Review – OSU Lima Performance of the Musical ‘RENT’

Several years ago, at Elida High School, I was casting “Little Shop of Horrors” and having trouble because none of the young men wanted to play Seymour. And none were truly “right” for the role. The students themselves didn’t seem to be concerned. “Don’t worry Mr. Luhn. Ian says he’ll be right over.” I had no idea who this Ian was, but the kids seemed to believe he had enough nerd in him to play that critical part. And when Ian Ramey appeared, he was every bit as nerdy and vulnerable as advertised. I was shocked when he opened his mouth to sing and a terrific Seymour came out. He was immediately the only one for the part, and he was perfect when we put the show on the boards.

The next year, it was “Sound of Music” and a more mature, confident Ian showed up. As Captain Von Trapp, the lad did not get a lot of singing to test himself with, but he brought a different vulnerability to this well-known character. He was a pleasure to work with.

So, traveling out to the Lima OSU branch to see Ian in “Rent” on April 10, 2016, I had no doubt that I would get a good performance. I had never seen this now-classic musical, so I had no idea what they would have this talented young man doing. Little did I know that Ian was charged with playing Roger, an angst-laden composer/guitarist central to the core of the play. And that I would see an older, more experienced Ian Ramey, today.

The story actually revolves around Roger, his roommate Mark, and their extended family of semi-employed, drug troubled, homeless friends. They are squatting on property owned by a former friend, who is now their tough-talking landlord. Roger is an ex- junkie who is AIDs infected. He has an expectedly dim view of his future, and suspicion and cynicism for the rest of the world. Mark is a film-maker trapped by his circumstances, and still pining for the girlfriend that dumped him, who now has her own girlfriend. There is a strong, sympathetic LGBT theme running through the relationships of the various individuals. The incredible success of the musical in 1996 can be linked, in part to the open, honest manner in which the drug and sexual-orientation themes were treated. The show does not seem to trivialize, or make excuses or explanations; it simply says, “This our story. Accept it or don’t”

Our two leads, Ramey and Dan Stanowick (Mark) light up the stage, carrying their various characters everywhere the plot intends. I was particularly amazed by the brooding funk Ramey brought to his futility, and to his new romance with MiMi, the drug addicted, HIV-positive, S&M dancer. Their on-again off-again “thing” keeps the audience in suspense, dying to root for their happiness. MiMi, played by Mbali Hlongwane, sees, in Roger, her salvation, but can’t defeat the drugs. Ms. Hlongwane, easily fits the part of sexy dancer. She is appealing as both “Sexy” and “Lost”. She carries a huge load of her own vulnerability.

Stanowick, plays Mark with the perfect balance of anger, sadness and hope, tempered with his own brand of humor. He is the consummate actor, gracing every part with just the right mixture of emotion. His acting and singing anchor the play. He is not a student at OSU, to my knowledge, but I can see why director Margie Anich brought him in. Stanowick is a joy to watch, and lends incredible experience to the production. I hope the young cast members were able to drain his brain, enriching their theatre “chops” by virtue of Dan Stanowick’s presence. His talent will someday be seen on Broadway, or in film. Nice teaching tool, Ms. Anich!

It would be nice to document other standout performances. I will not go that far. Suffice to say, I was most impressed, by the couple, Tom Collins, and Angel, Collins an old and dear friend of the roommates, and his new lover, an a AIDs positive drag queen. Seth Mitchell, (Tom) a giant of a man, has easily the most powerful voice of the group, but gives a stunning acting performance, as well. He is every bit the standout as the others. Angel, a demanding, yet rewarding part, was played by Encore Youth Theatre veteran Noah Estep. I guarantee he will never get a better introduction to theatre, than he did at Encore, and I can equally guarantee, this performance would have ’em jumping in their seats at that venerable institution, could they only see him now. Angel must be played so that the audience almost forgets that this is a man, and begins to see a feminine side in control. I know this is exactly what happened for me, so Estep was extremely successful. Vocally, and physically, he gave Angel the depth we needed to see and feel.

There were many other memorable performances in this piece, too many to bring to this already-too-wordy review. There were couple of weak spots as well. Some actors were not always on-pitch. In fact, there was a time when I wondered if the accompaniment was just singularly unique, or did the character just lose track of the melody. Another slight problem I had may have been technical or just a feature of the auditorium. I took a seat in the last row. I like to do this to test the cast’s projection. Due to possible microphone problems, acoustical anomalies of the house, or possible hearing deficiencies of this writer, much of the dialogue and some of the vocals did not reach my brain.

The “problems” I have mentioned, in no way lessened my appreciation of and admiration for the production. I prize greatly, energy, and staying “in the scene”. These young actors were all of that. The ensemble numbers were electric and powerful, the acting mostly flawless. The pit band must be mentioned. When you end the show, and you aren’t either picking on or praising the music accompaniment, you have, in fact got the exact performance necessary to advance the plot. Great job, pit! All in all, my entertainment experience was well worth my trip.

The show has closed. It’s sad when a successful run is over. I am sorry I could not see it earlier, so as to induce others to attend. My commendation for all involved is overflowing. I hope to see many of these great talents somewhere again. Great job, cast and crew!