Rent - Original Cast (CD 1996)

Loosely based on the Puccini opera La Boheme, Rent was written by the unfortunately deceased Jonathan Larson(he died the night before the show opened in 1996). The Broadway musical(really more of a rock opera) deals with the relationships of eight young people living in modern-day New York. There they deal with issues such as AIDS, various types of relationships, and being true to themselves.

So, you're probably saying, great! Sounds like a good show! What does this have to to with a CD soundtrack?

Well, the producers of Rent decided to put out the soundtrack as a two CD set, complete with libretto(or lyrics, or script) so that viewers of the play could continue the experience, and people not lucky enough to live in New York could also experience it in a way.

Unfortunately, this also poses a problem. Jonathan Larson's music is generally well-done, by both musical theater standards(he has a way of repeating musical themes that reminds me of Fiddler On The Roof) and casual listening standards. The plot and characters are interesting, although some of the subject matter may step on some toes. But no matter how good the CD recording is, it will never match the intensity of the show. Theater is, after all, a visual medium as well as an auditory one, and the reason Rent works so well on stage is because it takes advantage of both of those aspects. For that reason, some people may be bored with the soundtrack. If you have the patience and imagination to sit and follow along the first few times with the libretto included with the 2-CD set, listening to the show's soundtrack can be a fun experience. Otherwise, it won't keep your interest for long, because it can be hard to tell what's going on. And what's going on is integral to enjoying most of the music, and so on...

In any case, the transmogrification of stage show to CD's poses a problem for a reviewer too. It's impossible to separate out the music from the story and vice versa, so in order to review this album in any sort of detail, I have to go through both.

This may get long. (Who am I kidding? This will get long!

Rent begins on Christmas Eve in the broken down New York apartment of two young men, Mark and Roger, who are sung by Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal(currently in the musical Aida). Both fit into the category of starving artist; Mark as a whiny voiced filmmaker and Roger as the grouchy guitar player who never leaves the apartment. Both are trying to churn out their oeuvres, Roger a little more desperately than Mark. Most of this is communicated in the first "song", "Tune-Up #1". It's not really a song, but a sung bit of dialogue, that begins to showcase the very distinctive voices of the two men. Mark's whiny voice opens up into a clearer tenor when required and Roger has a rough, attitudinal rocker's growl. Just as the two begin to converse, the phone rings, which they screen on the answering machine.
It happens to be Mark's chirpy mother, who makes many appearances on the answering machine over the course of the play. Basically, all this does is let us know that a)Mark's mom worries too much and b), Mark's ex-girlfriend Maureen left him for a woman. Toe-Stepper #1Some of the characters are gay or lesbian, which is dealt with candidly, although I don't know about how accurately. That may bother some people, and most won't want to let their kids listen to this because of this and other themes.

In any case, we go back to another "Tune-Up" bit, which is again interrupted by the phone. This time, the call is screened only to be picked up because the caller is a friend, Collins, played by Jesse L Martin(who used to be on "Ally McBeal"). Collins, a college professor, is on his way up to the apartment when he is mugged(something you don't understand from just listening to the CD.) Mark, on the phone, has no idea what's going on, and keeps talking, right into another call, this time from another old friend, Benny. (Cue villanous lighting, eerie music, and Vincent Price's laugh.) Yes, that's right, Benny is the villain, in a way. He used to be one of Mark and Roger's roommates, along with Collins and Maureen. Benny married into money, bought the building, and now is demanding rent money from the two loft dwellers, despite the fact that he promised to let them live there for free. Benny is played by Taye Diggs, who is also on "Ally McBeal", as well as having had roles in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and "The Best Man".Toe-stepper #2: The language tends to get rough(meaning they curse a lot) at times, first seen in this song. We're talking multiple f-words in various creative combinations, here.

Finally, we get to the real songs. "Rent", the title theme, is an angry rocker that somehow manages to bounce around all over the place and still be coherent. Every character introduced so far has some part in it, as well as Joanne(played by the warm, gospel-voiced Fredi Walker), Maureen's new girlfriend. The song itself begins to introduce some musical themes that carry through the play; for example, Joanne has a very specific musical cadence that goes along with her, and it's first heard in this song. The plot points that are established in this song are; Mark and Roger's power is out, Collins has been beaten, mugged and left in the street, Maureen is a performer who used to use Mark as a stage manager, but now uses Joanne, and Joanne is a lousy stage manager, so Maureen calls Mark up to help set up her big protest performance that night.

Confused? So was I, at first. That's my biggest problem with this show. There are lots of little vignette song-scenes that communicate no information, but then one song establishes most of the major plot points. Sheesh.

