by Kathleen Young
The Buffalo News
December 8, 1999

Don't go looking for the Mighty Wurlitzer concert at Shea's this month.

After three triumphant Goo Goo Dolls concerts, the arts center follows up with the return of the Generation X Broadway musical "Rent." Every production of "Rent" faces a monumental challenge. Not how to make the story of a disenfranchised group of young people (most of whom are HIV-positive, gay, junkies or all of the above) uplifting and life-affirming.

The question is whether the play itself can possibly be as compelling as the story behind it.

By now everyone knows that "Rent" is an updating of Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme" set in New York City in the '90s. Tragically, the show's creator, Jonathan Larson, died of a brain aneurysm just before the show opened in 1996. He won the Pulitzer Prize posthumously.

So does the current production measure up to its theatrical myth?

For the most part. "Rent" is an inspirational celebration of life that reminds the audience to forget regret because there is "no day but today" (a kind of "Tuesdays With Mimi," if you will). The plot details a year in the lives of a group of friends who struggle with life-and-death issues, relationships, honesty and hope, and there are some wonderful performances in this production.

As Roger, the HIV-positive musician who's trying to come back to life, Cary Shields shines. Trying to write one great song before he dies, he seeks immortality in his music and finds it in his muse, Mimi, played by Saycon Sengbloh with depth and sensuality. Her gymnastic tour de force "Out Tonight" was fine (the silver spandex doesn't hurt), but her duet with Roger, "Light My Candle," was actually more erotic.

Scott Hunt displays Mark's character with many layers, accentuating his physical and verbal humor. He and Jacqueline B. Arnold (Joanne) make the most of "Tango Maureen," in which they lament their relationship with "the drama queen." Maureen herself (Michelle Joan Smith) doesn't appear until the end of Act 1, when she expresses herself in her performance piece "Leap of Faith."

As the inimitable Angel, Shaun Earl exhibited the right balance of sweetness and sassiness, and Horace V. Rogers (Collins) has a big heart and a voice to match.

The second-act opening anthem, "Seasons of Love," was a resounding reminder of the power of the dark stage, a spotlight and an exquisite company of voices.

A few times during the evening, performers seemed to be holding back - most notably, "Today 4 U" and "Santa Fe," which didn't pack their usual punch. While the individual characters were well fleshed out, at times their interaction did not seem as well developed.

Because most every word is sung, the lyric is critical to the plot. Happily, the sound at Shea's has never been better. One word of advice: If you're looking for a show you can take the little ones to, wait for "Beauty and the Beast" in February.