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RENT: 525,600 Minutes In A Season With Love

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The rock musical RENT kicks off its 20th anniversary tour with a lively and nicely produced production beginning the season at the IU Auditorium. When the original show opened, Hillary Clinton was campaigning for Bill's second term. Donald Trump was being interviewed for a scathing piece in Playboy. It was the scariest days of the AIDS epidemic. HIV was for many, a death sentence.

Jonathan Larson's rock musical, follows a year in the lives of young people trying to make a sort of bohemian life in New York City. It's ever so loosely based on Rossini's La Boheme. Mark, is a nerdy wanna be videographer, Roger is a still charismatic burned out song writer, and the easy going Collins is sporadically successful as a free-lance musician. They're the trio of young artists living hand to mouth in the city. In a nice touch, their former buddy, Benny has married up and now owns the building where they're squatting.

In the darkened building, neighbor Mimi asks Roger to light her candle in a variety of alluring moves. Their on again, off again romance is a central feature of Rent. Meanwhile Collins has linked up with the tender cross dressing Angel. Mark tangoes with the Ivy League lesbian lawyer Joanne. Mark's ex and Joanne's current love Maureen leads a rally protesting Benny's plans for some urban renewal/street people removal. Snow falls on Christmas.

The second act of RENT begins with the company singing "Seasons of Love." Roger's HIV symptoms are controlled by AZT. Angel is in the final stages of the virus, still seeking help from a support group and caring for Collins. Mimi, bouncing between Roger and her old love for Benny is deeper into addiction. It's a dark time especially with the death of Angel, but there's plenty of energy in the cast. Mimi's resuscitation and Roger's final song lift the finale.

In the cast Danny Kornfeld was personable as Mark our narrator for RENT.  Skyler Volpe was voluptuous as the candle totting Mimi. Mark with Jasmine Easler as Joanne the lawyer were very funny in their Tango number. Katie Lamark as the love object of both was incredibly funny in "Over the Moon," her very off beat rally monologue.

There were few disappointments, songs that at least on the first night didn't quite work. Mimi's "Out Tonight" seemed repetitious and didn't quite connect. Maureen and Joanne's clever account of their differences and passion "Take Me or Leave Me" left me wanting a bit more shape.

Monday night's audience was enthusiastic, even greeting simply the first appearance of characters with cheers and applause and they got the jokes. Individual songs were applauded and many joined Maureen for some lusty "mooing' in her monologue. A good portion stood for the cast's curtain call.

RENT by Jonathan Larson plays September 12, 13 and 14 at the IU Auditorium. Samuel Bagala led the on-stage orchestra.

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