Marie Clark Musical Theatre. The Goodwood Institute. 31 Aug 2016
The all-too-rarely performed Rent has only graced South Australian stages twice in the last 10 years; it is a relatively young musical only officially opening Off Broadway in 1996. It is a wonderful show full of challenging human emotional conflicts, poignant political perspectives, and a sexy score comprising both little and well-known numbers; Seasons Of Love being amongst the most well-known.
It is, however, exceptionally complicated and incredibly demanding - perhaps why so few companies have the courage to mount a performance.
Marie Clark Musical Theatre’s production is, for the most part, an enjoyable night of theatre. On arrival one is impressed by the look and feel of the set. Director/Set Designer, Mark Stefanoff, has laid out both an attractive and a functional space that easily serves as multiple locations without cumbersome set changes. To the uninitiated those locations won’t be altogether clear and this may lead to confusion about what’s going on. But the pace cannot be faulted and for Rent aficionados the ‘feeling’ is just right.
Matt Ralph has designed striking, complimentary lighting to Stefanoff’s set. The featured LEDs, strip lights and fairy lights communicate time and place effectively. A few scenes are overly flushed with white and the follow spot is underutilised, but the overall look is very attractive. The sound design by Rodney Bates, however, is odd and very patchy. The excessive and altogether random use of echo effects makes it seem like parts of the show are sung in a bathroom. Adding to the frustration are poorly set and inconsistent volume levels. When it does all work together the production values are stunning - moments like Seasons of Love, La Vie Boheme, and Will I - but unfortunately these issues are prevalent and unforgivable.
Each and every player gives their all and shows complete commitment to the story. Sadly, few seem to really plum the emotional depths of their characters’ plight leaving one feeling shallow and empty. Vocally they are generally excellent. Ben Stefanoff is Musical Director and he steers a tight ship, his tiny band produces a big sound.
Of the leads the notable performances come from Damien Quick as Mark, Fiona DeLaine as Maureen, and Sarah Whiteley as Joanne. Quick imbues the often underappreciated role of Mark with real sense of solemn insecurity. DeLaine and Whiteley are at their absolute best when they toil as two headstrong lovers in Take Me Or Leave Me. Director Mark Stefanoff takes up the part of Angel and does a beautiful job of a very tough role (in even higher heels!); one questions the decision to go so big with the drag queen persona at the expense of a more genuine transgender* offering though.
Jennifer Trijo’s Mimi is a vocal powerhouse when she stands and sings Out Tonight and Anton Schrama seemed to find the right amount of melancholy in Roger, despite not quite having all the rock notes in his vocal bag of tricks. Sadly though their couple’s chemistry is lacking and one is not captivated by their burgeoning romance and tumultuous relationship. Angus Birdseye does some nice work as Tom Collins, and he and Mark Stefanoff achieve a beautifully believable relationship. Ron Abelita completes the cast of leads as the defector, Benny.
The show is completely stolen at one point by two ensemble members in Sophie Guidolin and Jordan Tomljenovic who dance a gorgeously distracting contemporary routine to the sombre sounds of Santa Fe. From that moment on, every time they grace the stage, one’s eyes are drawn to them. Choreography throughout by Nina Richards is excellent – in particular both the routine and execution of Tango Maureen.
It is a bitter sweet production of Rent that Marie Clark has produced. It looks amazing, and often sounds even better – until it doesn’t... The cast are committed, but the acting is forced… The energy and passion is abundant, but the emotional integrity is missing… the harmonies and voices are spine-tingling, and yet the tissues stay in the box.
I love Rent. It is a love-it or hate-it kind of show. This production is almost entirely sold out, and as well it should be, as it is so rarely mounted. If you’ve already got your ticket, you’re probably a love-it type like me so, vive la vie bohème!
Paul Rodda
When: 31 Aug to 3 Sep
Where: Goodwood Institute
Bookings: marieclark.asn.au
*It has never been made explicitly clear whether that character of Angel Dumott Schunard is a drag queen, transexual, or transgender. For the purposes of this review, and to avoid any offence, the term transgender has been selected under the assumptions that Angel is outwardly gay, identifies as a woman, and choses to be referred to in this manner by her friends, and is less likely to have undergone any gender reassignment at the time of this show's writing.
