By Daniel Brassard
This Friday, I had the opportunity to see the musical Rent put on by the Utah Repertory Theater Company at The Project in downtown Salt Lake City. I came with an understanding of the plot, having seen the movie and was accompanied by a guest who had seen the closing cast on Broadway. If I had been uninformed of the content that I would be immersed in, the company had an excellent pre-show that made the adult content level clear. I was in store for a raw, uncensored view into the beauty and struggles of being in and out of love in a sexually diverse culture with the obstacles of poverty, self discovery and HIV/AIDS ever present.
The space, plywood walls with cityscape graffiti on them, was filled with mismatched plastic lawn and folding chairs for the audience. The very well characterized indigenous homeless population sets the stage and tone of the show mingling in a very close quarters pre-show. Their use of very realistic “hobo-banter” (profanity, drug and alcohol conversation, and unintelligible ramblings), spot-on homeless attire and confrontational nature almost fully convinced me that I had accidentally stumbled into the ghetto. The pre-show lacked only one authentic detail — smell, thank goodness. The specific venue (The Project) seems perfect for this show, or any show that needs a weathered industrial look.
This is the second production from the Utah Repertory Theater Company that I have seen. And in respect to the cast, the talent level of the performers was consistent with my first experience, a surprisingly high level of skill. The Ensemble (John Brunner, Frank Castro, Stewart Fullerton, Brandon Hansen, Justin Kelly, Marc Nielson, Karen Rodriquez, Brittany Shamy, Rachel Shull, Dee Tuaone, Olivia Vessel, Lara Vo) was spectacular. They seamlessly transitioned the scenes and elevated the performance with their stage time. The dancing, singing and acting from this multi-talented Ensemble group was truly professional and almost fully without flaw. They have either worked extremely hard and/or are naturally gifted… or are in fact dramatically trained homeless people (probably not, excellent direction and choreography by William Cooper Howell). The music of Rent was accompanied by a live professional band. The synchronization of the music with the action on stage was very on point and excellently played.
Trent English (as Roger) not only looked like a seasoned rock star, but also sang like one. His struggle with his disease, his love life, his song writing and his coping with the death of hair bands was very well done. Austin Archer (as Mark) was our observant narrator of sorts whose voice and stage presence was very worthy of the large role. Aleksndr Arteaga (as Tom) was a delightfully upbeat and passionate vocal talent who left the audience in tears and filled the room with his love. And for those of you who always hoped for a lap dance during a musical if you had the courage to sit in the front row, Connor Norton (as Mimi) was sent to make your dreams come true. Derek Gregerson (as Angel) was true to his name. He was not only energetic and loveable, but also made the character the symbol he was meant to be. Sean J. Carter (as Benny) may not be trusted on his word as a landlord, but can be fully trusted to be the friend turned villain. He was a capitalist’s hero with a dash of tenderness. Nneka Barcelsona (as Joanne) delivered powerful vocals and embodied the struggle with a partner not fully committed. Karli Roes Lowry (as Maureen) had the audience laughing with her performance within the performance. Her dedication to the art before the message approach brought needed relief to some strong scenes.
The only complaint that I had was the sound and tech issues heavily hampered the production. The space was large enough that when the microphones cut in and out so did the important dialogue and lyrics. The production also had several issues with feedback, volume inconsistencies and other distortions. However, I know getting that many mics on stage with a cast that also moves into the audience is a nightmare when it comes to sound issues.
Should you go and see the Utah Repertory Theater Company’s production of Rent? Absolutely. It is a powerful story that is powerfully done by this extremely talented cast. The themes are especially topical today and the gravity and importance thereof is only enriched by this presentation.
Utah Repertory Theater Company presents Rent.
September 20–October 6 with performances Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 7:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. matinees Saturday, September 21, and Sunday, October 6, at The Project, 258 West 700 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. Visit utahrep.org/2013-season/rent for additional info. Tickets can be purchased on the web site utahrep.org/tickets or at the door, $18 per adult or $15 for students and seniors.
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