rent.jpg

Any re-staging of Jonathan Larson’s blockbuster Broadway musical “Rent” is sure to come with lots of baggage. After all, not only has “Rent” been credited with popularizing musical theater among young people, it garnered tremendous critical acclaim, winning the Tony for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score, and an acting nod for Wilson Jermaine Heredia’s turn as Angel.

Re-staging “Rent” here in the country is doubly daunting, as two highly successful runs of the production were held in 1999 and 2001, with memorable performances by Calvin Millado, Bituin Escalante, JM Rodriguez, Michael de Mesa and Ricci Chan, among others.

If only for the fact that it was not daunted by such history, 9 Works Theatrical should be commended for staging “Rent”, which goes onstage on Feb. 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati City.

Everybody should be familiar with the basic of premise of “Rent” by now: a group of young and impoverished bohemians struggle to get by and create in New York City’s Lower East Side, all while coming to grips with the growing shadow of AIDS.

While Rent’s setting of a snowy New York City may not be as familiar to local audiences, and while AIDS may no longer be as pressing an issue as it was in the late 80s and early 90s, its uplifting message of artistic integrity, living for the moment, and supporting your friends is as relevant now as it was back then.

Larson’s songs and story certainly hold up more than a decade after “Rent” was first staged in Broadway. Numbers like “Over the Moon”, “I’ll Cover You”, “Take Me or Leave Me”, and of course, “Seasons of Love,” remain crowd pleasers in this latest incarnation, and Angel and Collins’ love story still has impact even on a generation that is no longer surprised by gay romances or drag queens.

For the most part, the cast of this newest staging of “Rent” acquit themselves wonderfully. Carla Guevara-Laforteza put in a delightful performance as the bisexual Maureen, and her rendition of “Over the Moon” certainly had the audience pumped and ready for more. Jenny Villegas matched Laforteza’s energy as Joanne, and their duet on “Take Me or Leave Me” will definitely excite the audience.

The characters of Collins and Angel provide “Rent” with the heart, and OJ Mariano (Collins) and Job Bautista (Angel) certainly provided a lively beat to the two characters they portray. The two exuded comfort in each other’s presence that lent an authenticity to the interactions that Collins and Angel share throughout the play, especially when Angel finally succumbs to AIDS.

Kinks

The production, or the press preview, however, was not without its kinks.

Sound problems hounded the production, specifically Nicole Laurel Asensio, who plays the exotic dancer Mimi. It started out during her rendition of “Out Tonight,” where the microphone seemed to recoil from her whenever she hit any big notes. Intimate scenes with Gian Magdangal, who plays Roger Davies, lost any sense of emotion or gravitas because the audience was constantly distracted by the unnecessary rustling of fabric that her mic seemed intent on capturing.

Magdangal and Asensio also lacked the authenticity that Mariano, Bautista, Laforteza, and Villegas managed to convey successfully. Asensio looked awkward working the pole as Mimi, and seemed reticent to actually interact on a physical level with Magdangal. The punk rock attitude and angst that defines Roger is woefully missing from Magdangal, who seems more like a choirboy in this production rather than a rock star.

In fact, while there are great performances scattered throughout this staging of “Rent”, the production as a whole seemed to lack the energy and zest of a play that is beloved by so many of Generation X. This lack, unfortunately, only emphasizes how dated some of Rent’s concernshave become as the years have passed.

Hopefully, all of these kinks are worked out in the upcoming dates set for the play, and audiences are treated to the verve that characterized the earlier productions. Otherwise, “La Vie Boheme” may end up being a funeral dirge rather than a joyful celebration.