Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

In Broadway history, perhaps there hasn’t been a musical which made such a big impact on the Gen X crowd than Rent. The musical, dubbed as a rock opera by many critics, debuted on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre back in April 1996 to huge success that when it closed last Sept. 2008, it became the 7th longest running show overall. And the brainchild of the musical (which was inspired by the Italian opera La Boheme, the late Jonathan Larson, became a hero to Gen X’ers everywhere as he was posthumously awarded with the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Awards for Best Musical, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, among others.

Inspired by the Italian opera La Boheme, Rent focuses on eight people and their struggles to find love, their true identities and passions all while on the brink of eviction and destitution.

In 1999, New Voice Company brought Rent with an all-star cast which included Monique Wilson, Joel Trinidad, Michael de Mesa, among others, to the Manila stage much to the delight of Filipinos. Even though the musical’s setting is at winter time in Alphabet City at Lower East Side Manhattan, Filipino audiences easily connected with its main theme. Atlantis Productions re-staged it in 2001, this time with Calvin Millado, JM Rodriguez, Anna Fegi, Rachel Alejandro and Bituin Escalante (de Mesa reprised his role as Collins), and once again it was warmly embraced by theater-goers.

Now, nine years later, Manila’s newest theatre company, 9 Works Theatrical, stages the musical once again this time with an almost entirely fresh cast for a new generation. Updated with designer winter garb, Christmas lights, fake snow and a projection screen, this year’s Rent features a cast of the country’s most talented theatre actors, and with direction by Robbie Guevarra, a theater vet of many Repertory Philippines productions and production design by Mio Infante.

Though there may be references unfamiliar to younger audiences ("LIke Thelma and Louise did when they got the blues"), Rent with its in-your-face lyrics and Rolling Stone-approved music, will still resonate well, especially with the popularity of the song Seasons of Love. After all, everyone—in at least one point in their lives—find themselves battling conformities, grappling with decisions on their career (or lack thereof), yearning for love that may or may not come and striving hard to pay the bills and of course, rent.

For most of the cast, it was rather intimidating to have to do roles done by well-acclaimed stage actors and actresses before, but maintains that winning the opportunity to be part of the musical’s third run in Manila was a dream come true.