Source: Tickets to Go

Rating: 5 masks out of 5

Rent was created by Jonathan Larson and inspired by Puccini’s opera, La Boheme.  It tells the story of a group of friends: Maureen, a performance artist; Joanne, a lawyer and Maureen’s girlfriend; Roger, a musician and former drug addict; Mimi, Roger’s neighbor and object of his affection; Collins, a computer genius/philosopher; Angel, Collins’ drag queen/street musician boyfriend; Benny, Roger and Mark’s former roommate, who is now married to money and now tries to evict them from their apartments and Mark, Maureen’s ex and Roger’s roommate, a documentary filmmaker who films their lives over the course of the year.

Source: Site for Rent

I liked the set’s “rusted” metal pipes and platforms.  It reminds you that the show takes place in the East Village and sets the tone for the show.  It looks like a literal urban jungle.  The lighting makes up for the starkness of the set, setting the stage for scenes in a loft, a restaurant and a club.

The songs are what kept me riveted.  Up to that point, I haven’t been to a musical where I heard an electric guitar.  Or heard songs in a musical sung like they were meant for a concert.  In fact, now that I think about it, I don’t remember the music.  That’s not a bad thing, when you consider the singing done with such raw emotion and how it stays in your memory.  When you have a song like “Will I?”, where it’s just one verse repeated over and over again yet sounds so beautiful and heartbreaking.

 

Source: Site for Rent

I loved the movement onstage, especially for “La Vie Boheme”, where about a dozen actors dance on and around a long banquet table.  One could only imagine the mishaps that ensued during rehearsals.  But what really got me were numbers like “Seasons of Love”, where the cast lines up and all you see is them as they look up, perhaps looking for an answer to the question “How do you measure a life?”

I think that anyone who wouldn’t be able to sit through what one would consider a traditional Broadway musical would like this.  It would be most appropriate for those who are young or still remember what being young is like.  Also, it should definitely be seen before it closes on September 7th.

Be advised that this show contains coarse language and touches on topics like HIV/AIDS and drug addiction.

Running time: 2hrs 45 mins w/intermission