by Damien Jaques
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
October 19, 2000

Mark Richard Ford as Tom Collins (left), Christian Mena as Roger Davis (center) and Matt Caplan as Mark Cohen perform in the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning musical "Rent" at the Riverside Theatre.

Theater critics yearn to see the perfect blending of material, performers and audience. It is happening this week at the Riverside Theatre.

A national touring company of the Broadway hit "Rent" is playing the Riverside, and it is special.

The cast of unknown singers-actors gives Jonathan Larson's characters a credibility and depth that isn't always seen in productions of this loud and fast rock 'n' roll musical, and the opening night audience Tuesday responded with enthusiasm.

Larson, who wrote the music, lyrics and book for "Rent," died suddenly the night of the show's final dress rehearsal off-Broadway in 1996. If he were alive today, my guess is that Larson would agree that this traveling cast brilliantly reflects the attitudes, people and times at the center of the show - perhaps even better than the actors in the original company.

Crisp clarity, occasional subtlety and passionate energy accompany the raw talent evident in these young performers. More attention appears to be paid to the acting of this cast, and it pays huge dividends in making emotional connections with the audience. Characters written with only one dimension have become flesh-and-blood three-dimensional.

"Rent" is Larson's rock music updating of Puccini's opera "La Boheme" to present-day New York. The young, anti-establishment artists living poor and dying in Puccini's Paris are now young, anti-establishment musicians, performance artists, videographers and junkies living poor and dying in lower Manhattan's edgy Alphabet City.

Squatters in vacant industrial buildings and a tent city on a vacant lot, this mix of idealistic suburban kids and inner-city strugglers form a protective community. AIDS and a yuppie landowner who used to be one of them are the enemies. Being successful without selling out is the goal.

"Rent" is always performed on a stage that looks as if the set were left on the truck. Industrial scaffolding, several scruffy tables and a steel cage that houses the band dominate the playing area.

Mark, the videographer, is one of those suburban kids, and he loosely serves as a narrator. He's a good-natured observer manipulated by his self-centered ex-girlfriend, Maureen. Matt Caplan is wonderfully wry and natural in the role.

Maggie Benjamin absolutely nails the Maureen character, an upper-middle-class diva who considers herself a performance artist. Benjamin's "Over the Moon," a pretentious performance art rant, is hilarious, while her "Take Me or Leave Me" number with her new lesbian lover (Jacqueline B. Arnold) is truly hot. Arnold exudes the rooted strength she needs to play the adult in that relationship.

Saycon Sengbloh doesn't have the vocal pipes or raw power of "Rent's" original Mimi, Daphne Rubin-Vega, but she possesses a sexy playfulness and poignancy that is captivating. Shaun Earl's portrayal of the doomed drag queen Angel is extremely likable, blending pride, dignity, warmth and buoyancy.

There's not a weak link in the cast, which features many outstanding voices. If you've never seen "Rent," this is the company to see. If you're a veteran "Renthead," don't miss this one.