Brilliantly Designed Rendition of the Revolutionary Rock Musical Rent comes to Connecticut Repertory Theatre
By Kiersten Bjork (April 21, 2023)
Rent at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, directed by Nate Bertone, is a brilliantly designed rendition of the revolutionary rock musical featuring several standout performances. The Tony Award winning musical follows the story of a group of struggling young artists amidst the crisis of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City, exploring themes of love and loss in their many different forms. The company is comprised of current BFA and BA students at the University of Connecticut, as well as several MFA Acting students and a recent graduate of the Hartt School. The collective company is talented, though lacks the combined vocal force that I would normally expect from a musical like Rent. While there are a number of performers who go above and beyond in their roles, the company’s total grounding and power is weaker than I had hoped for. Granted, while I did find the overall vocal impact of the production to be somewhat lacking, the design of the show is wonderful, and I did still enjoy the performance.
Rent at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, directed by Nate Bertone, is a brilliantly designed rendition of the revolutionary rock musical featuring several standout performances. The Tony Award winning musical follows the story of a group of struggling young artists amidst the crisis of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City, exploring themes of love and loss in their many different forms. The company is comprised of current BFA and BA students at the University of Connecticut, as well as several MFA Acting students and a recent graduate of the Hartt School. The collective company is talented, though lacks the combined vocal force that I would normally expect from a musical like Rent. While there are a number of performers who go above and beyond in their roles, the company’s total grounding and power is weaker than I had hoped for. Granted, while I did find the overall vocal impact of the production to be somewhat lacking, the design of the show is wonderful, and I did still enjoy the performance.
The Company of Rent at Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Mattias Lundblad)
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Owen Ing (Angel) and Tony King (Collins) in Rent at Connecticut Repertory Theatre
(Mattias Lundblad) |
Robert Liniak is fantastic as Mark. Mark serves as the primary narrative voice throughout the show, and Liniak carries the narration with strong singing and a focused, dedicated take on the character. His confrontational moments with Roger, played when I was in attendance opening night by the cover, Danny Kelly, were poignant and particularly well-played.
Kelly, making his CRT debut covering Roger, brought a softer side to the part than other performances that I have seen. While he didn’t possess as much physical grounding as I would have liked to see, he did dive fully into the lost nature of Roger, bringing out the forlorn sense of longing that pervades the role.
Owen Ing is a highlight of the production as Angel. With a stunning voice and powerful stage presence, Ing truly captures the love and compassion that is central to Angel’s character. Playing opposite Ing is Tony King as Tom Collins. King’s rich voice had me on the verge of tears with the reprise of “I’ll Cover You,” and the grounded way he plays the role is perfect.
Elizabeth McManus is a phenomenal Maureen. She commands the stage from her first line to her protest performance and beyond. McManus is spunky, sassy and fun to watch. Opposite McManus is Katelyn Trieu as Joanne. Trieu is a bit of a mixed bag, at times wowing with ripe emotion but then sliding into a somewhat routine performance that lacks dynamic choices. I would have liked to see more connection between the high intensity and softer moments for her.
Kiera “Kee” Prusmack is enjoyable to watch as Mimi. Her performance improved as the show went on, lacking a bit of vocal grounding in the beginning but moving into a more comfortable place after her solo “Out Tonight.” Ammon Downer is a solid Benny, but I wish he had brought a bit more power in his solo work. Even being quite familiar with the show, I found myself losing some of Benny’s connection to the story because of the softness of his choices. He may have also benefited from a bit more sound from his microphone.
The collective ensemble is good, but I wanted more power and sound, especially when the entire cast is singing together. Even with more from their mics, it seemed as if the combined ensemble was holding back, and from a show like Rent I want sound, power, angst, anger, and passion, all of which could have used a bit more emphasis vocally. Of the ensemble members, I did particularly enjoy the character work by Megan O’Connor who makes strong choices in her featured moments.
Kelly, making his CRT debut covering Roger, brought a softer side to the part than other performances that I have seen. While he didn’t possess as much physical grounding as I would have liked to see, he did dive fully into the lost nature of Roger, bringing out the forlorn sense of longing that pervades the role.
Owen Ing is a highlight of the production as Angel. With a stunning voice and powerful stage presence, Ing truly captures the love and compassion that is central to Angel’s character. Playing opposite Ing is Tony King as Tom Collins. King’s rich voice had me on the verge of tears with the reprise of “I’ll Cover You,” and the grounded way he plays the role is perfect.
Elizabeth McManus is a phenomenal Maureen. She commands the stage from her first line to her protest performance and beyond. McManus is spunky, sassy and fun to watch. Opposite McManus is Katelyn Trieu as Joanne. Trieu is a bit of a mixed bag, at times wowing with ripe emotion but then sliding into a somewhat routine performance that lacks dynamic choices. I would have liked to see more connection between the high intensity and softer moments for her.
