by Michael Eck
Times Union
September 9, 2000

SCHENECTADY "Rent'' returns to Proctor's Theatre this weekend, bringing the Bohemians of New York north again for a modern look at how the other half lives.

"Rent'' mastermind Jonathan Larson (who died the day before his hit play debuted to raves on Broadway) stripped bare Puccini's "La Boheme'' and rebuilt the tale using the vibrant characters -- artists, musicians, dealers, addicts and squatters -- he found on the streets of his own neighborhood.

"Rentheads,'' as the show's rabid fans are called, have become familiar with Roger the songwriter, Mark the filmmaker, Mimi the dancer, Angel the drag queen, Maureen the "moo-ing'' performance artist and the rest of the "Rent'' gang -- all of whom are tied together in a struggle to make art, make love and make space for themselves in the catch-as-catch-can atmosphere of Alphabet City.

Larson's play -- despite its debt to Puccini -- really captures the tangle of East Village relationships, where intense young people hook up and break up with more verve, frequency and style than they tend to in small-town America. He also captures the mix of euphoria, ennui and desperation that still marks the district.

There's plenty of romantic wrangling in "Rent,'' but there are also darker strains of addiction, homelessness and AIDS.

And then there are the tunes. "Rent'' is, after all, a musical; and one that reflects the alternative rock influences of its day.

Songs like "Tango: Maureen,'' "Take Me Or Leave Me'' and "Another Day'' ring with electric guitars and attitude. "La Vie Boheme,'' on the other hand, rings with the sheer joy of celebrating your own unique lifestyle -- which these folks do awfully well.

The current touring cast is, for the most part, up to the task of both Larson's bare-bones light opera script and his plentiful songs.

Matt Caplan's Mark is a fine guide through the goings-on, and he puts ample spunk, humor and wry understanding into the role, and his feature song, "Halloween.''

Joshua Kobak is remarkable as Roger, a soulful songwriter caught between AIDS and starting a new relationship with the junkie Mimi. Kobak (whose portrayal is even more impressive because he's listed as an understudy in the program) nearly steals the show early on with a knockout rendition of "One Song Glory.''

Saycon Sengbloh's Mimi is not quite as successful. Sengbloh acts the role well, but she simply lacks the breath and the vocal firepower necessary to carry Mimi's important songs. She does a fine, sexy job of "Light a Candle'' with Kobak, but she falls flat on the rocking "Out Tonight'' (which was simply dazzling in the hands of Julia Santana last season).

Shaun Earl captures all the glitter and sadness of Angel -- one of the show's most popular characters. He's fetching in Angel's Christmas suit and lipstick, and heartbreaking in his white-clad walk out of lover Collins' arms, out of the hospital and out of this world.

The company's mourning of Angel's death (due to complications from AIDS ) is a difficult, beautiful moment, with the cast reprising the soaring "Seasons of Love'' in counterpoint to Mark Ford's (as Collins) reprise of "I'll Cover You.'' They sing the songs in the same lineup that opens Act Two, with an empty space in place of Angel.

Erin Keaney's Maureen is appropriately self-obsessed and snotty, and her over-the-top moo-ing take of "Over The Moon'' is as funny as the show gets.

As with last year's tour stop, all production values are topnotch, with a sure-fire rock band supporting the large cast. "Rent'' may be popular with a younger, hipper audience, but it's an important, groundbreaking show that all fans of American musical theater should make an effort to see.