by Richard Chang
OC Register
December 28, 2000

It was a runaway hit on Broadway during the 1990s, capturing major awards and garnering a devoted following. The question that "Rent" faces today is: Can it sustain its energy and impact on the road in the 2000s?

The acclaimed rock 'n' roll musical made its second stop in two years at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Tuesday night, where it continues through Sunday.

Certainly the Orange County crowd was ready for "Rent." Many dressed for the occasion and mimicked the musical's characters, sporting chic, yet stylishly worn-in black leather jackets, colorful tights and dyed, spiked hair.

On the whole, the opening performance of an eight-show run was hitting on several cylinders but seemed to miss some others. The multilevel set was imaginatively built, recreating a rundown New York tenement, complete with a Christmas tree crafted from junk. The onstage rock-band orchestra was adequate, but by no means brilliant.

In fact, that seemed to be the case with most of the young, diverse cast - each hit his or her cues, each gave an energetic, on-par performance, but only a few stood out.

Dominique Roy as dancer and junkie Mimi Marquez was one of the standouts. She crackled with fire and electricity during her dynamic solo "Out Tonight," howling like a coyote during the choruses and shaking her hips in directions that didn't seem previously possible. Roy was the player who infused the most sympathy into her character.

Maggie Benjamin also did a rousing job as performance artist Maureen Johnson. She got the audience laughing (and mooing) with her protest speech/song "Over the Moon." Benjamin raised the bar every time the spotlight shone on her.

But some of "Rent's" key characters didn't shine quite as brightly. Cary Shields as rock musician Roger Davis was credible but not exactly memorable. Yes, he had the angst, insecurity and stubbornness that Roger is supposed to embody. But no, he didn't have the soul and intensity that his partner Roy did.

And Shaun Earl as drag queen Angel didn't quite produce the vocal power necessary for the part, especially at the higher octaves. I occasionally wondered if his microphone was turned up as high as it should have been.

While the first act was well executed, something almost ineffable seemed missing from the mix. That missing ingredient became clearer during intermission - the excitement that "Rent" generated when it first debuted off-Broadway in 1996. The issues "Rent" raises - AIDS, drug addiction, homosexuality, death - while still relevant, don't seem as revolutionary for the stage anymore. And many of the players, rather than living their parts, seemed to slip occasionally into going-through-the-motions mode.

The second act picked up considerably, kicking off with a full-cast rendition of the gospel-tinged "Seasons of Love." Roger and Mimi's duets "Without You" and "Goodbye, Love" were also heartfelt and moving. It seemed like the musical's soul was returning. But by then, "Rent" was nearly over.

The strong all-cast finale left a positive glow onstage but still didn't dispel some of the questions and doubts that built up during the first act.

This particular touring cast, known as the "Benny" company, has been on the road for 3½ years and has performed "Rent" hundreds and hundreds of times. While there have been many individual changes, some have stayed with the cast and crew for years on end. And it occasionally shows: the passion that marked the original production seems to be slipping a bit.

While "Rent" is better than most American musicals these days, perhaps it's time to hang up those Doc Martens and give it a rest for a while. Sorry, Rentheads.