One would think that even 26 years after its creation, Jonathan Larson’s opus Rent would be more relevant than ever in these days of widespread poverty, desperation, unction toward landlords, and overall societal decline. It certainly seems to be evergreen due to its inherent diversity, minimalist set, and countercultural appeal. Nevertheless, from the pre-show playlist to the excessive flannel of the costumes, ArtsCentric’s production – Directed by Kevin S. McAllister – has a strong feeling of romantic anachronism, for better or worse. It’s an interesting choice, but it makes the presentation feel more like a snapshot of that era than a commentary on the current one (though the palpable police presence during several scenes and the inclusion of squeegee kids were clever exceptions to this).
One of the show’s core characters is Roger, and he’s played marvelously by Greg Twomey, whose quiet melancholy belies his ability to belt out some of the play’s most memorable musical numbers. There’s a wry and soulful gravitas to him that recalls the great Ted Neeley in his prime – indeed, one imagines that somewhere out there, there’s a production of Jesus Christ Superstar with his name on it.
The true nucleus of any Rent production is Angel, and David Singleton shines in the role – bringing all the humor, heat, charm, and sensitivity one could hope for. His rendition of “Today 4 U” is dazzling and delightful, with crackling choreography and a costume to die for.
Likewise, another astonishing show-stopper worthy of mention is Amber Wood as Maureen. She lights up the stage every time she’s on it… by turns funny, kooky, sexy, manic, and petulant, she manages to perfectly encapsulate every over-the-top, attention-hungry cringe-princess you’ve ever encountered at an open mic. Her onstage chemistry with Joanne (played strongly by the dryly redoubtable Anitra McKinney, the anchor who grounds this show) is impressive, especially during “Take Me Or Leave Me,” which features more magnificent dancing; Choreographers Shalyce Hemby and Antonio Beverly are to be commended. On a personal note, this was the only time this reviewer has ever actually enjoyed an onstage portrayal of the Maureen character, or the “Over the Moon” musical number at all, for that matter.
The “Making It Look Easy Award” for this cast goes, without question, to Kenneth Jamaal Whittington. He shows the astounding capacity to be fully emotionally present within the character of Collins, and manages to fill the space with his presence without “proclaiming to the rafters,” as it were. His charm is subtle and infectious; his chemistry with Singleton’s Angel is sparkling; in short, he’s the one who can act – even in something as exaggerated as this – without looking like he’s acting.
A large element of this show’s appeal has always been the sense of controlled chaos it creates, compared to the more traditional musicals which came before it. McAllister’s production frequently seems to suffer from too much chaos and not nearly enough control – there are numerous instances (particularly during the first act) where what should be harmony comes across as the performers shouting at and over each other. This is not helped by the efforts of Sound Designer Keith Person, in which the too-loud music manages to swallow at least a third of the lines and lyrics, despite the fact that the actors are equipped with individual mics. As a result, those few spectators not previously acquainted with Rent may find themselves hopelessly lost from the start.
No one would dare accuse Caelyn D. Williams of lacking ethereal beauty, commanding stage presence, or singing talent. Unfortunately, she has the role of Mimi to deal with – arguably the hardest character to play, since it requires the performer in question to fully commit to the physicality and vocals of the musical numbers while convincingly playing a heroin addict. One gets the impression that she is attempting to make bold and jazzy choices in her musical numbers with her departure from the established tunes, and in other shows, it would probably go well… but there’s already an atonal quality to a lot of Rent‘s songs, so regrettably, the flow of her harmonies tends to swim against the current, breathless and a bit off-the-rails. That, coupled with the aforementioned flaws in sound design, ignominiously rob us of the full impact of at least half of her performance.
As previously mentioned, Rent tends to lend itself to minimalist set design, so it was a treat to see how much thought and ingenuity had been put into the set for this production by Scenic Designer Sim Carpenter. It’s multi-layered, it’s dynamic, and it’s filled with depth and detail. The configuration of the space has the audience sitting on two opposite sides of the stage, allowing for more dynamic blocking and choreography than one might normally see. This is coupled with the clever and deftly-orchestrated visuals of Lighting Designer Cedric Khalil. However, the performances are frequently centered on the lowest level – which, unfortunately, means that these parts are entirely obscured to all spectators who aren’t sitting in the front rows. This is not, perhaps, a flaw in the stage design so much as it is a failing of McAllister to have the actors spend far too much time entirely below our sight lines. Intimate scenes don’t always need to be played out on the floor.
All in all, this is a thoroughly solid rendition of Rent – or at least, it might be if we could actually hear and see it in all of its glory.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes with one interimssion
Rent plays through August 28, 2022 with ArtsCentric- 2600 N. Howard Street in the Station North Arts District of Baltimore, MD. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online.
