BWW Reviews: The Eklektix Theatre Company's RENT is Exciting and Vibrant

When Jonathan Larson's RENT moved from the New York Theatre Workshop, its Off-Broadway home, to the long dark Nederlander Theatre on April 29, 1996, a swarm of hype surrounded it. The rock musical had already won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and would become the biggest surprise of the 1995-96 Broadway theatre season. Its Broadway run gained glowing reviews from the press and prestigious awards, such as the Tony Award for Best Musical. RENT quickly became the musical to see. It appealed to the MTV generation as well, bringing in scores of youths who had never fallen for the art form before. The show was the OKLAHOMA, SOUTH PACIFIC, and CAROUSEL for a whole new generation of theatergoers. RENT found more success in multiple National Tours and international productions. The material was adapted into a mildly successful musical film in 2005, which starred many members of the original Broadway cast. Eventually, it became harder and harder for the show to fill the 1,173 seats at the Nederlander Theater. RENT closed on September 7, 2008 after a 12-year run of 5,123 performances.

For the adults of my generation, RENT is everything. RENT is the show we longed to see in New York City. RENT is the show we saw as often as possible (even on tour). RENT is the show we obsessed over, listening to cast album on repeat and repeatedly reading the published libretto. RENT got us, and most importantly we got RENT. Its themes of hopeful rebellion, antiestablishment, cherishing diversity, pushing past adversity, and loving one's self are universal struggles. They echo down the corridors of art's history, but Jonathan Larson gifted these empowering messages to us by setting them in a vernacular that spoke to us. Using all the tricks of 90s pop music and the trappings of Broadway showstoppers, he gifted Generation Y (also referred to as The Millennials) with a show that we could take ownership of.

Bryan-Keyth Wilson's direction embraces all of these elements. As a member of Generation Y himself, he is able to bring everything he has to the table. He has coached his youthful and vibrant cast to produce a show that is invigorating and nostalgically sentimental. With the use of handheld flip phones and even a BlackBerry or two, it seems his RENT is set closer to the turn of the millennium, probably 1999/2000, than Michael Greif's original staging, which is roughly set in 1993/1994. Despite moving the show forward a handful of years, the encompassing themes and the AIDS and drug related problems facing a majority of the leading cast are still relevant to his production and even the contemporary audiences of today who gather to enjoy it.

Music Direction by Eduardo Guzman is not wholly faithful to the 1996 Original Broadway Cast Album. He has lightly tinkered with the score, allowing the cast to really make some of the numbers into something unique and terrific. This is most noticeable with Libby Hart's boldly brash rendition of Alexi Darling's voice-mails, the more raucous and aggressive "Goodbye Love," and during Jake Bevil's heartbreakingly insular "One Song Glory," where we see a Roger more lost and looking for guidance than one that is on fire with angst. While subtle, these changes add a new tint to the familiar score and let seasoned audiences, like myself, hear the songs almost as if they were brand new.

Choreography was never a large part of RENT in its original inceptions. Michael Greif kept the dancing to a minimum, choosing blocking that lined the cast up along the proscenium over dances. Light choreographic elements existed in "Tango: Maureen," "Today 4 U," and were most memorable in the Act I finale "La Vie Boheme." In this production, Isabelle Dom elevates the dancing associated with the production. She ups the ante on the delectable tango flairs in "Tango: Maureen," infusing the number with more movement than I am used to, Mimi gains enjoyable backup dancers for part of "Out Tonight," and "La Vie Boheme" is as lively as ever. She makes a significant misstep in "Santa Fe" though. She surrounds the singing characters with dancers who seem to mimic some of the choreography from the film adaptation. As the singers don't dance, they get lost in the movement of the chorus members surrounding them and all attention is diverted away from Collins' dream of escaping New York City to open a restaurant in New Mexico.

