by Shelton Clark
Nashville City Search
January 27, 1999

To me, "rock" and "musical" have seemed like an ill fit. From what I've seen of Andrew Lloyd Webber work (notably Phantom of the Opera) reminds me of third-rate Gilbert and Sullivan imitation with forced rock arrangements. I avoided The Who's Tommy under my own idiosyncratic belief that no one but Roger Daltrey should be singing Pete Townshend's music.

So I had both big hopes and big trepidations about Rent, which made its Tennessee premiere Tuesday evening. Before I get on with the details, let me say this in the vernacular that the generation younger than I will understand: Rent totally rocks.

From the beginning, this 1996 update of Puccini's La Boheme assaults the senses with MTV-era music and Bob Fosse-style choreography that adds up to a visceral, completely satisfying two hours and forty minutes.

This touring company's players breathe so much life into the late Jonathan Larson's characters that I can't imagine any young musical theater performer not wanting to be in this show. Deserving of particular mention is Pierre Angelo Bayuga as Angel, an HIV-positive drag queen. Let's face it, folks: Here in the Bible Belt, it would have been difficult only a few years ago for an audience of a mainstream show to accept, much less embrace, a relationship between two HIV-positive men. But Bayuga's endearing performance, one of many in this cast, is at turns poignant, hilarious, and heartbreaking. "I'll Cover You," Angel's duet with Collins (played wonderfully by Dwayne Clark) is one of the sweetest, most romantic duets I've heard in years.

For a book permeated by the specter of death and HIV in particular, Larson infused the show with enough humor to help bring a life-affirming message to what could have been a complete downer. Cristina Fadale as Maureen, an eccentric, manipulative performance poet, gets the show's biggest laughs with her "Over the Moon" near the end of the first act.

Scott Hunt (Mark), Christian Mena (Roger), and Julia Santana (Mimi) all shine as well. The boyish-looking Hunt, who plays a filmmaker documenting the trials and tribulations of his friends, has a strong, clear voice, perfect for this show's dramatic rock and roll score.

The play's first act takes almost an hour and twenty minutes, and it's a lot to take in. Happily, the shorter second act starts with the wonderful, gospel-flavored "Seasons of Love" (featuring a breathtaking solo by Wichasta Reese) and doesn't let up until the end of the show.

As someone who generally prefers the "classic" musicals, I can truly say, welcome to the rock era.