Review: RENT at Keystone Theatrics At The Playhouse At Allenberry

Jonathan Larson’s musical Rent premiered at New York Theatre Workshop in 1993 and opened at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway in 1996. Rent ran on-Broadway for 12 years and was adapted for the screen in 2005. Based loosely on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème, Rent explores life for a group of young artists struggling to get by. Set in New York City in the East Village in the late 80s/early 90s, Rent explores class, gender, sexuality, friendship, love, life, survival, and death under the threats posed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Keystone Theatrics presents Rent at The Playhouse at Allenberry under the direction of Deirdre Casey with choreographer Gabriel Casey, vocal director Brady Bennett, stage manager Hope Allen, and music director Charissa Moye through May 10th.

The staging and choreography are outstanding, creating an electric experience for the audience. Lighting (by Tristan Stasiulis), costumes (by Hope Allen and Deirdre Casey), props (by Kelley Heinlen), and set (by Hope Allen, Deirdre Casey, Samuel Costello, and Staley Ash) evoke just the right atmosphere to take the audience to the East Village. The sound was balanced well between the pit orchestra and the actors; however, there were several actors whose microphones were, at times, too loud, causing feedback and distortion that made it difficult to understand their words. While rock musicals do typically have louder music, there are definitely times in this production when the overall sound could have been pulled back given the size of the space, to avoid these issues for the belters in the cast. The pit orchestra, conducted by Charissa Moye, includes Alex Peffer (piano 1), LK Gabriel (piano 2), Bill Nork (guitar 1), Michael Homovich (guitar 2), Sara Benson (drums/percussion), and Allen Roth and Jeremy Blouch (bass). The orchestra brings the well-known score to life, sending chills down the spine of Rent fans in the audience.

The cast features a company consisting of Moses Banks, Mackenzie Buckley, Tshyona Dagnachew, Mark Myers, Jen Ray, Jailyn Sepulveda, Kaitlyn Bellizia, Adrian Chavez, Ellen Kemprowski, Ang Nguyen, Leah Samuel, and Cody Sherry. The company weaves throughout the story, taking on various roles. They bring energy and precision to Gabriel Casey’s brilliant choreography. While the entire company works together to move the action forward, there are a few stand-out performances among the company. Ellen Kemprowski is hilarious as Mark’s Mom, making her answering machine messages to him a highlight of the production. Mark Myers shows off his versatility and lovely voice as the compassionate support group leader Paul and as the window washer trying to earn a living on the street. Cody Sherry’s tremendous vocals are showcased in several solo lines throughout the show.

The cast stars Aynslie Crozier as Maureen Johnson, Danara Muldrow as Joanne Jefferson, Sean Deffley as Benjamin Coffin III, Carrine Lawson as Mimi Marquez, Joe Kemprowski as Angel Dumott Schunard, Rayonna “Ray” Bellamy as Tom Collins, Drew Patti as Roger Davis, and Travis Conrad as Mark Cohen. Crozier’s Maureen is just over the top enough without going too far. Her stage presence is fantastic, exploding onto the stage, and her voice is a great match for Danara Muldrow’s Joanne. Muldrow gives one of this reviewer’s favorite performances of the night with Travis Conrad’s Mark on “Tango Maureen”. Deffley is delightfully despicable as Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III. His smug facial expressions, over-confident posture, and swaggering gait, combined with his beautiful, clear voice, make him the character the audience will love to hate. Lawson’s Mimi contains a mixture of edgy charisma and occasional vulnerability. She particularly shines in her final scene.

Kemprowski and Bellamy have wonderful chemistry on stage as Angel and Collins. Their emotions feel so genuine from the moment their characters meet to Angel’s death—the way these actors portray their relationship is one of the best parts of this production of Rent. Additionally, Kemprowski and Bellamy both have astonishing vocal ranges, and their voices complement one another beautifully. Drew Patti and Travis Conrad are similarly well-matched as Roger and Mark. Patti’s rockstar vibe and passionate, soulful voice makes “One Song Glory” a highlight of act one. Conrad’s Mark is endearing, and the audience cannot help but root for him. Roger and Mark’s fight in act two, followed by their reconciliation at the end of “What You Own” are brilliantly performed by Patti and Conrad.

Overall, this production is a high-energy, passionate reminder of the importance of community. It is well worth taking the time to see this show. Rent is the final Keystone Theatrics production taking place at The Playhouse at Allenberry. You can catch their next season at West Shore Theatre! Visit keystonetheatrics.com to get your tickets for Rent and to stay tuned for the shows to come at Keystone Theatrics new home!

Photo Credit: Marc Faubel @thsguy81