by Alice T. Carter
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
May 28, 1998

Who left Heinz Hall unguarded? The symphony is barely gone for a week and the building has already been taken over by a band of scruffy rock musicians, videographer performance artists and drag queens.

"Rent" rolled into Heinz Hall last night and that gold-encrusted, baroque performance hall may never be the same again. It's a tuneful, boisterous, riotous celebration of youth that may not be everyone's idea of a musical but can't be easily ignored.

Set in the neighborhoods of New York's Lower East Side, it's the story of a year in the life of some young artists as they struggle with profit-hungry landlords, homelessness, AIDS, love, art and the dream of writing one great song.

If you liked "The Sound of Music," you are probably going to hate Rent.

But for those who enjoy seeing young people enthusiastic about live theater, or for those who want to expand their horizons, "Rent" can be an uplifting and hopeful outing.

These unfettered, funny, upbeat, bright, spontaneous youngsters grow on you as the action unfolds. By the time they're breaking back into their padlocked loft spaces, you find you've become fond of them. Those of us who grew up as revolution-minded baby-boomers even find ourselves growing nostalgic for the impulsive, exuberant youths we've lost touch with.

Who can hear Mimi sing "Without You" and not feel her loss? And it would take a harder heart than mine to not be touched by the lone voice wondering "Will I Lose My Dignity?"

But the show's music is not all downbeat. It covers a wide range of styles from ballads to calypso, tango, rap, rock and even the strains of a good, old-fashioned waltz.

The touring production duplicates the low-budget decor of the New York production. The band is on stage. The bare, spare setting looks like a warehouse performance space in which young performers have built an erector-set construction. Multiple levels serve for the shifting scenes as the performers cope with life, art, technology and relationships at the end of the 20th century.

There is even a false proscenium of colorful mosaic china shards that resembles the one that decorated the stage opening at Broadway's Nederlander Theater.

The lighting is stark and high contrast, throwing big shadows across the back wall of the stage. Small orange and red strings of lights flicker romantically during softer scenes.

The cast seems more uptown and polished than the original performers. This probably makes them closer to the roots of their suburban characters.

The women are more interesting and assertive than the men. Julia Santana is a sultry, provocative, yet kittenish Mimi. Leigh Hetherington's Maureen, for all her self-centeredness, is likable. You can easily see why Mark and Joanne are both attracted to her. Adrian Lewis Morgan and Kirk McDonald are cuddly, but lackluster as Roger and Mark.

At Tuesday night's opening, Pierre Angelo Bayuga was subbing for the regular Angel, which may explain why he seemed less campy and assertive than the part requires.

Not that the production at Heinz Hall isn't without its problems. Those unfamiliar with the score will find it hard going. It's often difficult to understand the words over the musicians' high-volume performance. This is often a problem caused by touring productions not having time to balance the sound before opening night. It may actually become less of a problem as the two-week run progresses.

For those with open minds, "Rent" can be an enjoyable evening in the theater. For traditionalists, well hang in there and donate your tickets to someone young. Maybe they'll enjoy it enough to repay you with a pair of tickets when "Showboat" arrives in August.