Unfortunately, I saw this production of RENT late in its run; however, the cast I saw had gelled well into their roles. Each member gave me the elements that I have come to expect from the characters while making these relatable people both real and unique. Bobby Hewitt's Mark is, as expected, more observer than participant, but he still manages to create a heart for the character that makes him one the audience can sympathize with. He angrily spits out the line "Because I'm the one of us to survive," and while we feel the cold hard slap of those words on Roger's face, we also understand his fear of losing his best friend to AIDS and being alone. Jake Bevill's Roger is an angst-laden rocker looking for love. He is insular and closed off, fearing that his AIDS makes him undeserving of intimate human interaction. As the AIDS inflicted stripper Mimi, MaryAnn Williams is the perfect blend of young and sexy. Additionally, she is outgoing, warm, and loving, quickly endearing both the audience and Roger to her character.

Erik Olmos Tristan's Angel and Johnny Nichols' Tom Collins, complete with a soulful powerhouse voice, are a charismatic and engaging duo. Whether fighting or smitten with one another, Devin Ashley Witten's daring performance artist Maureen and Laurel Smalley's lovably type A Joanne are memorable and charming. Lastly, Michael Lovette as Benny is the entrepreneurial "villain" you can't help but love, especially as he showcases his fondness for the madcap antics of his artist friends. Likewise, the hardworking chorus plays their various parts with vigorous energy. Handling many roles to flesh out the denizens of New York City, Brian Kay, Robert L. Pimentel, Whitney Nolder, Shannon Zamora, Libby Hart, Fong Chau, Monique Holmes, and Eric Briggs put everything they can into their performances.

This production of RENT, like many before it, isn't spotless though. The signature headmics from the Broadway production are notably missing, proving detrimental to the voices of the cast. There are moments where the band drowns out the cast and where the chorus overpowers a solo line. Also, the telltale signs of vocal strain were present on some numbers where actors were raspy and even pitchy from pushing too hard. Despite this, the cast does well with novel riffs and elements they have added to the beloved numbers and each sells the songs with tangible conviction. With a large stage and acoustics made for dance productions, The Frenetic Theater is just none too friendly to unamplified human voices in musical productions.

Furthermore, the staging of "Contact" confused to me. I appreciated that Bryan-Keyth Wilson and his cast attempted to do the number without the large sheet that every other production of the show has used, but with the solid red wash of the lights and ambling cast members there were no distinctive focal points until Angel showed up for his "Today 4 U" reprise. Ultimately, the staging for the number felt messy.

Costume Design by Brandie Frye and Kim Hart is simply incredible. They have masterfully reproduced some of the more iconic clothing of the original Broadway production while incorporating new looks that are appropriate for the show. Unfortunately for the cast, they had to wear clothing meant for freezing temperatures in the dead of winter during the dog days of summer in the stifling, oppressive heat of the barely air-conditioned Frenetic Theater.

Lighting Design and Projection Design are both done with precision, adding clarity to The Eklektix Theatre Company's presentation of RENT. The colorful washes of reds and greens mixed for numbers like "Christmas Bells" are playful and appreciated. The projections on the center stage screen are well utilized to be more telling of location than anything I have seen in previous staged versions of the musical, adding a layer of realism that blends in well with the Scenic Design.

The Eklektix Theatre Company proved that it was a noteworthy up and coming theatrical Production Company with their stellar production of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW earlier this summer. They took ambitious strides with this production of RENT, crafting an experience that is both satisfactory and exciting for audiences. With a solid season of summer stock musicals under their belt, I am eagerly anticipating their upcoming season of plays and musicals centered on religion and faith.

Running Time: Approximately 2 Hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.

RENT, produced by The Eklektix Theatre Company, plays The Frenetic Theater at 5102 Navigation Boulevard, Houston, 77011 now through August 10, 2013. Their final performance is tonight at 8pm. For tickets and more information, please visit http://www.eklektixtheatre.org.

Photos courtesy of The Eklektix Theatre Company.

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