RENT review
Being involved on the production side, I might be inclined to give a biased review of the show. But if I told you that I've never even actually seen the show on Broadway (or on any stage) or even watched the movie in it's entirety...I was certainly captivated. This feat should not be understated - with the limited amount of resources, the local talents pulled together to bring the professional-grade production that they aimed to deliver.
All the acting roles, most especially the male leads which included Mark (Richard Vergara), Roger (Julius Cesar Santos), Angel (Ernest Ochoco), and Collins(Karl Pangelinan), brought strong and consistent performances. Conversations that followed would confirm that the ladies which played Maureen stole the show, giving unexpected and highly-impressionable performances, both vocally and dramatically. Maureen's "Over The Moon" protest scene was the most memorable piece for all four evenings.
Where the drawbacks fell were with sound, seating, lighting, and possibly even logistics. But what's great about RENT is that all factors were easily pardoned once engaged with the plot and message that attributes to the success of this modern-day rock-opera.
The indirect message to be learned from this experience - the island needs more outlets for fostering the arts. While the primary message of this production was for AIDS awareness under the umbrella of Guahan Project and Conscious Living, there is much to be said about the bohemian aspect of it (another underlying theme of RENT). Clearly there is a genuine interest in the arts on this island and it's unfortunate that this is often suppressed. People easily dismissed the show and didn't pay attention until the very end, only to discover that it was a sold-out venue. The allowable seating was reduced on the venue-owner's behalf and this was beyond the control of the organizers. However, the smaller and more intimate setting gave way to a better viewing experience.
Regardless, no caliber of such has been achieved here and it was an inaugural step across the board for everyone involved and for everyone who witnessed it.
Comments
i congratulate you and the rest of the cast; i did not see it (not a fan of the play), but my personal peeve does not signify remotely in your collective achievement. i hope that there are more local productions--of "rent" or otherwise--in the future.
however, i do feel compelled to say that st. john's school does an annual musical; while one can dismiss the content of a chosen piece, i think the caliber of performances are top notch, children or not. also, the people behind the scenes, from the musical director to other students, have proved themselves to be more than competent, even in the international arena. i don't know about the school, but i know the adults who work on the productions do everything they can to foster the artistic spirit in their performers and in the audience.
have you seen their performance of "the mikado" on kgtf? holy crap! 15-year olds doing opera! and like, good!
Posted by: santos. | February 1, 2008 11:25 PM
thanks santos!
i agree, the content was controversial and the styling wasn't for the guam vernacular...
but this definitely opened the public eye to more musical productions...something not-so-depressing will be in the works, i'm sure.
my boss's wife was involved with mikado (their daughter attends there) and i've only heard great things about that production, especially the artistic side of it.
i'm glad you are amongst those that keep your eyes and ears open to creative stimuli!...and you inspire :)
Posted by: mimi | February 4, 2008 3:32 PM