"You Okay Honey?" moves the action to the street outside of Mark and Roger's apartment building, where Collins is lying and bleeding. He is doctored by the good-hearted street musician Angel(played by Wilson Jermaine Heredia, who won a Tony for his performance). Angel helps Collins, and in this sweet, mostly a capella free-form song, they find out that they are both gay, both HIV-positive, and lonely. Both of them have excellent voices as well--Angel has a slightly feminine tenor/alto/falsetto and Collins a rumbly, rough-edged baritone. Sounds like a love connection to me. They decide to go to a support group for HIV patients together.

In yet another vignette, while Mark goes out to search for Collins, we discover that Roger contracted AIDS from his girlfriend, who committed suicide when she found out. Toe-Stepper #3:the AIDS issue. This play presents a fairly dated view of AIDS, but just the thought of a musical about AIDS is off-putting to a lot of people.

Roger communicates his feelings about being served with what he sees as a death sentence in the beautiful "One Song Glory", which has a mellow rock vibe to it. It's understated instruments combined with Roger's aggressive vocals and the surprisingly pithy lyrics make this an excellent song, with or without the context of the show. Basically, Roger wails his heart out about his desire to write one great song, when...

There's a knock. Enter Mimi Marquez, code-named trouble, a nineteen-year old exotic dancer who lives in another part of the building. The power is out, and she can't find anything with which to light her candle. Roger, who'd like to light more than that, finds her some matches, all the while tripping over his tongue. Mimi pours on the cuteness by playfully flirting with him. This is mostly cheerful music covered by the half-spoken, half-sung conversation between the soon-to-be lovestruck pair. Mimi's voice is raspy in some places, squeaky in others, but still manages to work for the songs she sings. The biggest thing established here is that Mimi is a junkie.Whaddayaknow, Roger used to be a junkie. Sounds like yet another love connection, although most people have a slightly more constructive hobby in common.

Another vignette, Joanne's parents leaving her a message. They're wealthy, Joanne is a lawyer, end of story. Immediately after, Mark and Collins enter the apartment, ready to party, looking forward to Maureen's demonstration/performance, and in high spirits. Roger, as usual, is in a black mood, but Angel joins the group in drag(which he keeps on for the rest of the show) and sings "Today 4 U", a techno-rap song highlighted by a great drum solo and Angel's dead-on female impersonation. Basically, the song tells of how Angel drove a yappy dog insane to earn money from a rich woman...you have to hear it, it doesn't translate well into print at all. In any case, there are now funds for the group to party with on Christmas.

Benny enters the area, and sings "You'll See" in a bland, lifelesss voice, basically outlining his nefarious plans to change the charmingly bohemian building into a cyber-studio. In order to make his investors go for the idea though, he has to clear out the next-door village of homeless people, and cancel Maureen's protest/performance concerning that same village. For that, he wants his old roommates to help, in exchange for which he'll waive their rent. No-one is having any parts of his plan(considering his previous promise track record), though, so he leaves, and Mark walks next door to Maureen's protest site. She's not there, but Joanne is, and the two proceed to sing "Tango:Maureen". In one of the most fun songs on the album, Mark and Joanne detail all of Maureens flaws and faults, as well as what makes them both love her so much, all the while doing the tango and setting up stage equipment. This is also a fine example of acting, since even on the CD, you get the idea that Mark and Joanne don't particularly like each other very much, but have a lot in common.

Next is the support group meeting, and the song "Life Support": basically, everyone introduces themselves, including Angel, Collins, and latecomer Mark(who does not have AIDS, but wants to film the meeting). There isn't much song here, but near the end it opens up into some beautiful harmonies between the male voices, and establishes the main theme of the play--seize the day, do what you can, while you can. In contrast to this somber and almost meditational turn that things have taken, the focus whips back to Mimi, getting ready to go out and party. Her song, "Out Tonight", is raw-edged chick-rock that blasts energy and vitality into the generally somber collection of songs. Mimi sounds a little like Melissa Etheridge, only much more squeaky on the high notes, with a sultry man-killer tone to her voice.

With all her "hey let's party" howling, she interrupts the eternally grumpy Roger, who basically chews her out in the song "Another Day". She answers back, repeating the seize the day theme and chiding Roger for his self-imposed exile to his apartment. In some of the most balanced lyrics on the album, the two manage to carry on a cutting conversation and sing an actual song at the same time. Musically, the themes of the two characters are established here, as well as their duet theme. It's a weird combo of Roger's acidic, aggressive rock and Mimi's gentle, tinkling melody line, first explored in the support group meeting.

In an abrupt break, different members of the support group are highlighted, each singing a few poignant lines in what develops into a very beautiful round, the song "Will I?" The vocal abilities of the cast members are showcased especially well, since that's all that really carries this minimally accompanied song. This is another one that plays well outside of the context of the show, since its few lyrics deal with issues everyone faces at one time or another.

