Perfect and nearly perfect. Every element of Jonathan Larson's "Rent," now playing at Firehouse Theatre, is either one or the other.
The 1996 musical won numerous Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. After a brief Off-Broadway run after the tragic death of its author, it moved to Broadway and ran for 12 years, earning a cult following for its impassioned AIDS-era, rock-inflected take on Puccini's "La Bohème." The musical follows a group of young people living in New York and creating art as they confront issues of money, mortality, love and betrayal.
But in many ways, this incarnation of "Rent" at the intimate and slightly scruffy Firehouse is better than its Broadway progenitor. This is a show with a downtown sensibility -- Alphabet City in New York during the era of squeegee guys and Tompkins Square Park.
And this production, under Jase Smith's heartfelt and energetic direction, is loaded with exuberant young talent. If a singer is not note-perfect, if the amplification veers off course, if an actor vanishes into shadow for a moment, it seems only to enhance the show's gritty authenticity.
The band, under musical director Leilani Mork, qualifies as perfect. They render Larson's gorgeous rock score with sensitivity and passion.
Choreographer Maggie Marlin contributes mightily as well, with excellent work on numbers like "Tango: Maureen" and "Today 4 U," as well as outstanding background choreography.
David McLain's condemned-tenement set is great, and his ambitious lighting design is almost always dynamic and exciting.
As for the lead performers, Joy Newsome is probably better than anyone who's ever played JoAnn, the gay lawyer in love with performance artist Maureen. And Jacquelynn Camden's Maureen is outrageously sexy, irreverent and sassy.
Nadia Harika and Terence Sullivan are wonderful in their own way as the lovers Mimi and Roger. Like all their castmates, they are terrific singers, but a little more urban edge would benefit their performances. And there's an excellent ensemble -- Katie Ford, Matt James, Matt Mitchell, Laura Murden, Keith Pleasants and Ahjah Prom -- who take on multiple roles and give fullness to the choral work.
That's the real achievement of Smith and Mork -- the beautiful music born of the blend of instruments and voices bringing Larson's work to life. It makes "Rent" irresistible.
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Susan Haubenstock is a Henrico County-based freelance writer and editor. She can be contacted at shaubenstock@gmail.com.
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