Rent wows audiences at Secret Theatre
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
Viva la vie boheme!
In the mood for a great
night out, Broadway-style, and
a memorable musical theater
experience?
Then don’t miss Secret
Theatre’s dynamic presentation
of “Rent” in Long Island
City, where a rowdy bunch of
artsy Bohemians are creating
a ruckus through Oct. 6.
Experience this edgy, avantgarde
take on the groundbreaking
Pulitzer and Tony
Award-winning Broadway
show that celebrates friendship,
love and community. All
embraced by a feisty group of
impoverished young artists
and musicians struggling to
survive and create, find their
voices and somehow pay rent,
in NYC’s East Village during
the early 1990s — under the
shadow of HIV/AIDS.
Decades later, “Rent” still
captivates diverse audiences
with its universal message of
hope.
“I’m so honored that this
incredible cast of performers
have given their time and
hearts to our special production.
I have loved helping them
tell this beautiful story of how
important life, friendship, and
unconditional love are in this
modern age,” said director
Lauren Elder, who remembered
falling in love with the
musical when she first saw it
in Los Angeles back in 1997.
The local success of “Rent”
has surely done Executive Producer
Richard Mazda proud as
well.
Even if you’ve experienced
numerous incarnations of the
famous retelling of Puccini’s
classic opera, “La Boheme,”
you’ll find The Secret Theatre’s
unique version very
refreshing and highly entertaining,
raw and honest. The
music is excellent; the depth of
the vocals, powerful; the choreography,
gravity-defying;
and the acting, passionate and
spot on.
An Astoria couple who attended
Saturday evening’s
performance gave it a big
thumbs up. Both agreed that it
felt as if they were watching a
Broadway show … despite the
theater’s intimate setting and
small-scale but interesting
set, which brought Avenue B
and the artists’ harsh reality
to life.
Elder, a longtime Long Island
City resident, says she
is first and foremost a Broadway
performer (“Hair,” “Side
Show”) and singer-songwriter
(as well as a self-described
world champion whistler). She
told QNS that some of the actors
were friends of hers that
she met while performing,
adding that the rest were “the
amazing gems that stood out
from the almost 500 submissions
we had for the show,”
and noted that each hailed
from different parts of New
York City and New Jersey.
“We have so many incredible
performers in this city,
and it’s wonderful to give
them an opportunity to be in
a professional production,”
Elder said, “as well as giving
the community a chance to see
their performances at a more
affordable price.”
So, how did this creative
collaboration come about?
“Richard and I have known
each other for years, and when
he had a last-minute opening
in the schedule, he asked
if I’d like to direct ‘Rent.’ I
have loved the show for many
years, and have some very personal
connections with it, so I
Evan Maltby (Mark) and the cast of RENT. Photo by Reiko Yanagi
jumped at the opportunity,”
Elder said. “I’ve been dipping
my toes into directing over the
past couple of years, but this is
my first time directing a show
on this scale.”
And her favorite thing
about this production?
“I think it’s the love that
the cast has for the show and
each other,” she explained. “I
get overwhelmed seeing their
faces in ‘Seasons of Love,’ and
actually jumped out of my seat
when I felt the joy they exuded
in ‘La Vie Boheme.’ It has been
a truly beautiful experience
working with all of them.”
Someone once remarked
that “Rent” has transformed
how a generation thinks and
feels about musical theater.
And its deeper meaning is
still relevant today, as local
artists’ ongoing fight to stay
and create in the big city while
struggling to pay increasingly
higher rents continues. Sadly,
many new age Bohemians
have been forced out of their
Queens homes and studios by
developers whose gentrification
goals are a double-edged
sword. In some ways, “Rent”
is the story of Long Island
City’s once-thriving creative
community.
If you catch the show, get
ready to forget your troubles
for a while. You’ll smile, laugh,
sing along and even cry a little
(but in a good way). And you’re
bound to appreciate the heartfelt
messages that songs.
Tues. & Wed. $1895
1 1/4 lb. Lobster, Clams, and Mussels
Served with Corn on the Cob
and Baked Potato
with Purchase of 2 Cocktails,
2 Wines or 2 Beers
TIMESLEDGER,32 SEPT. 27-OCT. 3, 2019 BT TIMESLEDGER.COM
/TIMESLEDGER.COM
