A Towering, Authentic 'Rent' At The Paramount
By Melody Udell in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 24, 2014 3:00PM
The Paramount Theatre's production of 'Rent.'
There’s something comforting in Jonathan Larson’s seemingly ubiquitous pop-rock musical Rent. Despite the drugs, the poverty, the tormented 20-somethings infected with AIDS, Larson’s life-affirming lyrics are a sobering vehicle for a little self-reflection. His deeply wrought characters and resonant music makes Rent a show worth returning to, especially in the hands of the talented creatives at the helm of the Paramount Theatre.
Larson, of course, isn’t around to enjoy his show’s success—he died tragically the night before Rent started previews off-Broadway in 1996, posthumously earning him the Pulitzer Prize for drama and Tony award for best musical. But his show has become more than just a cult classic for legions of so-called Rent-heads—it’s a beloved musical for anyone looking for a bit of meaning amid the noise of daily life. And despite a potential for dated subject matter, the success of Rent lies in the enduring relevance of its broader themes. After all, lyrics like “forget regret, or life is yours to miss/ no other road, no other way/ no day but today” have quite a sustainable shelf life.
The gritty, heartfelt musical that is Larson’s legacy follows a group of young artists—songwriters, filmmakers, actors—scraping by in the urban grit that was the Lower East Side in early ’90s New York City. There’s Mark (Andrew M. Mueller), the narrator who finds comfort behind his camera, and his roommate, Roger (Adam Michaels), an HIV-infected ex-rocker still mourning his dead girlfriend. Their other roommate, Collins (Evan Tyrone Martin), is an anarchist computer professor who gets his first real taste of compassion after meeting the cross-dressing street drummer Angel (Sawyer Smith). Their burgeoning love story serves as the gooey center in a musical otherwise filled with uneasy relationship woes. The three live in a converted loft without heat, burning old band posters and long-forgotten screenplays to stay warm. Kevin Depinet’s industrial, highly detailed set is hugely effective, with multiple points of entry for the actors and enough visual interest to claim its own stake in the storytelling.
Rounding out the group is the addict-slash-stripper Mimi (Adaeze Kelley), whose attempts to free Roger from his misery drive them both to unwise decisions, and then drama diva Maureen (Andrea Prestinario) and her uptight lawyer girlfriend Joanne (Meghan Murphy). This group of women is one of the highlights of director Jim Corti’s production—the female cast members are immensely strong performers, as witnessed in Joanne and Maureen’s power duet “Take Me or Leave Me.” The song, which is normally a high-octane showstopper, is elevated even further by Murphy and Prestinario’s powerful vocals. Kelley’s Mimi, too, has a commanding presence on stage; her tough exterior hides an inner vulnerability that she can’t fully accept.
That’s not to say the rest of the Broadway-caliber cast doesn’t hold their own. Collins’ especially affecting reprise of “I’ll Cover You” is some of the best work in the show. And in a musical with such outsize emotions as Rent, that’s a tough feat to pull off. But its these emotions—and the far-fetched familiarity of the characters doing the emoting—that imbues Rent with a certain mirror-like quality. As audience members, we may not identify ourselves in the show, but we can certainly recognize the anguish and elation that comes along with self-discovery—even if we can manage to pay the rent.
The show runs through Sunday, April 6 at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, 630-896-6666 or online.