Posted on Thu, Aug. 31, 2006

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'Rent' still going strong in its 10th year

TIFFANY ST. MARTIN

Herald Staff Writer

Roommates, castmates . . . what's the difference?

For Warren G. Nolan Jr. and Ano Okera, there is none, as the two live together and perform opposite each other in "Rent," which will be at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Sept. 6-10.

Nolan plays Collins in the musical, while Okera is Angel, Collins' love interest. The roommate situation sometimes hinders them as performers, Okera says, because at times they just want to chill out at home and not have to deal with each other.

But, he adds, changing tacks, "We're really close, so that in itself helps us to portray really strong chemistry on stage. It's a lot more natural and organic because we're so close."

The chemistry between Collins, an HIV-positive philosophy teacher, and Angel, an HIV-positive drag queen, are essential to "Rent," which follows eight friends - young artists, musicians and other creative types - as they cope with AIDS, love, loss and housing dilemmas over one year in New York in the early 1990s.

When the musical debuted on Broadway in 1996, it struck a chord with audiences because the story's heroes are society's degenerates: drug addicts, drag queens, people living with AIDS, Nolan says. "All the people in society who didn't really have a voice at the time. It struck a chord with youth who were trying to decide who they were and who found the heroes of the show are actually antiheroes in real life."

Though all of the characters struggle, Angel always manages to find a glimmer of hope and be the optimistic voice of the group, Okera says.

Angel is less of a drag queen than "an eclectic guy whose creative juices take over and allow him to dress up on special occasions, not necessarily to get laughs or be glamorous but to force people to see him as a symbol of love," and he's all heart, says Okera, who wears six-inch heels as part of his character's attire.

Angel is the catalyst that brings the characters together despite their separate circumstances . . . through music, of course. Songs like the upbeat "La Vie Boheme" and the moving "Seasons of Love." Songs that are heard from weddings to karaoke bars to theaters, says the show's artistic director Jared Stein, who has heard of audience members singing along through the entire show.

Stein also plays the keyboards in the show. He says people relate so well to the music because it's so contemporary.

"When it was written in the '90s, 'Rent' was hip and forward for its time. A lot of the music speaks to people a lot, like the message of the show," he says. "As much as it can be entertaining, it also really has an effect on people."

The effect it had on Nolan is one he'll never forget. Nine years ago, when he was in high school, he went to New York from San Diego for a choir competition, and his choir took in a showing of "Rent." Nolan knew nothing about it at the time, but the subject matter and emotions overwhelmed him, he says, and made him realize that theater can affect people in a way that matters. He was hookeds.

Nolan describes his character, Collins, as someone who floats in and out of people's lives, though those people know they can count on him. It's important for Collins to experience much of the world so that he can be knowledgeable about things.

"He's very politically charged and polarized that way. He stays real to the facts and what matters," Nolan says.

Everything about "Rent" - the characters, the story, the music - helps make it the popular musical it is today, Okera says.

"The show came out when no other musical was doing what it does," he says. "The music is raunchy rock "n" roll and powerful, and its message gives people hope."

Audiences leave feeling as though they'll never be the same, Okera says. He knows because after he saw it, he knew he wanted to be part of the rich legacy that is "Rent."

"Rent" celebrated its 10th anniversary in April, and a film version of the rock musical came out in 2005. That's brought a new fan base to the show, Stein says. Much of the tour's audience is made up of new fans who are familiar with the movie and getting to see the live show for the first time.

"The movie was never going to live up to anything the show does. People are drawing a lot of comparisons, but they're such different mediums that they'll never get the feeling of the show and that live aspect from the movie," he says.

Nolan agrees. He's found that two types of people see the show: those who have only seen the movie and those who have followed the musical for the last 10 years.

Fans of the movie may have expectations of the live show, which is a different animal altogether, Nolan says. "In some ways, if they've only seen the movie, the play is a much more powerful experience."

Even for the cast. Okera, who always wanted to play Angel, says he's grown as a performer and as a person; he's learned about relating to people and accepting them for who they want to be, not for who they are.

"Being in 'Rent' is an overwhelming experience," Nolan says. "You have to be ready for it."

Tiffany St. Martin, features writer, can be reached at 745-7080, ext. 2035, or tstmartin@HeraldToday.com

If you go

What: "Rent"

Where: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Carol Morsani Hall, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa

When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6-7, 8 p.m. Sept. 8, 2 and 8 p.m. Sept. 9, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10

Tickets: Range from $25.50 to $58.50; purchase by visiting the Center's ticket office, calling (813) 229-STAR or 800-955-1045, or going to www.tbpac.org

Information: www.tbpac.org BEST SHOW TO SEE WITH YOUR MOM

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"Rent," set in the East Village of New York City is about being young in New York, being brave and being scared, being in love and being in trouble ... having hope, various times Sept. 6-10 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center; $28.50-$58.50.