‘Rent’ arrives at Arden with some great performances but lacking in grunge

Rent smashed onto Broadway roughly 30 years ago and became an instant success. Tinged with the tragic passing of the author Jonathan Larson, it ran for 12 years on Broadway, and was adapted into a film in 2005.

The loose adaptation of the Puccini opera La bohème follows a group of friends, artists, and activists over the course of a year, living in New York City’s East Village during the mid-1990s. The characters struggle with drug addiction, the AIDS epidemic, and a looming housing crisis, but the play contrasts these heavy topics with a narrative emphasizing human interaction and connection that cuts through the gritty messy chaos of life.

The Arden Theatre is producing this groundbreaking work as part of their 2025 season, but the production never fully captures the grunge and intensity that made Rent such an edgy and biting phenomenon.

But, thankfully, the Arden production showcases some very good performances.

Rajeer Alford brings an empathetic kindness to Tom Collins that helps endear him to the audience. His vocals are wonderful, with the Act 2 number “I’ll Cover You (Reprise)” standing out as a highlight. Leigha Kato (Mimi) and Matthew Edward Kemp (Mark) also deliver engaging performances, making the most of their solo numbers. Katherine Fried shines as Maureen; her unique take on the performance art piece “Over the Moon” is unlike any rendition you’ve ever seen before. Her upright bass, pedal looper, and other vocal augmentations are hilariously utilized in a fierce display of skill and protest.

The set, designed by Paige Hathaway, is vast and properly rundown. It creates an ample amount of space for the performers to play in. Rent includes a fair amount of video footage, and the video design and projections by Jorge Cousineau are a true standout. The final video segment is especially impressive, including edited footage from that very evening’s performance.

Unfortunately, not every choice in this production of Rent is that successful. There is a general performative tone to the production that often plays in direct opposition to the story. With a few exceptions, this tone rarely allows the characters to feel lived in, often creating larger-than-life caricatures over real people.

Another issue was the vocal direction. While there were powerful talents onstage, the overall ensemble sound oscillated between a very muddied sound, and moments where members of the cast tried to outsing one another, making it easy to miss individual solos or important information relayed via song.

The staging by co-directors Terrence Nolen and Steve Pacek is slightly uneven. At times, the use of space is wonderfully inventive and exciting to watch, like when Angel and Collins dance through the theater during their duet “I’ll Cover You,” a choice that helps enamor the audience to these two vital characters.

Oftentimes, though, it lacks focus. Creating a large ensemble dance piece during Mimi’s solo number, placing Mark and Roger on opposite balconies while leaving the main stage empty, and having Mimi and Roger sing in the middle of the life support group sitting on the stage, are just a few examples of odd staging.

These choices make it hard to narratively understand where these numbers are taking place, and what the characters are emotionally going through, without adding much thematic or narrative symbolism.

Rent at its core is an unfinished work (creator Larson sadly passed away the day before its original opening), but that has never stopped it from being a powerhouse showcase of vulnerability, humanity, and empathy that has moved audiences for decades. Larson’s script and score are able to strike right at the core of human feeling to make an audience relate and connect with its characters.

Sadly, the Arden Theatre’s production rarely delivers the impact that the script offers.

There are flashes and moments where it seems to be reaching the heights it needs to, but they never add up to more than a few highlights. It’s a solid choice of material to close out the Arden’s season, but not a production I can measure with love.

(Community/Arts)

Rent smashed onto Broadway roughly 30 years ago and became an instant success as it followed a group of friends, artists, and activists over the course of a year, living in New York City’s East Village during the mid-1990s.

⌚️ Through June 29, 📍 40 N. Second St. 🌐 ardentheatre.org

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