Let me start this with a disclaimer. RENT is my all-time favorite musical. I was in New York in 1997, not long after Jonathan Larson’s rock opera, loosely based on La Bohème, opened on Broadway. Alas, the only available tickets were for six months later. When I was back in the city the following year, I finally snagged those prized tickets! It was all worth it, as I spent the last hour of the show sobbing my eyes out. From that day on, I was a RENThead.

I missed out on seeing the original cast, but, by then, actor Norbert Leo Butz (who would later play the original Fiyero in Wicked) had been cast as Roger. He was just so good in it. Some years later, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, the original Roger and Mark, reprised their roles as part of a national tour for RENT in San Francisco. Just when I was in town, so I had to go see it!

It’s been a while since RENT was last staged in Manila. When I heard that 9Works Theatricals was staging the show again, I was curious to see how they would bring this story into 2024. How would they tell the story of young starving bohemians struggling to survive in ‘90s New York in the age of HIV/AIDS to a Gen Z audience. Most weren’t even born when RENT first came out in 1996!

Director Robbie Guevara was up for the challenge. He focused the storytelling on the show’s central themes of hope, community and love, but framed them through RENT-colored lenses. He kept the show’s grit and rough edges but used his cast to give it the beating heart it needed to connect with a younger generation. It felt fresh, and even more relevant for the time we live in. Set designer Mio Infante echoed Guevara’s approach in updating the show’s set. The multi-level scaffolding echoed New York’s rundown apartment buildings. Plastic sheets hanging from the rafters added to the squalor of the setting, while serving as a transitionary tool between scenes. Nifty trick right there. I did love how they creatively tweaked the setting for “Seasons Of Love,” using rainbow-colored spotlights and plastic chairs.

The talented young cast of RENT Manila 2024 really did give the show its beating heart. Given the emotionally-charged story they had to tell, I was very impressed, flaws and all. Guevara used a mix of theater veterans and TV actors, giving the show a lot of good energy. Current theater favorite Reb Atadero plays Mark Cohen, a filmmaker and RENT’s main narrator, which I’m told is his dream role. It was a good fit! He played it warm, empathetic and real, inviting us all into their messy lives as though the audience were all old friends. TV actor and singer Anthony Rosaldo plays Roger, the HIV-positive former rockstar hoping to write one more epic song. It was a bit of a slow burn for him in the first act, missing some of the nuances of Roger’s biggest moments. And then he just went and did a 180-degree turn in the second act. All the emotion and energy were suddenly front and center! I do have to say, that was really good! It turns out, both Reb and Anthony were part of the hit musical Ang Huling El Bimbo, but at separate runs.

Another standout was Lance Reblando in the iconic role of Angel Dumott Schunard, the drag queen who was the glue of this community of dreamers. While the character was flamboyant and loud, Lance played it with so much heart and vulnerability that it kind of hurt (spoilers ahead!) that he did not get a happy ending. While Markki Stroem, who I got to chat with after the show, says that Benny is the role for him, his take on Tom Collins has so much honesty at its core. You grieve and cry alongside him as he sings the reprise of “I’ll Cover You” at Angel’s funeral. Justine Peña as Maureen, and Faye Castro as Joanne, put on strong layered performances. They did get us to moo with them! IYKYK!

RENT’s core message is felt the most in its big ensemble numbers. “Rent” and “La Vie Boheme” give us a glimpse of the character’s struggles, hopes and skewed idealistic views in the face of disease and death. When “Seasons of Love” comes on, all we see are humans clinging to love instead of giving in to fear. This cast hits all the right notes, literally and figuratively, in their character’s individual and collective journeys.

RENT will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions, but every turn will be worth it. Just go with everything you feel. Love, laugh, live, cry, hurt and cry some more. This show will break your heart, and it will be worth it. As the late Jonathan Larson wrote it, “There’s only now. There’s only here. Give in to love. Or live in fear. No day but today.”

9Works Theatricals RENT runs until 2 June at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza. For tickets, check out Ticket2Me.net.