Evoking Triumph and Tragedy in the ’90s
The taxi driver taking me to the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport asked me what I was seeing, and I told him “Rent.” The name didn’t seem to ring a bell, so I explained that it was a musical about young people living in the East Village in the ’90s who have drug problems and no money — and some of them are dying of AIDS. I don’t think he was convinced when I told him that the show was very life-affirming.
THE BOHEMIAN LIFE The cast of “Rent,” the musical by Jonathan Larson about artists and poverty that was inspired by Puccini’s opera “La Bohème.”
That was certainly the case on Broadway, where it ran for 12 years (1996-2008), having transferred from the tiny New York Theater Workshop downtown. Happily, the Northport production has the same overall effect, even if its joie de vivre comes and goes.
“Rent” is a modest story about artists and poverty, inspired by Puccini’s opera “La Bohème.” As it begins, Mark (Stanley Bahorek) and his roommate, Roger (Mike Backes), are hanging out with their video camera and guitar on Christmas Eve, avoiding the landlord and reflecting on the women they’ve lost. Roger’s girlfriend has slashed her wrists. Mark’s girlfriend, Maureen (Betsy Morgan), has left him for a woman. Then Mimi (Lakisha Anne Bowen) arrives, looking for a match to light her candle, and love blooms between her and Roger; both are H.I.V.-positive. Out on the street, their friend Tom Collins (Alan Mingo Jr.) is meeting Angel (Reymundo Santiago), a vulnerable but confident drag queen.
In the Broadway production, Angel’s number “Today 4 You” was the show’s first killer number. Mr. Mingo’s version, however, is disappointing. His face, voice and demeanor are perfect for Angel, but the magic that won a Tony Award for Wilson Jermaine Heredia in the role is missing.
The show’s next knockout number is “Over the Moon,” sung by Maureen. Ms. Morgan’s version is a joyous takeoff on the pretentiousness of performance art. It’s nothing like Idina Menzel’s brilliant interpretation on Broadway, but it’s fabulous in its own right, retelling the story of the cow that jumped really high and the dish that ran away with the spoon (“Not in my backyard, utensils!”).
The “Rent” score includes several musical numbers that could vie for the honor of signature song. There’s the title song, in which Mark and Roger first fret over, then become defiant about, their nonpayment of last year’s rent. There’s “What You Own” (“When you’re living in America/At the end of the millennium”), another lament turned anthem sung by Mark and Roger. There’s “Another Day” (“No other path, no other way/No day but today”) sung by Mimi, Roger and the company, the be-here-now heart of the show. And there’s the rousing Act I closer, “La Vie Bohème,” performed by the company (a little less rousing than usual in this production).
But for sheer emotional punch, nothing beats “Seasons of Love,” which reflects poignantly on “525,600 minutes,” a celebration of the precious moments in a year that may be someone’s last. It opens Act II, and the Northport cast delivers it with all the richness that Jonathan Larson’s masterwork deserves.
Mr. Larson’s personal story has been told again and again, but it still stands out as a case of real-life melodrama that might not be believable in fiction. The creator of “Rent” (he wrote the lyrics, music and book), Mr. Larson, 35, was counting the days until its Off Broadway opening when he died of an aortic aneurysm. And the show went on. In fact, it went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award for best musical.
AIDS itself seemed more immediate back in 1996, at least for those who saw college-educated, middle- to upper-class gay men as the face of the epidemic. In a way, the debilitating effects of H.I.V. — the rigid medication schedules (“AZT break!” one character announces); the sight of young people lying, diminished, in hospital beds; and the horrible words “it’s over,” all depicted in “Rent” — seem even more powerful than before. They are a reminder of how awful it was and, for millions worldwide, still is.
The athletic, vibrant, strong-voiced young cast at the Engeman Theater, stylishly directed by Alan Souza, works hard to evoke the era, and largely succeeds. There are moments when the show’s energy flags. Some performances could be more focused (Ms. Bowen’s Mimi sometimes comes off as self-congratulatory). And some of Johnny Davenport’s costume designs look more J. Crew than Avenue B. But those flaws are easy to overlook when so much about “Rent” is right.
“Rent,” by Jonathan Larson, is at the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main Street, Northport, through Nov. 1. For more information: (631) 261-2900 or johnwengemantheater.com.
On BWW.TV
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