The groundbreaking musical, Rent, is back in Milwaukee after a long absence. The current production is billed as "The Broadway Tour" because it features two of the original Broadway performers, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. They play the show's two main characters: Roger (Pascal) and Mark (Rapp). Mark is a documentary filmmaker who follows a group of impoverished, counterculture artists in New York's East Village. Roger is Mark's best friend. He's a songwriter, a former junkie and is HIV positive.
The veteran cast members engage the audience more than one might imagine. They are a visual reminder of a show that opened under terrible circumstances (the sudden death of the show's creator just prior to opening and later on, of course, 9/11). With all the odds stacked against it, the show managed to rise above the ashes (literally) to become one of the most important musicals of its era. The show's two original "stars," who actually witnessed all this turmoil, seem to incorporate this personal angst into their characters. They genuinely seem to "feel" the pain and suffering around them. Their advanced age (for this cast, anyway), does not seem to be an impediment; they certainly have the energy and enthusiasm to lift the show to where Rent belongs. Some of the other actors revive their former roles in the Broadway production of Rent, too. This is not surprising, given the fact that the show ran on Broadway for 12 years before closing in 2008.
For those unfamiliar with the plot, Rent is based loosely on the Puccini opera, La Boheme. One character who seems to shine brighter in this particular production is Benny, a former roommate of Roger and Mark. Benny has made a fortune as a New York slumlord, a fact that none of them will ever forget. His friends tell him he has "sold out," though he claims he has "moved on." If that's true, why does he continue to hang around the old gang?
As the rest of the characters agree that life must be lived in the moment, they sing the show's most popular production number, "La Vie Boheme." Who cares what the rest of the world thinks? The show shines in its quieter moments, too, such as the touching romantic ballad, "Light My Candle," between Mimi and Roger.
For all its universality, there are a few dated references and situations in Rent that require examination. For instance, Roger carries a beeper to remind him of the frequent "AZT breaks" that help control his AIDS symptoms. (Nowadays, a "cocktail" of drugs often controls AIDS.) While AIDS remains a sad fact of modern life, it is not always the death sentence that it was when Rent was conceived. Also, who can imagine people in this age group existing without instant communication via cell phone? Aside from these small misgivings, Rent still has the power to thrill a new generation of theatergoers. On opening night in Milwaukee, the crowd was several decades younger than one typically sees at most of the Broadway tours. Rent has rightfully kept its place as an ode to disenfranchised youth. It still has the power to shock the blue-haired generation, but maybe that's okay. Those folks aren't the audience that this show seeks to reach.
