By JESSICA NEU
The mainstage production of the 1996 smash hit musical RENT employed a multi-tiered set with scaffolding and a balcony to accommodate the 13-15-person cast, constantly weaving through the East Village/Alphabet City, NYC. Last night, as we left Iron Horse Theatre Company’s production of Rent, my daughter bluntly stated, “they did that whole show in a large living room.” Not only does Iron Horse bring RENT to life in their beautifully intimate space, but they also deliver the best production of the show I have seen outside of professional touring companies.
Director Catherine Hayashi’s and music director Robert Armstrong’s blocking, staging, and musical arrangements were so very intuitive that not a single ounce of this nuanced, moving, and very wordy show was missed.
Written and originally directed by Jonathan Larson, RENT tells the story of a group of friends living in a dilapidated section of the East Village, NYC in the mid-90s. Some of the characters are living with HIV, and nearly all are embracing the starving-artist bohemian culture of the time. The show is mainly autobiographical as Larson himself was a struggling playwright who waited tables to make ends meet and adored his minuscule walk-up apartment. Larson desperately wanted to shed light on concerns surrounding gentrification, but more so to honor his own friends who were dying of AIDS.
Zoom in on Mark Cohen (Asriel Barnabei). Mark is an aspiring filmmaker and the narrator of RENT. He lives in a run-down studio apartment with his friend and aspiring musician Roger Davis (Xander Boots). With little food and barely any working utilities, Mark and Roger are unable to pay their rent and are thereby facing an eviction notice from their pompous landlord, Benjmain Coffin III, aka Benny (Christopher Rone). Their friend Tom Collins (Jerry Hahn) was just expelled from MIT for teaching his theory of “actual reality,” and after being mugged, meets drag queen Angel Dumott Schunard (Robin Reilly). As Collins and Angel quickly fall for one another, Roger meets Mimi Marquez (Melanie Perez). Mimi is an exotic dancer at a local gentlemen’s club, but also struggles with drug addiction. Together, the friends support Mark’s ex-girlfriend, Maureen Johnson (Allie Burns), who, with the help of her new girlfriend, Joanne Jefferson (Jillian Lovelace), is performing at an empty lot. Her performance is a protest against Benny evicting homeless and poverty-stricken residents so he can demolish their neighborhood to build a Cyberstudio.
Barnabei’s joy in bringing Mark to life is palpable throughout the performance, and it only improves as the show progresses. Barnabei shines in Act 2 with the gut-wrenching, self-reflective Halloween, followed by a duet with Boots for the anthemic “What You Own.” Together, the two channel their best Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal (the original Mark and Roger), but still make the number their own. Barnabei’s strongest performance is with Lovelace for “Tango Maureen.” Barnabei’s and Lovelace’s harmonies soar in perfect pitch as they bemoan Maureen’s frustrating character traits. I truly hope these two sing together in the future.
Lovelace holds her own against a feisty Burns in the powerhouse duet “Take Me or Leave Me.” Indignantly declaring, “There will always be women in leather flirting with me,” Burns’ Maureen is vibrant, charismatic, and self-expressive. Her protest performance, “Over the Moon,” is a highlight of the show as she captures the essence of performance art and gets the whole crowd “mooing.”
I have seen some productions of RENT where Roger is a very angry character, but Boots brings a sincerity, tenderness, and angst to Roger that was refreshing and approachable. The arrangement in his solo “One Song Glory” highlighted the emotional toll of living with AIDS, and solo moments throughout the show showcase his powerful tenor. Perez brings every bit of grit and “bad-assness” paired with immense vulnerability that “RENT Heads” have come to love in Mimi. You will root for her until the end and still feel that undeniable heartache in the final scene.
Clad in his ornate scarf, expensive coat, and a cell phone as large as his head, Rone achieves perfection as the slimy landlord that we all love to hate. As Collins, Hahn’s rich baritone illuminates the theater, and his immense love for Angel makes his act 2 numbers, “I’ll Cover You,” wonderfully cathartic. Reilly holds his own as Angel. Fierce in the infectious “Today 4 U” and so vulnerable in “Without You,” Reilly is the perfect blend of fierce and gentle.
The enormously talented ensemble rounds out the cast. Their moments together singing in harmony during numbers such as “Will I” were hauntingly stunning. And of course, they took us to church during “Seasons of Love.” Perhaps it is because I am growing another year older on Thursday, but this song made me particularly emotional last night.
Some critics have accused RENT of being “too 90s” and have banished it into Broadway oblivion as a “cult classic.” But while it depicts a specific time and place in our history, concerns over gentrification, wage inequality, trans rights (Angel mentions that she was a Boy Scout and a Brownie until some little girl got scared), homelessness, and healthcare access are still profoundly relevant today. And let’s not forget just how pertinent virtual reality is today. If only Jonhathan Larson was still alive to see how many cyberstudios have been built.
I would actually argue that RENT was ahead of its time in cultural commentary. Iron Horse Theater Company’s production is a hyper-talented, professional, refreshing reminder of how important a show RENT is. Above all, the production is a celebration and proof that Larson’s words live on. As “Christmas Bells are ringing” this holiday season and into the new year, may you never forget to measure each moment in love.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Iron Horse Theatre Company’s production of RENT has remaining performances December 12, 13, 14 & 19, 2025. For more information and tickets visit https://ironhorsetheatrecompany.ticketleap.com/rent
Categories: Arts and Ideas
Leave a Reply Cancel reply