Jonathan Larson, the show’s creator who wrote the book, music and lyrics for “Rent” and died on January 24, 1996, before the musical’s final dress rehearsal before its official opening would be extremely proud of the cast performing in the revival in honor of its 20^thanniversary. After opening on Broadway in 1996 it won the Pulitzer Prize plus 3 Tony awards, including best musical.

Twenty years later, with a book very loosely based on Puccini’s opera “La Boheme”, “Rent” is still very relevant to life today, covering a year of poor, mainly homeless young people living in New York city’s lower east side, dealing with and many dying from, drugs and AIDS. It is their story of fighting to love and survive under less than the best of conditions.

Mark, played by Danny Harris Kornfield, is a wanna be film maker and the narrator of the story. Mimi, played by Skyler Volpe, is drug addicted who also has AIDS and is involved with Benny, played by Christian Thompson, who owns the building where the group are squatters and he is trying to evict them, plus Roger, played by Kaleb Wells, a songwriter and guitar player looking for that one he can own, call his and, also has AIDS.

Angel, played by David Merino, is a drag queen and becomes the love interest of Tom, a professor, played by Aaron Harrington, and both have AIDS. Another couple, Maureen, played by Katie Lamark, is a bisexual performance artist and Joanne, played by Jasmine Easler, is an Ivy league lawyer and lesbian.

A very strong supporting cast consisting of Natalie Lipin, John Devereaux, Alia Hodge, Sammy Ferber, Jordan Long, Timothy McNeill and Futaba Shioda play parents, pastors, friends, waiters, etc., all excellent singers, dancers and actors.

Though it really isn’t fair to point out any one performer in particular in a cast so equally talented mention must be made of David Merino, as Angel, who will have you laughing and crying, sometimes both together.

The score by Larson has many memorable songs such as “Seasons of Love”, “Light My Candle”, “Over The Moon”, “La Vie Boheme/I Should Tell You”, “I’ll Cover You”, “Take Me Or Leave Me” just to mention 7 of over 35+ songs.

The production values of this tour are held up to the high standards of a salute to Jonathan Larson from the direction (Evan Ensign), choreography (Marlies Yearby), with the versatile set by Matthew E. Maraffi to the Costume designs by Angela Wendt who gives Mimi one tight outfit that you wonder if she can breath and makes Angel the envy of all drag queens in the audience. From the lighting by Jonathan Spencer to the orchestra under the conducting by Samuel Bagala and all the other production people involved with this show “Rent” is a first class touring company of a show that helped changed Broadway musicals.

The only minor, very minor, complaint is that the show can, and should, be tightened by about 15 minutes.

Be sure to see the “RENT 20^th Anniversary Tour”!