"On the Street" features Mark, Collins, and Angel filming homeless folks and harassing the annoying police officers. The rough language is really piled on here. "Santa Fe" finds yet another musical theme being established, more of a conga/R&B sound, as the same three dream of leaving New York and opening a restaurant in Santa Fe. Collins' lead vocal on this is especially impressive, since he goes from an unimpressive and too-low rumble to an impressive R&B-worthy vocal that floats over the well-timed "oh's" of the rest of the cast.

Mark leaves, and Collins and Angel sing a sweet love song to each other, titled "I'll Cover You." The subject of this song(two men in love) tends to creep a lot of people out, but my problem is the weakness of the song. After the excellence of "Santa Fe", this song just seems weak, too chirpy and ill-arranged to be taken seriously. The harmony is the only good thing about it, with Collins' newly established sound blending well with Angel's slightly effeminate higher voice.

"We're Okay" is basically a lot of Joanne's phone conversations, her particular musical theme overscored by her voice which seems inappropriately strong and loud for this song. Next is the epic-seeming "Christmas Bells" which involves the whole cast, on the way to Maureen's performance from various places, and in various moods. The homeless people lament their lack of a Christmas, Mark and Roger talk about Mimi, Mimi searches for drugs, Collins and Angel stop to shop for coats, and the annoying cops sing a bizarrely pessimistic blend of Christmas carols behind all of this action. This makes absolutely no sense unless you see it, (surprise, surprise) but musically, it sounds like what most people expect a big Broadway show song to sound like. In the course of the song, Roger finds Mimi and asks her to come with the group to Maureen's show and dinner afterward. Awww. (Cue rose-colored lenses, tweeting birds, and twang of Cupid's arrow.)

We finally hear the much-discussed Maureen in the song "Over the Moon". Although the song lacks cohesion and is really just a weird piece of performance art, Maureen(voiced by Idina Menzel) has an amazing voice, a raspy alto complete with bluesy whine, that rescues the random weirdness of "Over the Moon" and makes it worth listening to, in the context of the show.

After the performance, the group now goes to a local cafe for dinner. Benny, annoyed by Maureen's carrying out of her protest, is also there, and he begins to snipe at the group of friends(which now includes Maureen, Joanne, Angel, Collins, Mimi, Roger and Mark.) This is their cue to break into another Broadway style song, "La Vie Boheme". This one is worth it just because of its cute construction and rapid-fire, thought inducing lyrics, a series of things important to the concept of being bohemian. In the meantime, Benny's sniping, the action of the restaurant and Maureen's poor treatment of Joanne are all going on in the background, making for s somewhat complex song. We find out that Benny and Mimi used to date, and Mimi and Roger have a tiff over Roger's nonchalance towards Mimi. In the midst of their fight, their beepers go off, and in a unfortunately dated scene, they both take AZT(which was used a lot for a while to treat AIDS, but is now not as widely used.) Roger used to be a junkie, and now has AIDS. Mimi is a junkie and now has AIDS. Yet another connection, albeit a really depressing one. At least they can die in each other's arms. They sing their theme, "I Should Tell You" together, doing justice to this very vague piano driven love song.
There's also yet another version of "La Vie Boheme", unremarkable except for that Joanne breaks up with Maureen during it.

The shorter second act encompasses a whole year, where the first was all about one night. It opens with the touching song, "Seasons of Love", in which the cast members lose their individual identities and join together to sign this surprisingly gospel-y song about friendship, living in the moment, and love.

The action begins again with "Happy New Year", a disjointed rock song interrupted by more phone messages, which finds our bohemians trying to break back into their apartment building, which Benny has locked out of spite. Joanne and Maureen get sort of back together, Benny shows up and reconciles with the group by re-opening the building, and Mark gets a job offer from a sleazy TV news magazine. Benny ruins his newfound status however, by coming onto his ex Mimi, who hasn't yet informed Roger about that particular episode in her life. The two fight and make-up, but Mimi turns to her drug supplier for solace.

Next comes Valentine's day, where Joanne and Maureen wail and shout at each other in the oddly timed "Take Me or Leave Me". It's a traditional "love me like I am, or get lost" song, only sung from the perspective of two women. The style is blues-meets-rock-meets Rickie Lee Jones, helped along by the women's strong vocals.

After a quick reprise of "Seasons of Love", Roger and Mimi have yet another fight and sing "Without You", a too-slow, overly sappy love ballad to each other from separate locations. Their musical themes are used, overused, and abused in this song, and their vocal blend begins to strain on the ears, since both sing very softly, almost weakly on this track.

