Review: ‘Rent’ rocks at Pittsburgh Playhouse
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“Rent” exploded onto Broadway in 1996 and became the musical of a generation.
The rock opera, based on Giacomo Puccini’s iconic opera “La Boheme,” was a blockbuster hit that won the Tony Award for best musical and ran for more than 12 years. On Wednesday night, Point Park University’s Conservatory Theatre Company gave “Rent” a new lease on life at Pittsburgh Playhouse’s PNC Theatre. The show runs through Sunday.
After almost 30 years, “Rent” feels a bit like a time capsule. It was transgressive and cutting-edge when it debuted, dealing frankly with issues like drug addiction, police brutality, LGBTQ discrimination, homelessness and the HIV epidemic in New York City. While the show hasn’t lost all of its potency, it’s a glimpse at a specific era — one for which this cast of actors probably wasn’t yet alive.
The show follows a year — or 525,600 minutes, as its most famous song says — in the lives of eight characters, through their love stories, arguments, triumphs and even deaths. They live in Manhattan’s East Village, trying to make it as artists and figuring out how to survive a tumultuous time in the city’s history.
It features book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, who passed away suddenly the night before “Rent” opened off-Broadway in early 1996, lending even more weight to the show’s “no day but today” message. As a rock opera, most of the show is sung through and features songs in a number of styles, from rock to hip-hop — and even a tango.
Point Park’s company is made up of undergraduate students at the university, and they’ve put together an exceptional production.
Since “Rent” is all about relationships, it’s crucial that the actors have chemistry onstage, and this cast shares no shortage of electricity. The main characters have an easy rapport with one another, and the friendships feel genuine — it would be easy to believe that this group truly enjoys hanging out.
The romantic couples feel real too, especially Roger (Connor McFalls) and Mimi (Gabriela Garza), who are both living with HIV. McFalls, playing a musician just trying to write one great song while he has time left, uses his voice powerfully to convey his character’s grief, frustration and passion. In “One Song Glory,” his urgency is palpable, yet one song later (“Light My Candle”), a duet with Garza, he is flirty and smooth. McFalls definitely has the rock star charisma to bring Roger to life.
With Mimi, Garza has the challenge of playing a character who starts out vivacious but, as the show wears on, is weakened by drugs and illness. Her singing style is well suited to both seductive howling in “Out Tonight” and the plaintive, mournful second-act ballad “Without You.” She exudes a confidence that is a joy to watch onstage, and makes Mimi’s second act spiral all the more devastating.
Collins (Jordan Threatt), an anarchist philosophy professor, and Angel (Adrian Escalona), a musically talented drag queen who saves Colins after he is mugged, also shine in this production. Escalona’s singing voice is truly angelic, and the pair is pitch perfect together in “I’ll Cover You.” In the second act, after tragedy strikes, Threatt infuses every note of “I’ll Cover You (Reprise)” with raw emotion, and there was audible sniffing all throughout the audience at the song’s close during the night’s performance.
The entire cast gives their all in this show. Cammi Caldwell, who plays Maureen, a performance artist with promiscuous tendencies, and Renee Agben, who plays her partner, Joanne, both have knock-your-socks-off voices and undeniable swagger. Miles Hanna as Benny is surprisingly funny, genuine and sympathetic as the villain of the show. And Sam Greene, who has the unenviable task of playing Mark, the filmmaker heart of the group, is vulnerable and passionate throughout, tying the whole thing together.
Even the actors in smaller roles deliver impressive performances. “Rent” has no shortage of group numbers, from the gospel-inspired “Seasons of Love” to “La Vie Boheme,” a raucous love letter to a bygone era of the East Village. In all of them, the actors in the ensemble make themselves heard.
On the technical side, “Rent” has always had a certain industrial, thrift store feel that fits the time and place perfectly, especially in its sets and costumes. Scenic director Toni Woods and costume designer Michael Montgomery replicate the vibe of the original. Angel’s outfits are a highlight, an outward expression of the character’s interest in fashion.
The staging shows off exuberant choreography in some scenes and emotional intimacy in others, thanks to director and choreographer Todd L. Underwood. The dancing in “La Vie Boheme” feels like a real celebration among a group of friends, and quieter moments of (sung) conversation in Mark and Roger’s shared apartment bring the audience into a slice of their lives. The score of “Rent” can swing wildly from raucous to somber in a single song, but the direction made each moment special and impactful.
Over almost three decades, “Rent” has grown a passionate fanbase, and they would not be diappointed by this production. Be warned, it’s a tearjerker, but the show ends on a moment of hopefulness. With a cast full of stunning voices bringing Larson’s score back to life, this production should satisfy old fans and maybe bring a few new Rentheads into the fold.
“Rent” runs through Sunday at Pittsburgh Playhouse’s PNC Theatre in Downtown Pittsburgh. For tickets and more information, visit playhouse.pointpark.edu.