Interview: Director, Steve Bell and RENT at Bergen County Players 9/9 to 10/14

Bergen County Players (BCP), one of America’s longest-running little theater companies, will open its 91st season on September 9 with Jonathan Larson’s RENT, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock musical that shaped a generation of audiences. We had the opportunity to interview Steve Bell who directs the production.

Steve is a Life Member whose directing credits include 33 Variations, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Harvey, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, The Drowsy Chaperone, Curtains, The King and I, and Urinetown, to name just a few.  He has served as musical director for Ragtime: The Musical, Pippin, Cabaret, Man of La Mancha, The Music Man, Company, and many family shows. BCP audiences have enjoyed his performances in Guys and Dolls (Nathan Detroit), Anything Goes (Moonface Martin), The Full Monty (Harold), Into the Woods (Baker), and Follies (Buddy, Perry Award winner). This three-time past president is also the Artistic Director of the Teaneck Community Chorus, a position he has held for the last 23 years.

What was your earliest theatrical experience?

The first time I remember seeing anything in a theater was when my parents were in a local production of Good News! A babysitter took me with my two brothers to a dress rehearsal, and we left at intermission as we were very young, and it was getting late. The only thing I remember about the show was that someone hit my dad over the head with a ukulele.

You have such a broad range of credits. How have you achieved a balance with your impressive entertainment career?
 

I am a director, musical director, and actor. In all three roles, I try to vary the type of
production I work on. From serious plays, farces, classic musicals, contemporary works, etc., I like to challenge myself. This way I avoid getting into a rut.

RENT is a timeless show with important messaging.  What are some of the challenges of directing it for Bergen County Players?
 

Although RENT is a well-known title, people tend to forget that it’s 27 years old. There have been so many societal changes since its premiere, that contemporary audiences may not realize how dire some of these character’s situations are. With modern medicine, having HIV today is not the death sentence it was back then. And the recurring theme of “There’s only now, there’s only this. No day but today,” means so much more when you know that you may not be here tomorrow. In our production we have tried to convey some of the desperation felt by these characters.

On a more technical note, this is the first production Bergen County Players has done
with a true rock score. Having a rock band on stage with the actors means that everyone in the cast needs to be mic’d. A first for us!

Can you tell us a little bit about the cast and creative team for Rent?
 

I am extremely happy about the cast we have been able to assemble. This is a cast made up of some of the most talented actors I have worked with. Several have done other productions of RENT in the past, often playing different roles, but everyone is perfectly suited to their current part. My choreographer, Diana Baer, and I worked on the student edition of RENT several years ago at Teaneck High School, and we are both excited to expand upon what we started then. Our Musical Director, Will Rich, is very well versed in this kind of music, having done Rock of Ages, Godspell, and Bat Boy, and has done a great job coaching our cast in proper rock singing technique.

The quilt exhibition is a fantastic way to honor those who have lost their lives to AIDS.  How did this collaboration come about?

We really wanted to do something special this month in conjunction with RENT, especially because of the themes presented in the show. It made perfect sense for us to partner with Buddies of NJ, as well as the New Jersey Chapter of the National AIDS Memorial, to help people better understand the devastating impact of the disease. The Quilt is the premiere symbol of the AIDS pandemic, a living memorial to a generation lost to AIDS. Our exhibition will feature hand-stitched panels of the AIDS Quilt that honor New Jersey residents, and others, whose lives were lost to AIDS. Both Buddies of NJ and the New Jersey Chapter of the National Aids Memorial continues to provide compassion and invaluable care to the community. 

What would you like audiences to know about Bergen County Players' production of RENT?
 

May aim is to preserve certain iconic aspects of the show, while taking a fresh look at it as a whole. There are key scenes that everyone expects, like “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Bohème,” and “Out Tonight,” but we are putting our own spin on them. I’m hoping the audience recognizes it as familiar while perhaps gaining new insight.

Bergen County Players is now celebrating 91 years in the community.  What would you like people to know about this iconic company?
 

BCP is like a large family. Many of us have been working on plays and musicals
together for decades. Of course, we have actors and crew members who come and go depending on the production, but we have some very skilled, long-time members who do amazing work with our costumes, props, sets, etc. And with a membership of around 350, there are plenty of people to help out.

Can you share any of your future plans?

Coming up next, I will be the musical director for Alan Menken's A Christmas Carol: The Musical, our family holiday show opening December 2. Coincidentally, that will be the 23rd show that I’ve MD’d here, and RENT is the 23rd show I’ve directed at BCP!

Anything else, absolutely anything you want BWW NJ readers to know?

As I’ve stated before, RENT is about chosen family, about community, and about living in the moment. There truly is ‘no day but today’ and that’s something I think every generation must keep learning. 

Broadwayworld readers will like to know that Buddies of New Jersey (NJB), a non-profit, community-based organization, and the New Jersey Chapter of the National AIDS Memorial, are making it possible to showcase a section of the AIDS Memorial Quilt at the Little Firehouse Theatre during the run of RENT. This powerful and timely quilt exhibition will feature hand-stitched panels of the AIDS Quilt that honor New Jersey residents whose lives were lost to AIDS.

Here's a special video preview of the BCP RENT show HERE!

Performances of RENT by Bergen County Players begin on Saturday, September 9 and will run through Saturday, October 14 at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell with shows on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm and Sunday afternoons at 2pm. Tickets for the show are priced at $29.00 and can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

Photo Credit: Richard Frant