‘RENT’ at the Rockaway Theatre Company!

By Dan Guarino

“RENT” is coming to the Rockaway Theatre Company (RTC). The award-winning musical opens on Friday, November 15, and runs for 11 performances through December 1, at RTC’s John Gilleece Theater at Fort Tilden.

“‘RENT’ is about so many things,” says director Gabrielle Mangano. “It’s about life—relationships, struggles, hope, trust, self, love, and connection. It takes real life and amplifies it, brings it to the surface, and when it’s there, you can’t ignore it.”

The genre-breaking musical, loosely based on Puccini’s opera “La Boheme,” first premiered off-Broadway in 1993. Debuting on Broadway in 1996, it won over audiences for 12 years, making it one of the longest running shows, while earning four Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The story follows eight friends, young, impoverished artists, over the span of a year, as they struggle to survive and celebrate life in New York, even as HIV/AIDS creeps across the city. “It’s time specific, but also timeless,” Mangano notes. The play takes place in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s of New York City, “when the AIDS pandemic was finally getting some sort of recognition as a real thing.”

“It was a groundbreaking work in musical theater, representing the culture of its time- which was not done before,” Mangano said. “The show gave a voice to people who have never been heard on such a scale, providing a platform for queer and marginalized communities to be seen.”

Even from their earliest rehearsals, the energy of the Rockaway Theatre Company production’s cast has come bounding through on stage. Starting as far back as September, they, Mangano, assistant director Adele Wendt and musical director Jeffrey Arzberger have been working hard to shape each detail, each movement and note to bring this show to life.

Of the cast, who all seem to be enjoying the process, Mangano says, “I love them so much. In community theater, we have the privilege of casting not just talented performers, but individuals who have a certain kind of energy you can’t cultivate on your own. They each work incredibly hard, but also just vibe so well together (as a cast). It’s something you can’t quite put into words—you really have to experience it.”

Working, singing, dancing, acting across the elaborate, multi-level stage set, she says, is a “tight-knit group with 18 people in our cast, including four who are performing on our stage for the first time, along with several newer members. We also have some veterans, like Juliette Pannone Mallon, Ricky La Luz-Rivera, and Jannicke Steadman.” Even with back-to-back rehearsal sessions as opening night draws closer, their energetic dedication has not waivered.

Mangano notes that Arzberger, who is leading the show’s five-piece live band as well as directing all music, is “a musical savant with extensive knowledge of this show. I’ve worked with him countless times.”

She herself is both directing and choreographing “RENT,” as “they go in hand for this show.” About Wendt, she says, “it’s been wonderful working with her. She has a keen eye for characterization, so while I focus on the big picture, she zeroes in on the details that enhance the story and character arcs.”

Mangano previously directed RTC’s outstanding “Cabaret” last year along with Nicola De Pierro-Nellen. She’s also directed productions of “Newsies” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” and choreographed shows like “Pippin,” “Godspell,” and “The Toxic Avenger,” while appearing in numerous other shows. “My favorite role on stage was Kristine Urich in ‘A Chorus Line,’” she says.

She has been a member of the Rockaway Theatre Company for 22 years now. Growing up dancing at Brooklyn’s Horizons Dance Center, she recalls enjoying watching older cousins perform at RTC. “Once I got involved myself, I was instantly hooked,” Mangano says. “I enjoy every aspect of putting on a show, both on and off stage.

“I started out choreographing but eventually took on a variety of roles, culminating in directing,” noting bringing “RENT” to the RTC stage has been a long-held dream. “I’ve been singing the ‘RENT’-Original Broadway Cast recording from start to finish since I was 12 years old,” connecting deeply, she says with the songs she calls the heart of the show.

If pressed to choose standout favorite numbers she says they would be “‘La Vie Bohème’…the national anthem of the show, followed by ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ for its unapologetic power of self-belief, ‘Goodbye Love’ for its raw emotion, and ‘Halloween’ for its poetic simplicity.” In fact, Mangano notes, “The show is essentially a rock opera with very little spoken dialogue,” telling its story nearly entirely through song.

Staging “RENT” though comes with “a lot of pressure in the musical world,” she adds. “It’s a show that everyone dreams of doing because of its profound impact on our culture. Our biggest challenge was casting. Since the show is all about relationships, our priority was to find performers who not only embody their characters but can also connect and collaborate harmoniously with one another,” she says.

Here, those characters, their stories, the music and the RTC actors who give them voice, are what “RENT” is all about at heart. “I’ve always wanted to do this show because I loved how much it celebrated ‘misfits,’” Mangano says. “I always want everyone to be their genuine self. This show not only welcomes it, but applauds it.”

As performers, crew and creative team rehearse and ready themselves for that fast-approaching opening night, director Mangano notes, “Whether you know ‘RENT’ or don’t, I promise, you will feel the overpowering passion that our cast has for this score, this story. You will leave with only an immense feeling of love in your heart. As you should.”

For tickets go to www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org. “RENT” runs from November 15 through December 1, with showtimes on Fridays and Saturdays (plus Thursday 11/21) at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Photos by Dan Guarino. “RENT” sign by Jean Hammel.