By Lisa Bornstein
Rocky Mountain News
October 25, 2000

As beloved as Rent was when it opened nearly five years ago, it seemed destined to be dated. Filled with pop cultural references, built around New York's bohemian scene and with half its characters suffering from AIDS, this rock takeoff on La Boheme sounded like the Hair of tomorrow or, worse, a period piece.

Instead, in a new era where many consider AIDS mostly conquered through medication and new money seems like a constitutional right, Rent has as much meaning as ever. Its opening Tuesday at the Buell Theatre demonstrated that Jonathan Larson's musical has lost none of its power. Instead, it puts the lie to the idea of a fat and happy America. Rent is the reminder of what lies a few blocks away from the Nasdaq heroes.

The current production maintains the show's exhilarating energy with a vibrant cast and an excellent, hard-rocking band. Christian Mena, who has been with the show for a few years, has roughed up the too-smooth voice he once brought to Roger, the HIV-positive failed rock star. He could go a little further in that direction, but Mena has found new meaning and a grittier edge to the character.

Understudy Curtis Cregan played the role of Mark and presented a naive, somewhat shy narrator who was competent but lacked the magnetism required to carry the show. Shaun Earl's drag queen Angel is playful and affectionate, paired off against the more earthbound Professor Collins (Mark Richard Ford). As Mimi, Saycon Sengbloh provides a breathy sex kitten whose voice opens up when required.

Two often uninspired roles are seen in a new light with this production. Brian M. Love is a smooth, sexy yuppie as Benny the landlord. Maggie Benjamin pulls in a record number of laughs with Maureen's performance art, a calamity of 'Waiting for Guffman' pretensions. She and Jacqueline B. Arnold (not quite strong enough as Joanne) create a chemistry that makes this couple more believable than earlier pairings.

As time passes, Rent's role in the musical theater canon becomes gradually clearer. Its creator died on the eve of its Off Broadway previews, and the great unanswered question has been what he would have fine-tuned had he survived. There have always been scattered clunky lyrics and forgettable songs (particularly the love song 'Your Eyes'). But Rent is a towering achievement of originality and passion.

Like other great musicals, it has taken on a life of its own, beyond its era of creation. It is truly the sum of its parts and of its history.