RENT


Jonathan Larson’s Rent surrounds the audience quite literally in Coeurage Ensemble’s stunningly groundbreaking, entirely sold-out reinvention of the much-revived 1996 Broadway classic.

Taking Puccini’s La Boheme as its starting-off point, Rent tells the story of a group of young “bohemians” living in the mean streets of New York in the late 1980s at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

 Would-be filmmaker Mark (Eddie Vona) serves as narrator and observer, commenting on the lives of Roger (Carlos Padilla Jr.), his aspiring songwriter roommate; Mimi (Ellie Aviles), the Cat Scratch Club exotic dancer whom Roger falls for; “drag queen” Angel (Ricky Abilez) and philosophy prof Collins (Mitchell Johnson), who fall in love; Maureen (Shanelle Darlene), Mark’s bisexual performance artist ex-wife; Joanne (Nicole Ledoux), Maureen’s lawyer girlfriend; and Benny (Kevin Matsumoto), Mark and Roger’s ex-roommate and current nemesis.

The cast is multiracial and multicultural. Roger and Mimi are HIV positive. Angel and Collins have AIDS. “AZT breaks” punctuate the show at frequent intervals.

 Larson’s songs (“One Song Glory,” “La Vie Boheme,” “Seasons Of Love,” “Take Me Or Leave Me,” etc.) were unlike any others previously heard on a Broadway stage, with a pulsating rock beat and gritty lyrics, and the plotlines, revolving around characters of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, many of whom were living with HIV or AIDS, were as current as the day’s headlines.

Rent revolutionized the Broadway musical, much as Oklahoma! and West Side Story did in their day.

And Coeurage Ensemble’s 2022 revival revolutionizes Rent’s original Broadway staging, the same one that’s been touring the country for two and a half decades now, most recently earlier this year at the Dolby.

Not only do director Reena Dutt and scenic designer Kirk Wilson take away the proscenium, they turn theater-in-the-round on its ear by placing the audience in the center of the action, seated on swivel chairs that can spin around to better view the action unfolding on the production’s 360-degree circular stage.

This unique design does present certain disadvantages. Sightlines can be blocked at times, and (depending on where you sit) you may find yourself seated far away from the action, though not for long.

But the plusses far outweigh the minuses.

 Unlike the original Broadway set that’s been touring for decades, Wilson’s design clearly delineates each locale, and each is decorated with attention to detail by prop designer Felicia Rein.

And having the Bohemians’ world surround us makes us part of the action, part of the story, and part of these characters’ lives.

But a scenic/seating design, no matter how inspired, isn’t enough to make Rent work.

 Without a gifted director and choreographer, eight Grade-A singer-actors to give life to its lead characters, an equal number of equally talented performers to lend support, a rock club-ready band (and a sound system to mix vocals and instrumentals to premium effect), and lighting and costume designs to complete the total picture, Rent can fizzle.

Fortunately, in all these areas Rent 360 (as it should have been called) sizzles.

Dutt’s direction is in all ways inspired, from the show’s physical staging to the performances she has elicited from her performers, a number of whom defy preconceived notions of age, ethnicity, and body type established by the musical’s original cast performers.

Looking more like a tatted biker than the usual lean-and-hungry rock star, Padilla gives Roger humanity and heart, Vona’s pixyish Mark wins us over from the get-go, and Aviles is on fire as Mimi.

 Abilez’s Frida Kahlo-wigged Angel is so saucy, sassy, and sweet, it’s no wonder Johnson’s soulful-eyed Collins is smitten, the latter’s “I’ll Cover You” as moving and deeply felt as the song can get.

Darlene’s earthy, voluptuous Maureen and Ledoux’s svelte, statuesque Joanne are why the adage “Opposites attract” was invented, and Darlene makes “Over The Moon” the showstopper it’s cracked up to be.

 Rising Musical Theatre Guild star Matsumoto gives Benny the sell-out’s requisite snark, and Sofia Bragar (Mrs. Jefferson, Police Officer), Sean Cruz (Paul, Homeless Person), Graham Kurtz (Steve, Mr. Jefferson), Carrie Madsen (Marks’s Mom, Homeless Person), Nicole Monet (Alexi Darling, Blanket Lady), and John “Rusty” Proctor (Restaurant Man, Pastor) not only create memorable cameos, their vocal chops match those of the production’s leading players in major production numbers like the show-opening title song, “Seasons Of Love,” and a “La Vie Bohème” that brings down the house, the later thanks in major part to Tasheena Medina’s eye-catching choreography.

Musical director Rebecca Graul (on piano) conducts a sensational live band completed by Dan Graul and Tom Zygmont. (I would have guessed twice that many musicians.)

Dean Harada accomplishes astonishing feats of sound design aided by audio engineers Matthew Case and Kaspar Abbo.

Vicki Conrad gives each character multiple brand new looks that suit each one to a T, and Azra King-Abadi’s aces what must have been one of her toughest lighting design challenges to date.

Ray Auxais, Shanna Beauchamp, Nyx Ciel, Danny Moreno, William Norris, Janet Song, and Danni Spring are alternate cast members.

 Talya Camras is production stage manager and Pedro Armendariz is assistant stage manager. Aviles is associate choreographer. Jo Ann Mendleson is fight choreographer. Carly DW Bones is intimacy director. Sarah Holder is DEI consultant. Ken Werther is publicist.

I’ve now seen a dozen Rents, four of them featuring the original Broadway direction, choreography, and design, and most of the others haven’t deviated all that much from that vision.

Not so Coeurage Ensemble’s revolutionary Rent 360. In fifteen years of reviewing live theater in Southern California, I’ve never seen anything like it.

If you’ve already got your ticket, lucky you. If not, get yourself on a waiting list and start praying.

Coeurage Ensemble. Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, 1238 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles.
www.CoeurageEnsemble.org

–Steven Stanley
October 30, 2022
Photos: Lucia Towers, John Klopping

 

 

 

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