RENT Review

Anjali Nair, Knox Muhammad, Yun Yen Lo, Nikki Nambiar, V Wong, Mika Narita, Kaitlyn Lacap
Montana Legend Publications
RENT (2008)
Musical Masterpiece or Overrated Myth?
The cast of Rent (2008) sing a sonorous, powerful, and tearful finale to say their goodbyes.
Written by esteemed playwright Jonathan Larson, Rent is a critically-acclaimed musical

that is beloved by thespians all over the world for its hard-hitting themes, catchy songs, and
iconic characters. But do the aspects of the play that made it so famous in the first place still hold
up 13 years later?
Rent follows the story of several bohemian artists that are struggling to make ends meet
in the rough East Village of Manhattan. Roommates Mark and Roger try desperately not to get
evicted from their apartment as they meet the supporting characters Mimi, Collins, Angel,
Joanne, and Maureen. The bulk of the play revolves around their complicated intertwining
relationships with each other and how often they change throughout the course of the play.
It is no surprise that the music in this production is exceptional. The songs balance
chaotic energy (“La Vie Boheme”, “Over the Moon”) with crude humor as well as soothing
melodies (“Seasons of Love,” “I’ll Cover You”) with glorious vocals.
The writing in the play is impressive in the way it covers difficult and controversial
topics such as poverty, AIDS, and drug abuse. The characters have complicated yet realistic
relationships with one another. Joanne and Mark both being manipulated by Maureen gives them
a sense of understanding. Roger and Mimi both keeping secrets from each other causes their
relationship to suffer. These complex interactions bring the characters to life, humanizing them.
But despite these strengths, it is clear to even the average viewer that some characters lack far
more depth than others. Although Mark, Roger, and Mimi are fleshed out, standalone characters,
characters such as Maureen, Joanne, and even Collins seem to only appear as accessories to
crack jokes and sing songs. They lack characterization and serve no real purpose to the plot.
The staging is quite unique, as the entire production takes place on a single large set, with
different areas of the set designated to different locations. Instead of moving around set pieces,
the stage managers utilize lighting to illuminate certain areas of the stage where an event is
taking place, and a change in the lighting alludes to a change in location. This helps the audience
focus on the storyline while also including the planned pandemonium that Rent is all about. The
most interesting set piece was a giant “Christmas tree” made of metal scrap and wire that stood
tall at stage left. It helped establish the setting immediately, as the audience can immediately tell
that the story takes place during Christmas time and in a rather poor neighborhood.
However, it is the directing that makes this Broadway show so memorable. From explicit
and scandalous dance numbers (“Contact”) to heavy and heart-wrenching solos (“I’ll Cover You
(Reprise)”), director Michael John Warren did a remarkable job honing in on the characters’
emotional turmoil, considering the actors’ talents, and converting them into unique stage
directions with impeccable rhythm and choreography. Because of this, scenes such as Mimi
seducing Roger (“Out Tonight”) and Angel’s astonishing moves (“Today 4 U”) really stood out
in the grand scheme of the play and helped bring the characters to life.
The majority of the cast also did an excellent job at portraying their characters. Will
Chase’s Roger and Renee Goldberry’s Mimi had undeniable chemistry onstage, as did Michael
McElroy’s Collins and Justin Johnston’s Angel. Johnston offered an absolutely phenomenal
performance as the eccentric drag queen Angel, with enough stage presence to carry the entire
performance. This was especially apparent in “Today 4 U,” where he was simultaneously
singing, rhythmically beating drumsticks, hopping around the stage, and performing impressive
stunts in extremely tall heels. The flaw with this is that it seemed as if the cast relied on him to
keep the performance engaging. Since his character had less of a role in the second half, the last
act of the play dragged significantly more than the first.
To conclude, Rent was a pleasant and entertaining performance despite its several
shortcomings. On a scale of one to ten, with one being the lowest and ten being highest, we here
at Montana Legend Publications would rate the performance a decent 6.5/10. The musical
certainly had its impressive moments, wonderful songs, and a well-versed cast, but there were a
few major flaws with the writing and acting that brought down the overall performance quality.
There is a high chance that you will enjoy this musical if you like stories about friendships, art,
and want LGBTQ+ representation. However, we suggest that you only watch it if you are over
the age of thirteen because there are several scenes with overt sexual references, as well as a
scene where Maureen comedically moons the audience. Despite its flaws, it is still a satisfactory
musical and we suggest that you give it a watch if you have the time.

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Anjali Nair, Knox Muhammad, Yun Yen Lo, Nikki Nambiar, V Wong, Mika Narita, Kaitlyn Lacap

Montana Legend Publications

Written by esteemed playwright Jonathan Larson, Rent is a critically-acclaimed musical

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