Wednesday, November 2, 2011
If I measured my life in love, the chills all over my body this afternoon were evidence that love in my life is in the theatre. Rent is, as always, an unparalleled live thrill.
Last spring, a critic asked if reviving Rent was worthwhile; would the work hold up in a new time? The answer is YES YES YES. Students in my musical theatre history class were equally skeptical, but I told them then that a timeless work can never go out of style. Michael Greif's ability to dress Mark Wedland's signature stage boxes is fine tuned. The stage pictures are thrilling, harking back to the Rent publicity stills that papered subway stations and telephone booths fifteen years ago (and remember the wall of images in the Times Square subway station?) and it was glorious to see the show in this fragmented way: watching them watch the action. The costume decision to have all the jackets closely mirror the original jackets from the previous production was unfortunate as so much of the show is an artistic re-conception, all other costumes included.
For a show with a history of blowing out the voices of untrained young performers, I understand the production's choice of hiring tried and true Equity performers, but sometimes (as with Matt Shingledecker's interpretation of Roger) the Broadway belt is inappropriate. Conversely, Arianda Fernandez's limited vocal control displayed in "Take Me Out" made me worry that she had hurt herself, as she tried to regain her voice through "Another Day" (not a good time to have vocal trouble--such a beauteous melody). Thankfully she was in fine form again by the time of "Without You." Today's Star Watcher award goes to Annaleigh Ashford. I wish I had seen her as Galinda in Wicked. Her rendition of "Over the Moon" is AMAZING, comic, fun, fresh, and inventive. As I often say, she too should have her own show.
Rent plays at The New World Stages Off-Broadway Theatre complex on 50th Street. Tickets can be purchased here.
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