Rent is one of the most iconic shows in musical theater history. Based more or less on the opera La Boheme, it follows a group of young people in 1980s New York trying to find their purpose or just trying to live despite poverty, addiction, and illness. The show is propelled by a rock and roll score, bold characters, and the sense that time is limited and precious - primarily because multiple characters are living with AIDs at a time when long-term survival still felt like a longshot.
This show brought me for the first time to Inver Grove Heights Community Theatre, which performs at the Simley High School Performing Arts Center. Due to COVID concerns, some of the cast was masked for the performance I attended. One thing I appreciated from this theater group was the inclusion of cast and crew pronouns in the program. That's something I'd love to see catch on. It's certainly helpful for me as a reviewer to know that I'm referring to people correctly!
Quinn Forrest Masterson directed this production while also starring in Shrek across town, which I have to admit I have trouble wrapping my head around. Choreographer Jennifer Haider and vocal director Madeline Huss assistant directed. In the staging, I liked the complexity that came out in the biggest group scenes, giving a vibrant energy to songs like "La Vie Boheme" and "Christmas Bells." I also liked the way "Without You" showed multiple characters dealing with different variations of loss at the same time. Under Madeline Huss, all of the performers had strong vocal performances. The small group work was particularly nice, such as the repeated “Christmas Bells” group. The orchestra felt powerful and was a real driving force for the music. From choreographer Jennifer Haider, I particularly enjoyed the dream/memory aspects used in the first act, as in “One Song Glory” and “Tango Maureen” – it was delightful to see Maureen and Mark act in parallel as he described her. The Joanne/Mark duo in the tango was very fun as well. Another moment that stood out to me was the subway formation in “Santa Fe” – it played into the tone of the song in a very cool way.
Christy Branham’s costumes included nods to some of the iconic original Broadway looks, like Mark’s thin scarf and Collins’ long coat. Angel's festive act one outfit was a standout look, and I particularly liked the matching beret. Overall, there were a lot of interesting details that gave a specificity to the characters. For example, Mimi and Maureen both wore some revealing clothing, but Maureen's looks were showy and included bolder colors, while Mimi's looks were more muted - and more practical, in the case of her kneepads. (Between these and Sebastian's glittery kneepads in Open Door's recent Little Mermaid, maybe I'm just in favor of kneepads as a fashion accessory?) Adam Oster’s set design had a cool industrial vibe, and it gave the cast plenty of levels and spaces of different shapes to work with. Pierce Jensen’s lighting was rigged in a way that felt part of the scenic design, because it filled up the space above the set, facing out toward the audience and adding to the rock-and-roll feel of the show. Jensen’s lighting was vibrant and dramatic, especially in moments like the end of “Contact.” Sound design was by Tom Prestin/Born Into Royalty and was excellent for most of the show; my only complaint was that I couldn’t make out enough of the different parts in “Christmas Bells.” The program did not list an intimacy coordinator, which is something I would really have liked to see for a show like this.
As Mark, Lewis Youngren was an engaging link between the audience and the story, especially in the spirited and fun "La Vie Boheme." Youngren really drew me in emotionally in the second act as Mark tries to keep his community from breaking apart, culminating in "Halloween." James Ehlenz was incredibly expressive as Roger even wearing a mask. Ehlenz has a nice clear vocal tone that shone in songs like "One Song Glory." I enjoyed the way that Youngren and Ehlenz played off of each other, especially in "What You Own," which is one of my favorite songs in the show and which they rocked. Aram Eskridge (Collins) is a stunning singer, and I could listen to his rendition of "Santa Fe" all day, but it was his emotional "I'll Cover You (Reprise)" that really brought the house down. I loved seeing the moments with these three characters as a trio; they had a camaraderie that felt like genuine and was lovely to watch.
As Mimi, Shannon Dancler did amazing work with the physicality of the character. On the one hand, Mimi is a dancer and Dancler pulled off some impressive moves, but on the other, Mimi struggles with addiction and illness. I saw so much of the character in the way that Dancler let moments of vulnerability slip through Mimi’s projection of control. "Without You" was my favorite of her songs; she sounded lovely and brought a lot of emotion into it. Bee Tremmel's Angel was charismatic and stylish, with an impressive vocal range. They gave a fun, flashy performance in "Today 4 U," but shone the most in "I'll Cover You," sung with Eskridge. The two had a great connection and both delivered outstanding vocal performances. Brooklyn Schwiesow brought a lot of vocal power to the role of Maureen; her belts in "Over the Moon" were off the charts. Schwiesow's Maureen was demanding and theatrical, with a physicality that was both playful and sultry – which is exactly the combination that makes Maureen's relationship with more the more reserved Joanne (Cheron Whittley) difficult. Schwiesow and Whittley were well-matched in "Take Me or Leave Me"; both have strong voices and each brought their own flair to the song. Kevin Tran's Benny started out selfish and unwilling to connect with the other characters emotionally, but Tran's development of the character as he's shaken up by the events of the second act was really interesting to watch.
The ensemble was a major part of the show. Everyone played multiple roles, including family members, people on the street, and support group members, and these characters were nicely defined and specific. As a whole, the ensemble was an essential part of creating some of the big emotional moments, like "Life Support" and "Another Day." "La Vie Boheme" was the most fun ensemble song; it was lively and had a fun sense of chaos (though the lyrics still came through perfectly clearly). While there were plenty of great ensemble performances, Eliana Lawrence stood out for their powerful and stirring solos in "Seasons of Love" and "I'll Cover You (Reprise)."
I'm always happy to see a theater group with ambition, and Rent is an ambitious show; it requires a high level of talent in every role and a strong artistic direction to bring together its playful and serious elements. I'm happy to say that Inver Grove Heights Community Theatre made great choices in design and casting, and put on a show that was emotional and exciting. I look forward to seeing what other shows are in this company's future.
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