Overture Hall's 2,251-person capacity auditorium was filled
to the brim Friday night as a sold-out performance of "Rent" brought heat to a
powerless New York City
apartment. In every sense of the word, this presentation of the popular musical
was flawless, as the actors, sets, choreography and score were brilliant.

Without second thought, as the play began, the audience was
immediately immersed in a world saturated with drugs, AIDS and jealousy. The three
hour performance told the tale of the depressing lives of Roger and Mark (Heinz
Winckler and Jed Resnick), two starving artists and roommates whose personal
trials and tribulations were captivating enough to grasp the attention of both musical
theatre lovers and haters.

The story also closely focuses on the capricious
relationship between Roger and Mimi, a 19-year-old songbird dealing with a
shameless drug addiction and suffering from AIDS. Jennifer Colby Talton, acting
as Mimi, delivered an astounding performance. The sincerity of her
representation of the character was enigmatic, which drew the viewer closer to
the story than was thought possible. This was paralleled, if not exceeded, by
the crystallized singing voice of Winckler's character Roger. Every note was
pristine as it resonated through the amazing acoustics of Overture Hall. Within
15 minutes, the two characters performed the song "Light My Candle" and made
their amazing abilities and chemistry shine. This song was closely followed by
Winckler's solo of "One Song Glory," striking the entire hall silent until the
song ended and the audience exploded with applause.

The hall was equally dumbfounded by the hypnotizing physical
contortions of Angel, played by Kristen-Alexzander Griffeth. The AIDS-infected
homosexual cross-dresser was colorfully flamboyant and arguably the most
endearing character in "Rent," holding the community together with optimism and
love.

Though the eroticism and drug-related content was subtle,
this play was not for the young or faint of heart. Still, the audience seemed
to grow notably closer throughout the performance. The community created
between the characters by the end of the play mirrored the gained camaraderie throughout the audience, as
both the characters and audience shared laughs, tears and excitement. Maureen,
Mark's ex-girlfriend-turned-lesbian, even had the crowd mooing along during her
eccentric interpretive dance segment entitled "Over the Moon." This performance
was entertaining and humorous, but limited the vocal talents possessed by
Christine Dwyer, the actress portraying Maureen. Fortunately, her skills were
exemplified and amplified in the dueling ballad entitled "Take Me or Leave Me"
between Maureen and her contesting new girlfriend, Joanne (Onyie Nwachukwu).

This song also took advantage of the intricate set of "Rent."
An artistic use of three ordinary metal tables set the stage for three separate
scenes simultaneously. While there were only a few props, the whole stage was a
complicated series of lights and gadgets with an elaborate grunge factor that
gave the sense of New York's East Village.
The ironically festive Christmas lights and scrap-metal tree illuminated the
recurring theme of the play, displaying the upside of being down and out of
luck, money and time in the city.

Undoubtedly the most impassioned song of the play, "Seasons
of Love," was performed with the entire cast boldly taking on the audience
front and face. It was in this song that Mark and Roger's old roommate, Collins
(Anwar Robinson), belted exceptional and relevant lyrics with his smooth tones
resembling the likes of Stevie Wonder.

The only possible downside to this event at the Overture Center for the Arts would be the fast-paced
dialogue and lyrics that made it difficult for the first-time viewer to follow
the plot closely. Despite this minor setback, the exceptional acting, singing
and dancing skills, along with a fantastic set, acting and storyline made "Rent"
a far greater experience than something that could be measured in "midnights
and cups of coffee," but instead something that could be "measured in love."

5 out of 5 stars