A friend suggested recently that “Rent,” Jonathan Larson’s musical about Bohemian artists living in New York City under the shadow of the 1980s-90s AIDS epidemic, is now a “period piece.”
That idea was given some weight, when at intermission during a performance at Theatre UCF , I heard a young woman explaining to her companion that AZT was a drug used to slow the effects of HIV. After all, this is a generation that has never known the hopeless and helpless fear of dying from AIDS back in those decades; the young University of Central Florida actors weren’t even born when “Rent” made its debut.
All this got me thinking: What does “Rent” say to this generation, if anything?
UCF’s production, it seems to me, is saying plenty. In his playbill note, director Michael Jablonski says he wanted to convey that “we deserve our simple human rights that allow us to be our own self,” and that message does come through.
What also comes through effectively in the production is that the “enemy” of the play’s characters doesn’t have to be AIDS; in fact, it’s actually fear. Fear of the future, fear of losing or never finding love, fear that greed and hate will triumph over compassion, fear that the world’s economic systems are rigged in a way that will prevent financial success or security, fear that being one’s authentic self will lead to heartache and rejection.
I can’t help but think that these fears are felt by today’s twentysomethings (and frankly older folks, too) just as fervently as they were in Larson’s day.
The story, loosely based on the opera “La Boheme,” focuses on friends Mark and Roger, squatting in a decrepit building now owned by their former roommate Benny. Mark is a filmmaker whose ex-girlfriend, performance artist Maureen, has left him for Joanne. Musician Roger, who has refused to step outside since his former girlfriend killed herself rather than let AIDS run its course, finds himself drawn to Mimi, an exotic dancer and heroin addict. Their friends Collins and his new paramour, drag queen Angel, complete the circle of friends.
“Rent” is a rock musical, and the band sounds terrific throughout but certain musical numbers really stand out: the opening duet between Daxton Chapell’s Mark and Joseph Trewin’s Roger, for one. (The guys have a pleasing friendship chemistry, as well.) Chapell teams with Manuella Guerra Canal on a spunky “Tango Maureen.” And when the entire cast sings together on “No Day But Today” or “Seasons of Love,” the effect is wondrous. In fact, any time harmony is employed, the music — overseen by Terry Thomas — hits the sweet spot.
There are puzzling inconsistencies, though. Trewin, who has a particularly strong voice for “In Your Eyes,” and Sienna Weir as Mimi are solid on their own but fail to generate much heat together, until they really spark in the show’s climactic moment. Likewise, Canal and Maisy Surman, playing Maureen, are good individually but their bickering in Act 2 doesn’t carry much emotional weight.
There are curious staging choices, too, considering Theatre UCF’s extra-long stage. In a few places, it seemed like Roger had his back to my side of the audience for an eternity. And why, with all that space, would Mark’s movie be shown only on a couple of TV screens that were barely visible from where I sat?
Chapell has the right air of curiosity and detachment for Mark, Jasper Allen conveys Collins’ bonhomie, while AJ Morales does well with Benny’s slipperiness. Edgar Sanchez is more grounded than ethereal as Angel but radiates the required goodness.
“Rent” has always had the ability to touch people’s hearts and maybe even make them think deep thoughts about what’s really important in life. Though time has marched on, its potency is undiminished.
Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com . Find more entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment .
‘Rent’
- Length: 2:30, including intermission
- Where: Theatre UCF, 12700 Pegasus Drive, Building 6, on the University of Central Florida’s east Orlando campus. Park in lot D1.
- When: Through Oct. 27
- Cost: $25; $10 with UCF ID
- Info: cah.ucf.edu/events/detail/rent/
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