Christmas Bells are Ringing: "Rent" Christmas Comeback Review

Rent is back.  After almost nine months, 9 works Theatrical had assembled its cast and crew to stage once again the show that everybody loves. There is no doubt that Rent is already known for being one of the most relevant and touching Broadway musical in history. And that could be the reason why Power Plant choose it to be featured on their cinema theater this December in celebration of their Anniversary.



To those who haven't seen the show, basically the story tells about a group of bohemians, Roger (Gian Madgangal) the rocker, Mark (Fred Lo) the filmmaker and Collins (Oj Mariano) the Philosopher who are struggling to live on a busy city and coping with life's problems such as cold nights, ex-girlfriends, jerk ex house-mates, unpaid rent and HIV. Together with the rest of the extended cast, they journeyed through seasons building unbreakable camaraderie while sharing tears and joys as well as Love. Will they survive the cold harsh elements of life or will they all break and give up? Written by the late Jonathan Larson, Rent is the Musical that will crush your hearts no matter how many times you watch it. Larson created a universe based on his own experience as an artist that people can relate making us believe that despite he is already not with us now, he eventually left his heart on his creation.

If you ask me if I enjoyed the show, of course my answer will always be "yes". Rent as one of my favorite show ever don't really need to convince me to watch it. But of course there are a lot of things I need to point out that may need improvements. First the venue is really not designed for a theater performance. It is too small for Rent, considering it is one of the Broadway show who don't really need a big stage. The technical crew should also make sure that the microphones are working and setup the speakers on the right place because once again on some scenes we hardly can hear the actor's voice because of the loud music which is to be honest is quite annoying.

Rent Christmas Run Cast

The old cast had delivered quite good on their respective roles and most of them did improved their performance specially the 3 lead roles, Fred Lo, OJ Mariano and Gian Magdangal. But since some of the actors can't return on this run the production is forced to get new talents.  Now all eyes are focused on the replacements particularly to those who are newcomers. Sheree Bautista and Mian Dimacali are two of the new faces that will grace the stage bravely accepting two of the most prominent characters of the musical. Despite seeing a lot of bumps and grinds on Sheree's performance as Mimi, I still see the dedication and conviction on her role. It is not perfect at all and there are a lot of room for improvement but I want to congratulate Sheree's return on stage (since Trumpet's Little Mermaid) for exhibiting more than what I expect from her.

Mian Dimacali also wowed me on his rendition of Maureen Johnson. I've saw three different actors playing this role through the years and so far her version is the most unique I ever watched. If I will describe Mian in one word it is definitely the word "enthusiasm". She is playful and full of energy greatly noticeable on her version of "Over the Moon" which is by far the most craziest version I saw. Lorenz Martinez on the other hand as Benny gave a quite average to near poor performance making some minor roles like Alexi (Sab Jose) and Mark's Mom (Peachy Atilano) more memorable.

Two weeks is a very short preparation for a musical.  Given that they already staged it last February, that is still nine months ago. From technicals and creative side not to mention the inclusion of new actors, the show could be much better if prepared for at least 2 month. And I would agree to some that the price is too expensive for a 2 week and half prepared show. It is just normal for people to ask more if they paid more.  

Pushing aside all the technicalities, I will still watch Rent over and over again. Because more than all the technicalities is the spirit of the show. And I should say, I still felt Jonathan Larson's presence and will still recommend it to those who haven't seen it before to watch it now. To those who already saw it may think it over first because it is not as polished as the first run. You may consider waiting for the Feb 2011 run for the production will have more time to prepare and they will be back in RCBC Plaza with a much bigger stage.

On a limited engagement catch Rent from December 8 to 12 at the Power Plant Mall Cinema 2 theater, call 898-1440 to 41 or 0908-8692988 for show schedules, tickets and reservations.