Review: After 25 years, musical 'Rent' still packs emotion, power

Susan McDonald
·2 min read
From left, Cody Jenkins, Jarred Bedgood and Coleman Cummings in "The Rent 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour," at the Providence Performing Arts Center.
From left, Cody Jenkins, Jarred Bedgood and Coleman Cummings in "The Rent 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour," at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

After 25 years celebrating humanity in all forms and degrees of frailty, “Rent” still struts with energy and power.

The 25th anniversary national farewell tour of the Broadway musical, on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center through today, is every bit as emotionally wringing as earlier versions, with vocals that shake the walls and echo with the audience long after.

The show takes viewers through one year — 525,600 minutes, to be precise — in the lives of aspiring New York artists during the toughest days of the AIDS epidemic. They struggle, they rejoice, they love and they die. Through it all, they experience the value of friendship, integrity and determination.

This rendition has all the familiar moments — yes, Angel, an HIV-ravaged drag queen leaps up on a table in 4-inch stilettos during “Today 4 U,” and drug-addicted dancer Mimi turns up the heat to convince her neighbor to go “Out Tonight” — but many cast voices and personalities, as well as some reworked choreography and scenes, make it feel fresh.

Javon King, as Angel, does the signature table leap in 4-inch heels.
Javon King, as Angel, does the signature table leap in 4-inch heels.

Action centers on the apartment shared by musician Roger and filmmaker Mark, both of whom are lackluster in this production. J.T. Wood’s Mark is whiny, and the voice of Coleman Cummings’ Roger is overpowered by the onstage band.

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But, when Shafiq Hicks is on stage as the brilliant anarchist Tom Collins, he is riveting and his voice majestic. Hicks is physically imposing, making his romantic interactions with Angel, played by a slender Javon King, endearing.

When he launches into song, the result is heart-stopping. Hicks’ range is impressive, and he swings from deep, almost baritone notes to near-falsetto with ease and control. His version of “Santa Fe,” the mecca to which some of the characters long to relocate, resounds through the hall.

Aiyana Smash offers equally powerful vocals as Mimi, who lures Roger from a romantic slump but cannot avoid the lure of addiction. She enters the show quietly, with sugared vocals on “Light My Candle,” but when she struts at the top of a metal staircase to deliver provocative and energized dance moves in “Out Tonight” with powerhouse vocals she truly shines.

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Other moments, such as King’s aerobic moves, in a Santa suit and zebra tights, for “Today 4 U,” prove fun. A full company delivery of “La Vie Boheme” in the second act is precisely synchronized for added punch.

This is a show that overlays sadness with hope, using realistic stories and lyrics to underscore the value and power of love and kindness. As a farewell, the show is bittersweet, for sure, but one to see.

"The Rent 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour" is at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence, through Jan. 16. For more information, go to ppacri.org.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Review: 25th anniversary farewell tour of Broadway's 'Rent'