by Chad Jones
Inside Bay Area
June 7, 2001

After a 20-week run here two years ago, "Rent" is back in San Francisco.

This 5-year-old rock musical _ winner of the Pulitzer Prize _ creaks here and there, and the cast, though appealing, never firmly connects with the show's passionate melodrama.

A riff on Puccini's "La Boheme" with gnarly guitars instead of violins and AIDS instead of tuberculosis, "Rent" is firmly rooted in the late 1990s with its references to the AIDS drug AZT and Newt Gingrich's lesbian sister.

Even Jonathan Larson's rock music seems, in spots, rather tame, sounding more like incidental music from "Friends" than fiery explosions of bohemian angst.

So "Rent" is not as fresh as it was the last time it breezed through town. That's hardly surprising. A show as red-hot as "Rent" was _ and its legend grew even greater with the real-life tragedy of Larson's death the night before the off-Broadway premiere _ had to cool down some time.

Without as much hype swirling around, it's easier to view "Rent" and assess its merits, of which it has many.

Telling the story of East Village performance artists, musicians, filmmakers and drug addicts who form a happily dysfunctional family, Larson can be self-consciously clever, as he is in the irresistible "La Vie Boheme."

Or he can be unabashedly emotional, as in the eerily prophetic "One Song Glory" (well sung by Jeremy Kushnier) about writing a great, memorable tune before dying.

There are lumps and bumps along the way, but mostly "Rent" is thrilling in its intoxicating blend of youthful exuberance and tragedy.

The touring cast that opened Wednesday night at the Orpheum Theatre hits all the right marks and sells the show effectively, but the performers don't connect very deeply with their characters. The actors come to life in certain songs but seem somewhat tired of telling this story.

Perhaps part of the problem comes from a muddy sound system and too many mumbled, incoherent lines. And believe it or not, the volume needs to be cranked up a notch or two. Who ever heard of a rock musical, especially this one, not being loud enough?

The major mumbler in the cast is Shaun Earl, who plays Angel, the kind-hearted drag queen. Earl looks great in his Santa mini-skirt and platform heels, and he dances impressively on tabletops (a surprising aspect of "Rent" is just how much dancing there is on tables and chairs). But on his songs, "Today 4 U" and "I'll Cover You," Earl is barely audible.

Dominique Roy fares better as Mimi, especially on her "Take Me Out Tonight" solo. She may not be a totally believable wild child, but she's got extraordinary legs and a supple voice that gives her songs a refreshing twist.

Matt Caplan as Mark, the narrator, takes a while to make an impression, but he revs up in time for a sassy tango and a duet with Kushnier as Mark, the HIV-positive songwriter.

At its most effective, Larson's score combines the best elements of rock, pop and Broadway to create vital music that still offers a healthy dose of show biz pizzazz.

The lesbian duet "Take Me or Leave Me" (performed by Maggie Benjamin and Jacqueline B. Arnold) is designed to make the stage sizzle, and the soulful reprise of "I'll Cover You" (movingly sung by Mark Richard Ford) provides just the right emotional release when one of the main characters dies.

The centerpiece of the show is, and always will be, "Season of Love," the Act 2 opener. The 15-member cast stands along the edge of the stage and sings a simple song about measuring the worth of a human life. The number is electrifying and poignant.

The frenetic action of director Michael Greif's staging calms down and the show's heart-tugging emotion comes pouring out. That's what will keep "Rent" going in years to come. Never mind how dated the show becomes or how tired the cast is. Larson's music can do most of the work.