From cross dressers and biracial relationships to drug use and AIDS the musical RENT covers major issues in culture in the past few decades.
As a huge theater buff, I think RENT is one of the best musicals I have ever seen, although the touring company was not totally up to par.
Beginning on Christmas Eve, RENT follows the lives of a diverse group of New Yorkers. The story begins with the lives of Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, and Roger, a struggling musician. Their ex-roommate Collins returns from his job as a college professor, meeting and falling for drag queen, Angel, along the way.
Nineteen-year-old dancer Mimi soon joins the picture and quickly becomes the love interest of Roger. Maureen, Mark's ex-girlfriend who left him for a woman, joins the group with her current beau Joanne. The unlikely group of friends share ups, downs, break-ups and reunions through this phenomenal storyline.
Having seen the movie before the theatrical production, I developed a sort of bias with the film, which was released in theaters last November. I am always curious to see the differences between a theater production and a movie of the same story. Although I spotted several differences, I can't decide which version I prefer.
One major difference in the theatrical production was the part of Mimi, played by Arianda Fernandez. I definitely preferred Rosario Dawson's movie performance. Although Fernandez's appearance matched my vision of Mimi perfectly, her voice did not live up to my expectations of a national tour.
But the songs sung as a company were enjoyable. Mark (Jed Resnick) and Roger (Bryce Ryness) resonated with rock ballad voices as they sung about their struggle to achieve the American dream. The soulful voice of Collins (Warren G. Nolan, Jr.) blended well with the beautiful voices of the rest of the cast, sending chills up my spine a few times.
A major difference between the film and stage production was the beginning of the show. The film starts with the main characters performing the musical's signature song, Seasons of Love. The theater performance, however, begins with Roger tuning his guitar as Mark's mother calls to leave a message on their answering machine. I think each beginning suited its medium well. Also, there was very little or no dialogue in the theater production, whereas the movie exchanged a few short songs for dialogue.
Although I did not like a few things about this particular theater production of RENT
I was still blown away by the production as a whole. 17
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Caitlin Price
