RENT CELEBRATING 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN SOUTH FLORIDA
By Michael W. Sasser | Photos by Carol Rosegg, 2016. Provided by RENT 20th Anniversary Tour
In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway… and forever changed the landscape of American theater. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. A re-imagining of Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters – love.
The show received its world premiere off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop on February 13, 1996 to ecstatic reviews and transferred to Broadway on April 29, 1996. RENT is winner of the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is one of only five musicals to win both awards. RENT takes to the stage at the Broward Center For the Performing Arts October 7-9. For information, visit www.browardcenter.org.
Wire Magazine caught up with Evan Ensign, RENT director, to talk about the show and its relevance today.
Michael W. Sasser: Tell our readers about this production of RENT?
Evan Ensign: We are mostly telling the story as it’s been told on Broadway and around the world. It’s the 20th anniversary, so we decided to stick to the original as a base.
MWS: How do you keep a show as popular as RENT contemporary and “new?”
EE: It mostly has to do with the actors. This group is young and fresh and approaching the story from the lives they know, which are very different from those in the play. AIDS and HIV are different now. We talk a lot about mortality but also current issues that make it so they can relate. I think a lot of that comes through and it’s great that RENT, while set in a specific period of time, still shares so much of what is going on in our world today.
MWS: Describe the show for those who have never seen it before.
EE: RENT takes place in the mid-‘90s and is about a group of friends struggling to figure out how they fit in the world and trying to survive and trying to find love. It’s a play about family. Non-traditional, but none the less, family.
MWS: What do you think is the secret to the popularity of RENT?
EE: The themes are universal. We all want to feel loved and we all want to mean something to those around us.
MWS: Tell us about your career in theater.
EE: I’ve worked mostly as a stage manager and an associate director and director. I’ve been lucky enough to have a few of the “biggies” cross my path, so I have spent years with RENT, Avenue Q, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miz. Right now, I’m directing a lot in the UK. I’ve directed RENT a bunch of times in conjunction with Michael Greif and he wanted me to do this one, so here I am! I’ve also been fortunate enough to work with our producers a few times before, so all seemed a good fit.
MWS: How do you feel about this opportunity?
EE: I feel honored, excited and humbled. I’m so happy to be revisiting this piece.
MWS: What do you believe is the most poignant message of RENT?
EE: It sounds trite, but “No Day But Today.” I think we have to make our time here count, so be appreciative of each day and try to contribute.
MWS: Can young people, now far removed from the social environment of RENT, still relate to the show and why?
EE: As I said earlier, they can and do because of the bigger themes. Love, loss, struggling to fit in. We all relate.
MWS: What is the greatest challenge in producing this show?
EE: Making sure we stay truthful to Jonathan Larson and what he wanted to say.
MWS: What would surprise viewers to learn about this production of RENT?
EE: How young and fresh the cast is. Their energy is astounding – both in the play and out of it!
MWS: What’s your personal favorite song in RENT?
EE: I don’t really have one. I think the piece needs to be looked at as a whole. It’s all of them that make the story so clear. Most stand up alone really well, but I choose to look at the bigger experience.
MWS: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?
EE: Our audiences so far have been talking about how poignant RENT is today. I hope people go see it and decide for themselves!
This article was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 39.2016