Kiera “Kee” Prusmack is enjoyable to watch as Mimi. Her performance improved as the show went on, lacking a bit of vocal grounding in the beginning but moving into a more comfortable place after her solo “Out Tonight.” Ammon Downer is a solid Benny, but I wish he had brought a bit more power in his solo work. Even being quite familiar with the show, I found myself losing some of Benny’s connection to the story because of the softness of his choices. He may have also benefited from a bit more sound from his microphone.
The collective ensemble is good, but I wanted more power and sound, especially when the entire cast is singing together. Even with more from their mics, it seemed as if the combined ensemble was holding back, and from a show like Rent I want sound, power, angst, anger, and passion, all of which could have used a bit more emphasis vocally. Of the ensemble members, I did particularly enjoy the character work by Megan O’Connor who makes strong choices in her featured moments.
Elizabeth McManus (Maureen) in Rent at Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Mattias Lundblad)
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Katelyn Trieu (Joanne) and Robert Liniak (Mark) in Rent at Connecticut Repertory Theatre
(Mattias Lundblad) |
I was blown away by the overall production design the moment that I walked into the theatre. The scenic design by Elizabeth Olsen is colorful and chaotic in the best way possible. I loved the choice to use an array of overlapping posters as the treatment for the floor. More posters litter the walls, as well as tarps and plenty of spray paint. Metal scaffolding gives the actors a variety of levels, entrances, and exits to play with, and everything about the design works incredibly well for the production.
Lighting designer Kayo Tokuue also creates a beautiful design, my favorite aspect being the Christmas lights strung up throughout the theatre, from on and around the stage itself to the many strands wrapped around the railings in the audience, as well as the soft, bare-bulbed lights that hang throughout the space. Rent also features wonderful costumes from designer Sierra Adamo. Many of the characters have fun and funky pieces associated with their costumes that were perfect for the production, from Maureen’s variety of leather pants to Angel’s “Today For You” dress. Sound design by Jake Neighbors is well done for the most part. I particularly enjoyed the city soundscape present before the show began. I did wish there were a better balance overall, from bringing out the lead guitar further to bumping the actors more. However, the house was held at the top of the show for technical difficulties, so some of the balance issues may have been due to equipment performance night-of.
Rent at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, despite some reservations, is still an enjoyable production. There are some really wonderful performances given by the company, and the scenic, costume, and lighting design are worth the price of admission alone. Catch Rent at CRT before it closes on April 30!
RENT runs April 20-30 at Connecticut Repertory Theatre in Storrs, CT. Running time is approximately two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. Please note that RENT contains mature themes including drug use, sexuality, strong language, profanity, references to self-harm and death by suicide, prostitution, homophobia, violence, and AIDs-related topics. This production utilizes haze and bright lights. Masks are strongly encouraged but are not required at all performances. Mask Required Performances: Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 30 at 2 pm. ASL Interpreted Performance: Saturday, April 29 at 2 pm- Seating is in the front of section D. Box Office: (860) 486-2113; For more information, visit https://crt.uconn.edu.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker and reviewer from Branford, CT, currently in the mentorship program with the Connecticut Critics Circle.
Lighting designer Kayo Tokuue also creates a beautiful design, my favorite aspect being the Christmas lights strung up throughout the theatre, from on and around the stage itself to the many strands wrapped around the railings in the audience, as well as the soft, bare-bulbed lights that hang throughout the space. Rent also features wonderful costumes from designer Sierra Adamo. Many of the characters have fun and funky pieces associated with their costumes that were perfect for the production, from Maureen’s variety of leather pants to Angel’s “Today For You” dress. Sound design by Jake Neighbors is well done for the most part. I particularly enjoyed the city soundscape present before the show began. I did wish there were a better balance overall, from bringing out the lead guitar further to bumping the actors more. However, the house was held at the top of the show for technical difficulties, so some of the balance issues may have been due to equipment performance night-of.
Rent at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, despite some reservations, is still an enjoyable production. There are some really wonderful performances given by the company, and the scenic, costume, and lighting design are worth the price of admission alone. Catch Rent at CRT before it closes on April 30!
RENT runs April 20-30 at Connecticut Repertory Theatre in Storrs, CT. Running time is approximately two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. Please note that RENT contains mature themes including drug use, sexuality, strong language, profanity, references to self-harm and death by suicide, prostitution, homophobia, violence, and AIDs-related topics. This production utilizes haze and bright lights. Masks are strongly encouraged but are not required at all performances. Mask Required Performances: Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 30 at 2 pm. ASL Interpreted Performance: Saturday, April 29 at 2 pm- Seating is in the front of section D. Box Office: (860) 486-2113; For more information, visit https://crt.uconn.edu.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker and reviewer from Branford, CT, currently in the mentorship program with the Connecticut Critics Circle.