RENT at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis

It's an interesting coincidence that while the touring company of Rent is in town at the Fox Theatre, Opera Theatre of St. Louis is presenting La Boheme, especially since Rent is a loose adaptation of that famous work. It's the perfect opportunity for audiences and the cast of each show to compare and contrast the two.

Even though it's almost become a period piece, it's still an engaging show filled with tuneful songs like "Seasons of Love" and "Tango: Maureen." And, what makes this touring company special is the presence of Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp reprising their leading roles as Roger and Mark, respectively. The electricity that the pair generates is reason enough to check out this very special production.

Though Puccini's Opera is at the backbone of Jonathon Larson's musical, the characters here deal with more modern issues like homelessnes, AIDS and drug addiction. Essentially, the story follows a circle of friends and artists who are trying find their place in the world while facing eviction from an abandoned building a friend has allowed them to use as a work space and shelter, until now. Various romantic entanglements add spice and drama to the proceedings.

Anthony Rapp (you may remember him as Tony in the cult film Dazed and Confused) does a stellar job as Mark, conveying the angst of a struggling filmmaker who's lost his girlfriend, Maureen, to a lesbian lover. His reedy voice is perfectly suited to the role. Adam Pascal is also strong as Roger, a guitarist determined to write a song that will live on long after he succumbs to the AIDS virus he's become infected with. When these two are on stage the atmosphere is intense and vibrant. In fact, their initial appearances brought forth applause and hoots more appropriate for a rock concert.

The supporting cast is solid, but not nearly as sharp as the touring company which passed through St. Louis last year. Justin Johnston makes the best impression as Angel, a cross dresser, who enlivens the show with his high kicks and flashy dance moves. Michael McElroy is good as his lover, Tom Collins, but needs to work on projecting his vocals. Lexi Lawson does fine work as Mimi, but her dancing seemed a little rough and awkward at times. Nicolette Hart amuses as Maureen, a performance artist who delivers a wacky presentation of "Over the Moon" during a protest.

Michael Greif's direction keeps the show moving at a rapid pace, but the actors need to make sure they enunciate clearly since this is an opera (albeit, a rock and pop flavored one), and there's a minimal amount of spoken dialog. The audience needs to be able to discern the words since the lyrics convey crucial bits of humor and drama, which are easily lost in the din. Paul Clay's set design perfectly captures a sense of urban decay, and Blake Burba's lighting is appropriately dramatic and eye-popping as dictated by the action.

Even if you've seen Rent before, the chance to catch it with the original Broadway leads makes this a must-see event.

Rent continues through June 7, 2009 at the Fox Theatre.

 

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