I was going to say that I've seen RENT more than I've seen any other show, but I think that's a lie. I think I obsessively inhaled Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson for a total of nine months and probably saw it more times than I have seen Rent over the years.
This new RENT at New World Stages kind of bugged me out. Okay, New World Stages alone kind of bugs me out. But RENT, a show which I know backwards and forwards, whether I saw it in San Francisco or Washington DC or New York was consistently the same. This version felt like visiting an old friend to learn and seeing that of course she's changed over the years, but struggling to put my finger on exactly what feels differnt. I know this is supposed to be a re-conceived, new off-Broadway version, so I can't complain about it being different. But it wasn't different enough for me.
The set was different. It had a boxy scaffold feel. Hmm, there was scaffold in the original, right? Maybe there are just more ladders now. And there are big windows in Roger and Mark's apartment, reminiscent of those in the RENT movie.
The costumes were interestingly different. Costume designer Angela Wendt created costumes for the original RENT and the new off-Broadway version. A New York Times article points out subtle changes that evoke the original costumes (like Mark's new flannel shirt which resembles Mark's plaid jacket in the original). But then Collins was wearing a Papi shirt, just like he always has. The biggest costume change was in Angel's Christmas outfit. The same New York Times article quotes director Michael Greif saying, "I wanted our new Angel to be a bit more of a club kid and to be dressed more male, so it would be very clear to audiences that Angel and his lover, Tom Collins, are two men in a relationship" I get it, but we were never confused about Angel and Collins being two men in a relationship. And during the funeral scene Angel is referred to using female pronouns and as a drag queen, so the real novelty of their relationship is not that it's two men, but rather that it's a gay man and a drag queen/cross dresser/transperson. You can play any of those angles, but the Angel I know and love wouldn't want to be portrayed as your average gay man. She's anything but average.
And jeez, Roger is a hard role to cast. You can find these stories about how they had a hard time casting the original Roger and were so happy to find Adam Pascal, even if he needed some breaking in. Oy, I almost always leave a rendition of Rent dissatisfied with the Roger. But I'll tell you one thing about Adam Chanler-Berat; unlike most Mark's I've seen, he is not doing an Anthony Rapp impersonation. Three cheers for that.
I imagine there were things over the years that drove Michael Greif crazy and he is happy to have an opportunity to improve them. Examples:
*When Collins and Angel meet - "My body provides a comfortable home, for the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome." "As does mine." "(SQUEAL) We'll get along fine." Well the squeal really got out of control in the later years of Rent and on the final tour (I think I'm looking at you, Justin Johnson) and now the squeal is no longer. Well done.
*During "Light My Candle" Roger's struggle was more evident than I've ever seen. He was so tempted by Mimi, but so imprisoned within himself. That scene had very good directing and acting.
*Angel's death scene felt a little less weird and sexual (though same thing with the white sheet and all) and the funeral was a lot more powerful than I remember.
*Maureen's "Over the Moon" is always my least favorite part of the show, but Annaleigh Ashford's take on the scene was my favorite version thus far.
But then some things seemed entirely unchanged - the staging and choreography of "La Vie Boheme" and "Take Me Out Tonight" for example. I'll be back to see RENT, my old friend, again. There's just something weird about seeing something so familiar with minor changes. I wish the cast and crew the best of luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment