by John Keenan
World Herald
April 26, 2000

Set amid the crumbling tenements of New York City, focused on the lives of down-and-out artists and junkies who cling to both their dreams and their lives with courageous tenacity, "Rent" is a powerful, moving musical.

The national touring company of the Broadway show rolled into Omaha's Orpheum Theater Tuesday night, and the opening performance of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical was an energetic, moving experience.

Composer-lyricist-librettist Larson used Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme" as a blueprint for the show. The opera-timid need not fear, however; from the moment the cast bursts into the hard-charging number "Rent" to open the first act, it's clear that the show, whatever its pedigree, wants to rock the house.

"Rent" follows the fortune of several characters - the program even provides a diagram mapping their relationship to one another - but focuses mainly on three relationships: Roger and Mimi (Cary Shields and Saycon Sengbloh), an HIV-positive rock musician and his junkie girlfriend; Maureen and Joanne (Erin Keaney and Jacqueline B. Arnold), a flaky performance artist and her no-nonsense lawyer lover; and Angel Schunard and Tom Collins (Shaun Earl and, in Tuesday night's performance, Marcus Chaney), a drag queen and a philosopher.

Serving as an observer is Mark (an impressive Matt Caplan), a would-be filmmaker who hides from relationships behind his camera.

The show follows the characters through one year, from Christmas to Christmas, and despite the grim premise, is often very funny. As first Angel and then Mimi begin to sicken, however, the show takes on a darker tone, and it achieves a weight that few musicals even attempt to carry. Larson, who died of an aortic aneurysm just before the show went into previews, conceived "Rent" as a tribute to his friends who had died from AIDS. It is an affecting one.

The cast as a whole is rock solid, and each of the principals enjoys a moment in the spotlight. Besides the second-act opener, "Stages of Love," which is the show's best-known song, other highlights include "Tango: Maureen," a hilarious duet between Caplan and Arnold, lamenting the fickleness of their lover; "One Song Glory" by Shields; "I'll Cover You," a duet by Chaney and Earl; and "Over the Moon," a hilarious send-up of performance art by Keaney that alternates between being very funny and rather pretty.

The ensemble was strong as a whole, especially on "Stages" and the first-act closer, "La Vie Boheme."

Apart from their strong voices, the cast has the acting chops to carry the show, as well. Particularly memorable were Sengbloh and Earl, while Keaney and Arnold displayed good chemistry onstage.

A musical about junkies and starving artists based on a 104-year-old opera may sound like a strange concept, but "Rent" is a theatrical experience not to be missed.

More than 2700 tickets were sold to Tuesday's opening night performance, which was a benefit for the Nebraska AIDS Project.