Rent by Century College Theatre

If you want to see a passionate musical with lots of young talent, grab a ticket to see Rent, presented by Century College Theatre.

Rent, written by Jonathan Larson, tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Lower Manhattan's East Village in the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

The cast of Century College’s Rent skews on the younger side; which can sometimes lead to a feeling that they are lacking some experience and maturity in their performances, but in this case, it also adds a lot of sincerity that this production really needs.

There are many talented performers in this show, but the real star is when the whole ensemble is singing together. They have a beautiful full sound with great harmonies and energy. Some of the vocal solos from the ensemble needed a little more volume and confidence, but specifically the solos in “Seasons of Love” and “I Will” took our breath away.

Markus Sweigert (Roger) gave an amazingly authentic performance. In Act 1, he was a bit closed off to the point that we didn’t really know what to think, but when he opens up in Act 2 it is beautiful. Sometimes while singing high or long notes, he struggled to stay in character, but other than that, he was so connected to the character that it often didn’t even feel like he was acting.

Skyler Jones (Mark) was a superb singer, and was very natural in his character as well. He felt a bit emotionally disconnected from Roger and Collins in Act 1, but Jones is truly the glue of the story, and did a great job with it. By the end, we were completely emotionally invested in him.

Olivia Horvath (Mimi) had great confidence in her movement and presence - though sometimes we wished that confidence had come through with her singing more. When she is first pursuing Roger, we wished we had seen more of that want and need for him, but as we got deep into Act 2, she was convincing and heart-wrenching as Mimi. Horvath is great at playing sassy and strong, while still having a vulnerable core underneath it all.

Riley Webster (Collins) gives a performance full of passion. His connection with Angel is absolutely crucial to the show, and Webster played this perfectly. His kind soul absolutely shone, especially in “I’ll Cover You (Reprise)”, which was heartbreaking in the best way possible.

Luis Ventura (Angel) is an incredible dancer and mover. He is also a good singer, but we could’ve used a bit more confidence, volume, and sassy energy in “Today 4 U.” Ventura was an excellent casting choice and his interpretation of Angel brought joy and smiles to our faces.

Brittany Squillace (Joanne) and Allea Eicher (Maureen) had wonderful chemistry in every single scene. In “Tango: Maureen” we could’ve used a little more power in the vocals from Squillace, but “Take Me or Leave Me” was a showstopper. Squillace’s interpretation of Joanne made the relationship between her and Maureen very believable, and her grounded approach to acting made for a clear and vulnerable journey of her character.

Allea Eicher plays a different Maureen than one we are used to seeing. But by the end of her first song, we were in love. She gave the character a quirky and likeable edge which we don’t usually see much of. Kudos to Eicher for making such strong and distinctive choices, it really helped fill out the character and make the relationship with Joanne more believable.

Kong Meng Vang (Benny) had very clear goals throughout the show; the only thing we missed was more of a personal connection with the other characters. We wanted to see how Benny felt about being an outsider, and then slowly being invited in.

Paul Aberasturi directed this production with a very clear arc and message; he also cast the show extremely well which led to all of the actors feeling very natural on stage. Where the direction falls short is in the blocking of this show - some of it was very repetitive, and a lot of dramatic moments were weakened when actors had to retrace their steps and go back to where they just were. We also wish Roger could have been facing the audience instead of upstage when he was “playing the guitar”. We really missed his face, and later, he stops pretending to play anyway.

The set (by Will Slayden) was great - there were wonderful levels and many places for the actors to sit and stand. Our only note is that the table where a lot of the actors stood was moving a lot, which made us a bit nervous and was distracting at times. 

The costumes (by Katey Houck) were SO smart - they were all well thought out and fit perfectly. We weren’t sure about Maureen’s costume at first, but ended up loving it because it fit Eicher’s interpretation so well.

The lighting (by Grant E. Merges) could be hit or miss depending on the moment - sometimes it supported the story very well, and other times it seemed to hit random beats or emphasize moments that were unclear from the audience’s perspective. The effect of the lights whooshing over the audience was used a bit too much - however, during “Seasons of Love,” it was used very effectively.

The sound (by Joe Hagen) was very successful, minus a few times that the mics cut out. We could hear all of the leads loud and clear and the balance was good between the musicians and the performers.

The choreography (by LaTia Childers) was great when it was there, but there were some moments where the spacing seemed off or there were moments of stillness that went on too long. We wished there was more choreography and thought put into transitions moving the ensemble from place to place.

The musicians (lead by Shirley Mier) were awesome; it was very nice to see them onstage playing. It really added the show to be able to see the guitar player jamming out or the drummer giving a solo.

Overall, you are left with the feeling that you are part of a community - this is what Rent is all about, and this production delivers. 

You Should See This If:

You love musicals, you want to feel part of a community, and you want to support young performers!

Content Warning:

HIV/Aids, Drugs, Death, Depression

Rating:

3.5/5 Scones

Review by Cranberry Scone & Raspberry White Chocolate Scone