In yet another vignette, Mark is offered yet another job from the sleazy TV newsmagazine. In a truly odd transition, the CD jumps from the chirpy, mocking voice of the newsmagazine reporter to a staccato, provocative song about sex, performed by the whole cast. It reminds me of the song "Surprise" from the movie version of the musical, "A Chorus Line". Angel has a particularly intriguing solo in it, but the effect is lost on the CD because you can't see the dance he does to accompany it.

However, that dance is Angel's swan song, because we find that he has died of AIDS. In one of the best moments on the album, Collins sings a touching reprise of their cheesy love song, "I'll Cover You", from act 1. No longer cheesy, the pure emotion thrown behind this performance(set at Angel's memorial service) turns it from a weakly arranged slap-happy pop song to a weepy, heart-rending ballad of lost love. Joanne joins in to powerfully back him up, and the company sings eerie echoes of "Seasons of Love" behind it all. Wow.

Next comes the wistful "Halloween", set on the holiday, incidentally the day of Angel's funeral. This one is the sole domain of Mark, reminiscing about his friends and friendships that seem to be falling apart around him. Unfortunately, he keeps almost all of the song in the whiny novelty tone of voice that establishes his character. We learn that Mark is taking the job with the sleazy TV show.

"Goodbye Love" begins with a massive fight between all the remaining characters, with Collins unsuccessfully attempting to keep the peace. The song itself is an angry rocker during this part, with some truly nasty snarling going on between the characters. Mimi and Benny get back together(although Benny is still married), Joanne and Maureen break up for good, Roger leaves for Santa Fe for good, Mark rips into Roger for leaving the obviously sick and addicted Mimi, and the heartbroken Collins rushes around in the background, trying to get them all to stop fighting. After everything blows up, everyone leaves except Mimi, Mark and Benny. Mimi then takes the song and deftly turns it into a tender, heartsick goodbye to Roger, using the childish cuteness in her voice to pull out the appeal of the song. Roger, on the other hand, is far too melodramatic, sounding sometimes like a reject from an eighties hair band. Mimi is sent to a rehab by Benny.

Mark and Roger find themselves at a serious crossroads, expressed in the song "What You Own". This is guitar rock at it's best, a duet between the oddly but well-matched voices of the two leading men. During the course of the song, they decide that their recent choices haven't done them much good. Roger decides to go back to New York, reconcile with Mimi and write his song. Mark rejects the job with the TV show and decides to finish his own film. There is excellent harmony between the two voices and the music behind it, a blend of agressive drums and guitars with the odd piano chord thrown in, does an great job of communicating the intensity and urgency behind the song's subject.

Another series of phone messages: this time the overlapping, and very concerned parents of the various characters. There is an interesting a capella harmony that emerges from the initial jumble of their worried voices.

And finally, it's Christmas again. The first part of the finale is a recap of all of the major themes, musical and lyrical, in the play. The homeless make an appearance, then we find that Mark(finally singing at his best) has been taping most of the events of the past year, and has edited it to be his film. Roger is back(also singing very well), although he can't find Mimi. Benny has been shuttled off to some other area of New York by his rich wife, thanks to Collins, who makes an appearance to recap "Santa Fe", tinged with just the right amount of sadness. All three men sing at their best in this point, only to be interrupted by the very upset Maureen, screaming more than singing. She and Joanne(back together again) have found the very sick, near-dead Mimi. There's a short, desperate scene which finds all the characters panicking over Mimi in subdued versions of their individual musical themes.

Roger breaks the desperate, sad mood over the dying Mimi by singing his "great song", titled "Your Eyes". Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to the hype. After all of the mentions of Roger's great song and the sheer impact of his soul-searching "One Song Glory", his finale dedicated to Mimi is weak and does nothing for the show or even musically. Roger gets overly melodramatic in his singing style once again. This is especially apparent during the snippet of the opera that this musical is based on that is included. Luckily, this cop-out song is short, and the finale, which finds Mimi being brought back to life by the spirit of Angel, recaps the heavier music of the play, the depression-inspired "Will I?" and Mimi's theme of "no day but today". Everyone sings their hearts out, the two songs fit together in perfect harmony, curtain, end of play.

Basically, this isn't for people with closed minds or no imagination. It deals with some disturbing issues with no apology, set to music that varies from amazing to terrible, introducing some relatable characters and themes along the way. If you want to take the time to really get into it, Rent can be an enjoyable piece of entertainment. But casual listeners may want to listen to something more immediately accessible, like Oklahoma or The Wiz.

There is one more song on this album, a remix of "Seasons of Love" featuring Stevie Wonder. It sounds just like the original, but it's nice to hear Stevie Wonder sing and play the harmonica on this mainstream appeal song. It doesn't really add or take anything away to the CD set.