Student Review of 'Rent' At Hayfield Secondary School

From Hayfield Secondary School: Although New York City is often seen as a pinnacle of life and vigor, city life in grungy 1990's Manhattan was, for many, a grueling existence. RENT explores the dark stipulations of inner city living, including poverty, HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse. In Hayfield Secondary School's production of RENT, they handled such topics with a professional balance of solemnity and grace, adapting the script for younger performers and audiences while still maintaining the show's original message.Written by Jonathan Larson and officially opening in 1996, RENT is set at the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Characters struggle with a mysterious disease, and time becomes a very real and finite construct to them; love, however, becomes the true measure of their life on earth.

Renowned for its tear-jerking narrative of steadfast love in the face of deadly ends, RENT stands at the center point of emotionally raw theatre� despite this challenge, Hayfield Secondary School's cast pulled it off with exceptional artistry, leaving very few dry eyes in the theater.Corbin Farrell as Mark Cohen lit up the stage and pulled the audience in with his animated use of body and eccentric facial expressions, especially in "La Vie Boheme" and during his dance in "Tango: Maureen." He also used his powerful vocals to energize the show from the very beginning, and remained consistently strong through to the end.Roger Davis (Jackson Miller) filled the entire theater with his entrancing vocal control, executing an extremely challenging vocal score with a professional-quality performance. When interacting with his female counterpart Mimi (Trish Hoang), the audience could feel the connection echoing around them, creating a beautifully realistic relationship between the two characters.

When Mimi overdoses, the anguish in Roger's eyes as he held his dying Mimi felt too raw for some audience members to bear. Furthermore, in her own right, Hoang commanded the stage with a provocative presence that took the audience by surprise while remaining tasteful. Her passionate vocals served to deepen the chemistry between her and Roger, their harmonies melding together into a concoction of its own and entrancing the audience during their songs.The lesbian couple of Maureen Johnson (Shannon Flack) and Joanne Jefferson (Hallie Strelsky) also power-housed each other, both in their stage energies and in their strong belting vocals. In "Take Me or Leave Me," they each demanded the attention of the room while still leaving space for the other in a powerfully delicate give-and-take, accentuating their strained relationship in the song. Beyond this, they were also able to take the stage in individual moments, Strelsky with her captivating voice cutting through the air and Flack with her high presence and energy despite the obstacle of entering into the narrative later in the course of the plot.Powerful vocalists abounded in the ensemble, especially in songs such as "La Vie Boheme" and "Seasons of Love," allowing for a rich overall sound throughout the entire show. Standout vocal lines also came out of the ensemble, such as Scarlett Alexander's soaring solo in "Seasons of Love," reaching high above the skyscrapers of New York City with her soprano voice.Lighting elements complemented the show stunningly.

A violent blast of sidelight as Mimi died struck heart-wrenching chords with the audience and accentuated the moment beautifully. An extensive set of NYC brick and grime also framed stage pictures beautifully and allowed the story to be told with grace and ease.A darkly thought-provoking musical, Hayfield Secondary School's RENT ultimately left the audience with the same loaded questions to ponder as the professional Broadway production would have.

Image Courtesy of Hayfield Secondary School