Seasons of love felt at OCPAC

Last night’s production of RENT at OCPAC in Segerstrom Hall, with the original Roger Davis (Adam Pascal) and Mark Cohen (Anthony Rapp), was electrifying. Rumor had it that the two performers were bored and burnt out, after reprising their roles over the past 15 years. My dearest friends, having seen such a re-hashed production, delivered warnings of a disinterested Pascal robotically going through the motions and a genuine but ordinary Rapp conforming his character to the likeness of himself. Maybe it was my distant seat in the front mezzanine, the glittering lights, the junkyard set, or the amplified sound system vibrating my bones, but the whole production gave me chills. Adam Pascal was spellbinding and his vocal quality at its height. “One Song Glory” took my breath away. The quirky Anthony Rapp provided laughs and high energy, delivering a consistent and solid performance. Justin Johnson had several tricks up his sleeve as Angel Schunard, which included song, dance, acrobatics, drumsticks and a very touching ending. I took my parents to the performance, who really didn’t understand the importance or hype of everything that is RENT. My father looked at me blankly when the curtain closed, the entire crowd on their feet cheering, and simply said, “It wasn’t my favorite.” Well, I guess it is a little much to ask my folks to appreciate Shakespeare and modern musicals. I thought they would see something very special from this Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award winning play, but then I realized that perhaps this is not a play that speaks to their generation on the same level that it speaks to mine. Maybe it felt more like a rock concert to them than a theatrical performance. Whatever the case, RENT spoke to me as it always has, through the character portraits of struggling artists, HIV epidemic, fear, acceptance, friendship and love.

Performances at OCPAC's Segerstrom Hall Oct. 20 – 25, 2009. $20 tickets will be available two hours before curtain only at the Center’s Box Office, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Regular tickets are $20 - $70 and are on sale now. They may be purchased at www.OCPAC.org, at the Center’s Box Office or by calling 714.556.2787.