Theater arts students at Florida Atlantic University are bringing their Summer Repertory schedule to an energetic conclusion with an unconventional musical production described by Director Kevin Covert as a “celebration of humanity and the human spirit.” Rent — a rock retelling of Giacomo Puccini‘s 1896 opera, “La Bohème” – taps an abundance of talented students, dresses them in meticulously crafted costumes and places them in the center of a stunningly designed set that portrays the seediness of a niche New York neighborhood circa 1996.
Overall, the production is a top-notch, get-up-and-go show with players pouring considerable talent into every moment.
These bohemian denizens of the East Village – young artisans who take their alternative lifestyles to the street where they survive in colonies – struggle with gentrification, love, loss and legacies at the height of the HIV/AIDs crisis. Through more than 40 songs that range from rock to soul and ballads, they embrace hope, find strength and tend to each other’s needs, becoming, in effect, a family without walls. The show – with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson — was considered revolutionary for its thoughtful and nuanced depiction of the AIDS crisis on stage, the antithesis of the often-flashy structure of musical theatre at the time.
A scene from Rent, now playing at the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. (Morgan Sophia Parker Photography)
This Pulitzer Prize-winning musical performed on Broadway for 12 years, was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won five, including Best Musical. Unfortunately, Larson, the genius who crafted this impressive work, passed away of an aortic dissection at age 35 on the morning of Rent’s first off-Broadway preview.
The loss and sadness his death left in its wake, seems to carry into the play. Focusing on homeless, squalid surroundings and the ever-present fear of AIDs, the show is grim at best. The arrival of the virus treatment drug, AZT, brings a glimmer in the darkness, but the prohibitive cost of the expensive lifesaver places the medication generally out of reach.
One AIDS-related death in the neighborhood brings a tearful pall to the production that opens on Christmas Eve and crams a year’s worth of living into the two-hour, 45-minute show with one intermission.
Kimberly Harvey in Rent, now playing at the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. (Morgan Sophia Parker Photography)
Rent “proves itself to be a show for all ages”, notes director Covert. While it was spawned in the days when the AIDS/HIV crisis was at its peak, the show “was brave and bold enough” to deal not only with the often-lethal virus, but “it also examined important social issues like homophobia, substance abuse and multiculturalism.” All those topics – and more — are still on the front burner in our lives today.
One thing is on the minds of those on stage – rent, how to pay it or how to avoid it. The tune, “Rent,” sung by Mark (Blaine DeBerry), Roger (Eric Fredrickson), Tom Collins (John Dalton Logan) and others in the ensemble, is a heart-wrenching piece perfect for a play depicting folks enduring trying times and cold temperatures. Music is so integral to Rent that it plays somewhat like an opera. Many songs are nail-tough rockers, but there are plenty of storied ballads and other songs trimmed with soothing harmonies.
A scene from Rent, now playing at the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. (Morgan Sophia Parker Photography)
Benjamin Coffin III (Jovan Hayes) emerges as the villain. Once an impoverished resident of the community, he now owns the main residential building – and insists the rent be paid. He underscores his seediness by purposely posting eviction notices. Stepping forward to object is Maureen (Kimberly Harvey), whose protest concert roils the neighborhood, but does little to change the situation. Maureen’s relationship with girlfriend Joanne (Cassidy Joseph) adds some comic relief in an otherwise sad world.
Love and music flourish in this grimy district while the denizens hone their trades. Mark, a budding filmmaker, always carries a movie camera. Roger tunes an electric guitar repeatedly and laments he has crafted only a single hit. (“One Song Glory”).
Eric Fredrickson in a scene from Rent, now playing at the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. (Morgan Sophia Parker Photography)
Meanwhile, Angel (Paolo Pineda), a cross-dresser, rescues a wounded Tom Collins (“You Okay, Honey?”) and they fall in love. Roger hooks up with Mimi (Dayana Morales), a drug-addicted stripper, whose feelings are affectionately shown and shared in the tune, “Light My Candle.” Her sexier “Out Tonight” number is a seductive Act I treat.
Music certainly enhances the show. “Tango Maureen” features Mark and Joanne in an impromptu twirl, under a streetlight, in the cold chill. “Santa Fe” finds Tom, Angel, Mark and the ensemble dreaming of opening a restaurant in New Mexico. Act I concludes with “La Vie Boheme,” an elegant, extensive, full-tilt celebration that pulls everyone onto the stage just before intermission.
The cast of Rent, now playing at the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. (Morgan Sophia Parker Photography)
