By KATHERIINE BEESON
Wow, just wow…
Waukesha Civic’s production of “Rent” is real, gritty and a totally immersive experience.
This is the story of a group of friends who navigate life in the Alphabet City section of New York City in the late 1990s; people hampered by a lack of money, a decent place to live and faced with the devastating effects of AIDS. As most people know, this musical is very loosely based on Puccini’s opera “La Boheme.”
Heather David as Mimi in Waukesha Civic Theatre’s “Rent.”
The audience is immediately drawn in. We see how this group of friends became a close family. We feel their love, their pain; we celebrate with them and we grieve with them. Director Ann Majeskie literally transports us into their world.
“Rent” is an ensemble production and the leads were fantastic. Logan Vasquez (Mark), Justine Spanbauer (Roger), Heather David (Mimi), Aaron J. Robertson (Benny), Keegan Charlier (Maureen), Ellie Mungo (Joanne), Ernest Bell (Collins) and William Coleman (Angel) truly understand their characters and bring the intensity these roles demand. Iwas completely blown away.
The orchestra, led by Ashley Sprangers (who also served as Music Director) was small but very polished. The set design by Michael Talaska lends itself to seamless scene changes and Majeskie moves the story without interruption. Creator Jonathan Larson’s songs are energetic and mesmerizing.
There was, however, a bit of an issue with voice volume. The orchestra is set on stage, and it does, occasionally, overwhelm the actors. Many times the dialogue spoken over the music is just too hard to hear and therefore, to understand. Even some of the solos get a bit lost if the singers are not projecting. I brought a friend who had never seen “Rent,” (I know, hard to believe) and she mentioned that she had a hard time because of this. Fortunately, there are belters among the cast and the ensemble songs are strong.
“Rent” runs through March 26. Do not miss this show!