October 12, 2024 Opening Night
Reviewed by Chris Cassone cc@chriscassone.com
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow's a mystery. Today is a gift which is why we call it the present."
This old adage came to mind during the Jaxx Theatricals production of "RENT," whose subtitle on the program read: "No Day but Today."
If you know anything about RENT, it probably is the hook in the song, "Seasons of Love," where the line "Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes..." repeats. Its author, the late Jonathan Larson, constantly drives home the theme of living life, no matter what kind of life you have, to the fullest.
First, let's go through the numbers of this fine performance.
Twenty-five cast members and musicians (plus the sound and lights in the booth,) all danced, sang, lived and loved on a stage no bigger than 32' by 16'. Everyone was wired for sound and everyone was spinning, running, rolling, jumping and just plain lying down in that little football field of a stage, around which the 55-person audience sat. We actually sat on the sidelines with the orchestra in one end zone and movable risers in the other.
Director Jeremy Lucas made incredibly purposeful and creative use of all of his tools. He had the actors utilize all the space, leaving by one door, returning on the opposite side. We were taken by the use of space, and with never a repetitive dance move. They were in constant motion, singing all the while. This is an opera, remember where almost all lines were sung (recitatives,) especially the secco recitatives that help advance the plot. Notably were the "Voice Mails" that Mark would replay on his 1990's answering machine (ask your parents, kids.) Most were humorous and almost side-splitting, especially the calls from Mark's mom and the "Buzzline" corporate recruiter.
What caused us all to pause as we entered was the handing out of ear plugs. Now, I'm an old rocker who saw the Who and KISS and even the Ramones. No one handed out earplugs then, and by golly, I'm not taking any now. That said, it was loud and loud most of the time. Not painful in any way but I get it. There has to be a compromise with twenty open wireless headsets, a band and sound effects. It is a rock opera, emphasis on "rock." When you have a drum kit and electric bass, they will ordinarily dictate the level of everyone else. The Nederlander was the same. The volume in no way diminished the telling of the story and the dynamics between the actors and band were enough to give tension and drive the plot.
And what a tight five-piece orchestra it was. All managed and conducted by Jill Marie Burke. Of note was keyboardist Jacob Walters who pulled the most sweet-sounding patches from his digital piano. Guitarist Alex De Kervor could play gentle classical guitar on his electric and then start shredding with abandon, but never too loud, always enjoyable, all compliments of his JHS Colourbox distortion pedal.
The set, designed by Justin Kelley-Cahill, was your basic industrial dystopia, mimicking the lower East Side of NYC (Alphabet City to be precise) and the loft the characters inhabited. The night, which pushed three hours with a fifteen-minute intermission, did not seem that long. The forty-one songs over two acts just kept coming. And by the time we reached the intermission, it didn't seem like 90 minutes had passed.
I was fortunate to see the first run at NY's Nederlander Theater in 1996 and even that seemed to drag in places. This production was crisp, sharp and snappy with all the love and emotion that the story evokes. I've cried at Puccini's "La Boheme" when Mimi dies, and also last night when Angel died in Tom Collins' arms. The company created a believable fellowship where we felt they truly needed each other to survive. I had a case of FOMO and wished I had been in that crowd in the bar and the loft. That's how infectious the company made it.
Pipes. Yes, there were some serious singers on stage. From Blake Rosier's Mark to Hannah Staudinger's Maureen. Hannah's duet with Cameron Jackson's Joanne was a showstopper. And there were many of those. Cameron's "We're OK" was a tongue-tied miracle of a piece.
The company itself was the twenty-first character, and in full choir mode they were a joy to behold. With tight singing and harmonies that nailed it, you gotta love a group of twenty singers dancing and singing up a storm: like in the Act 1 closer, "La Vie Boheme" and the "hit" from the show, "Seasons of Love."
I'd be remiss to neglect the story that I met the Rosier family in the lobby, pre-curtain, and they proudly told me all about their boy, Blake. So, when he danced right in front of them, I got to see the proud mom, girlfriend and even grandma, kvell over him. It reminded me of those NFL moms the camera zooms in on when their wide receiver son scores the big touchdown. The love brought another level into the story.
Larson might be gone but he did win the Pulitzer and Tony for a reason.
This is a great work. The reason is that it touches a human nerve that we all have exposed. We are all guilty of postponing the day when it becomes too much. Now, try thinking about dying of an incurable disease while you are starving and freezing. He got my attention and the Jaxx production helped drive that home.
The Power of Now is singing and dancing on Santa Monica Boulevard. Don't dawdle.
RENT runs through November 2nd, Thurs-Sat at 8pm. Jaxx Theatre, 5432 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood (323)650-0878 Info https://www.jaxxtheatricals.org