"Rent" captures audience enthusiasm

Overture Hall was splitting at its 2,251 person capacity Friday night as the official off-Broadway group brought the heat to a powerless apartment during a sold-out performance of Rent.

Without second thought, as the play began, the audience was immediately immersed in a world circulating with drugs, AIDS and jealousy. The performance lasted three hours and told the tale of the depressing lives of Roger and Mark (Heinz Winckler and Jed Resnick respectively), two starving artists and roommates, who were captivating enough to grasp the attention of musicals lovers and haters alike.

The story closely followed the capricious relationship between Roger and Mimi, a nineteen-year-old songbird dealing with a shameless drug addiction and suffering from AIDS. Jennifer Colby Talton, acting as Mimi, delivered an astounding performance with some tricks but mostly truth. The sincerity of her representation of the character was enigmatic, drawing the viewer closer to the story than thought possible. This was paralleled, if not exceeded, by the crystallized singing voice of Winckler. Every note was pristine as it resonated through the amazing acoustics of Overture Hall. Within fifteen minutes, they performed the song “Light My Candle,” and made their amazing abilities and chemistry shine. This song was closely followed by Winckler’s solo of “One Song Glory,” striking the entire hall silent until the song ended and the audience exploded with applause.

The hall was equally dumb-founded by the hypnotizing physical contortions of Angel, played by Kristen-Alexzander Griffeth. The AIDS-infected homosexual cross dresser was colorfully flamboyant and arguably the most endearing character in Rent, holding the community together with optimism and love.

Though the erotic nature and drug-related content was subtle, this play was not for the young or faint of heart. The audience, however, grew notably closer throughout the performance. The community created between the characters by the end of the play mirrored the gained camaraderie throughout the audience, sharing laughs, tears and excitement. Maureen, Mark’s ex-girlfriend-turned-lesbian, even had the crowd mooing along during her eccentric interpretive dance segment entitled “Over the Moon.” This performance was entertaining and humorous, but limited the vocal talents possessed by Christine Dwyer, the actress portraying Maureen. Fortunately, her skills were exemplified and amplified in the dueling ballad entitled “Take me or Leave me” between Maureen and her contesting new girlfriend, Joanne (Onyie Nwachukwu).

This song took advantage of the intricate set of Rent. An artistic use of three ordinary metal tables set the stage for three separate scenes simultaneously. While there were only a few props, the whole stage was a complicated series of lights and gadgets with an elaborate grunge-factor that gave the sense of New York’s lower eastside. The ironically festive Christmas lights and scrap-metal Christmas tree illuminated the recurring theme of the play; seeing the upside of being down and out of luck, money and time in the city.

Undoubtedly the most impassioned song of the play, “Seasons of Love,” was performed with the entire cast taking on the audience front and face. It was in this song that Mark and Roger’s old roommate, Collins, (Anwar Robinson) belted exceptional and relevant lyrics with his smooth tones resembling the likes of Stevie Wonder.

The only possible downside to this event at the Overture Center would be the fast paced dialogue and lyrics that made it difficult for the first time viewer to follow the plot closely. Despite this minor setback, the exceptional acting, singing and dancing skills, along with a fantastic set and story made Rent a far greater experience than something that could be measured in “midnights and cups of coffee,” but instead something that could be “measured in love.”