the original New York stage production (as well as the subsequent film version), Anthony Rapp (as Mark Cohen) and Adam Pascal (as Roger Davis). They are both doing excellent jobs. It is a joy, as always, to hear their familiar, highly distinctive voices, singing the songs by Jonathan Larson that they have come to own. Their energy is great. (The audience—which went crazy when they first stepped out on stage—brought a lot of energy to the night, too.) They are leading a strong ensemble, which also includes another original New York cast member, Gwen Stewart. And it's a welcome sound, as always, hearing her ripe, true solo voice on "Seasons of Love." Michael McElroy does an outstanding job as Tom Rollins; his rich, hazy voice is a treat to listen to. I enjoyed also the spirit that Telly Leung (who was my favorite performer in Godspell at Paper Mill) brought to the role of Angel; he moves with real style, too, making his contributions memorable.

This 15-member cast, while not quite perfect, has something special that the original New York cast had. And that subsequent New York casts—with newly hired actors and swings always popping in and out of roles—did not always have. It feels organic. It feels like an ensemble. It feels like a cohesive community of people—not just some grab-bag of actors—that you could imagine hanging out together.

Rapp and Pascal are clearly the strongest and most individualistic performers, and the show loses something whenever they have to be offstage. But this is a rather solid ensemble, on all levels. For one thing, this is a very well-sung Rent. The interweaving ensemble vocal work—so wonderfully arranged by Steve Skinner and Tim Weill—is impeccable. And, equally important, the cast as a whole feels credible; the world that we are witnessing feels believable from beginning to end. And we're drawn in.

Rapp and Pascal both remain wholly committed to the material. And I am very glad they have agreed to do this tour, ensuring that Larson's work is performed with integrity and flair. I've always enjoyed their work.

Both roles are vital. Pascal has the flashier role, but Rapp's quieter role provides the cornerstone for the whole edifice. Rapp has always brought an admirable honesty to his work. And he has more authority today than when the show first opened. A performance that was always very good, always very satisfying, has now become great. I relished every moment of it, from the playfulness of the "Tango: Maureen" (aided and abetted by the well-cast Haneefa Wood) to the intensity of "Halloween." He's a joy to watch.

Rent works better on stage than it did on film. The biggest moments of Larson's rock-opera score feel natural on stage, but did not always translate effectively to the screen. I liked the film, but it was sometimes jarring, and felt artificial, seeing closeups of actors of singing all-out to one another. And closeups also made us aware, at times, that the actors were older than the characters they were playing.

Age is not an issue in the stage production. We're generally more willing to suspend disbelief when we watch a stage production than when we watch a film, anyway. And actors can get away with playing younger roles on stage; we're viewing the actors from a distance. We can accept that the characters are in their early 20s, even if the actors are actually in their 30s. I had no trouble buying that these characters were supposed to be in their 20s. I also like director Michael Grief's groupings. One person may be singing, but Mark—off to one side, watching—will be part of the picture, too. And that makes sense.

We feel Roger's isolation more by seeing him singing "One Song Glory" on that huge stage, with an enormous shadow of himself looming in the background—I love that lighting effect!—than in a closeup of him on screen.

The sound in the theater, by the way, was excellent, better than I've ever heard it before. I could clearly hear every word, which wasn't always possible in either the original off-Broadway production at the New York Theatre Workshop (although the extraordinarily fierce energy of that production was a fair tradeoff), or even at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway. I'm not sure if the sound design and technology has gotten better, or if the New Jersey Performing Arts Center just has better acoustics, but I relished the clarity of the sound.

By this point, I know all the words of the show anyway. I've certainly listened to the cast album enough (and actually attended the original recording session, back in 1996). But Larson's words are so well-chosen, they deserve to be heard this clearly: "There is no future. / There is no past. / I live this moment / As my last. / There's only us. / There's only this. / Forget regret / Or life is yours to miss. / No other road, / No other way. / No day but today." Those words, and the stirring music Larson composed to accompany them (in his song "Another Day") remain remarkable.

Larson's achievement, in writing the book, music, and lyrics for this show, inspired by La Boheme, impresses me more each time I see the show. (And I am amazed that each time, I find things in it I did not find before.) This is a show that touches the heart. And this ensemble, by and large, does justice to the piece.

There were some shortcomings in this performance—as can be found in almost any show. I'll give my assessments, stressing that these shortcomings should not stop anyone from going to see this production, whose strengths far outweigh any of what I perceive to be imperfections.

First. Lexi Lawson, playing Mimi, is pretty; and she sings and acts fine. But there isn't, alas, the needed chemistry onstage between her and Adam Pascal. I found her likeable as an individual. But we should feel that there is real heat—a natural, undeniable, passionate connection between the characters of Mimi and Roger. Their attraction to one another should be palpable. It was, when Daphne Rubin-Vega played Mimi to Adam Pascal's Roger in the original cast; there was a sexual energy when they were onstage together that doesn't seem to be here now. If it were strictly a matter of voice, to my ears Lawson's voice is at least as pleasing as Daphne Rubin-Vega's. But I had trouble buying these characters as lovers.

Second. I wanted the "La Vie Boheme" scene to be played by the cast with a bit more abandon and explosive energy. That was one scene where I felt the cast was holding back a bit, and where I felt, at times, that I was watching actors move through well-rehearsed paces rather than seeing characters spontaneously, exuberantly express themselves. More can be found in that number, as I've seen in other productions. The number helps bring the first act to a conclusion. You want to send the audience into the intermission with as much energy as possible, and with that joyful melody, and those ever-surprising, impudent lyrics of Larson's, ringing in their ears. The cast could kick out that number a bit more.

Those were my two biggest concerns. And, overall, the material and the performances are so potent, that these shortcomings didn't worry me too much. But those were the reservations I had.

This is, by and large, a terrific production. With a solid cast, and two sensational leads. And Larson's work deserves to be seen and heard by everyone. It's good for the soul. As he wrote:

"There's only now. / There's only here. / Give in to love. / Or live in fear."

It makes me happy to see, as the curtain calls come to an end, Rapp raise his hands to offer his traditional claps for the late Jonathan Larson.

I'm still amazed when I meet people who have never seen Rent. The show has enormous power. And is not to be missed.

One side issue I'd like to raise.... The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is a gorgeous house. And I love seeing shows there. But I think they made a mistake by booking a live band to perform—very loudly—in the lobby before the show, and throughout the intermission. It doesn't seem fair to theater-goers, nor respectful to Larson. Larson has created a very full, very complete musical-theater work. I found it distracting to be assaulted by very loud, inferior music by some random band in the lobby, before the show and during the intermission. Let people have silence during the intermission; let the music and the mood of the first act of the show they've been watch on stage live inside of them throughout the intermission. Let them talk to one another about what they've just seen, if they wish. Having a random band give a kind of competing concert in the lobby before the show and during intermission just did not make sense to me. End of rant.

We have readers in diverse areas. The Rent tour will be hitting all parts of the U.S. this year, including Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tempe, Minneapolis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Washington DC , St. Louis, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Tampa, Boston, and Schenectady. (For complete tour schedule, visit www.siteforrent.com.) If you have a chance to catch this touring production, go.

(Photo: Adama Pascal and Lexi Lawson; Photo by Joan Marcus)

Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
February 13, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org