In honour of yet another brilliant mind gone too soon, Jonathan Larson (creator of smash sensation Rent) it was a very emotional 2023 trip to the Stratford Festival. We got to experience an artistic masterpiece of musical theatre from director Thom Allison, and music director, Franklin Brasz that holds such a passionate and sentimental value. With an outstanding Rent cast, thanks to the brilliant casting from Beth Russel, we can raise from our seats and proudly shout from the rooftops that love IS love.
If you’ve seen the film Rent, or even Larson’s, Tick, Tick... Boom! be prepared for something completely out of the box with this musical that is provocative, progressive and full of energy. The stories share many common themes, such as: struggle, identity and belonging.
Choreographer, Marc Kimelman, has the ability to transform moments on stage into memories that will live on far beyond when the curtains close.
A few highlights for me:
👉Gabriel Antonacci’s touching version of "One Song Glory".
👉Nestor Lozano Jr.'s portrayal as drag queen and life-giving Angel, who is appropriately named with an angelic vocal range and stunning presence on stage.
👉Lee Siegel’s emotional “I’ll Cover You” (reprise). The flood gates opened and there wasn't a dry eye around.
I can go on and on, but I won’t because reading about this experience is just one layer, you need to be there, watching the vulnerability unfold on stage. While it might shock some audiences with a handful of provocative scenes and language that could offend, we’re getting past the surface here and digging deep into the emotional rawness of these characters lives told through performance and song.
Maybe you’re not an addict, confused about your identity, hiv+ or even on the verge of a mental breakdown, but you know what? If you are, that's alright. You still deserve to live a life of dignity. Why? Because as echoed in the musical, life can be really fu**ing weird!
While going through a lot of struggles right now, Rent couldn’t have come out at a better time to teach me some valuable lessons that can often be forgotten in moments that we cannot change and cause great amounts of despair.
For anyone out there trying to navigate the darkness, forget regret or life is yours to miss.
Don't let time run out, book your tickets for the 2023 season!
💜Official website: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/
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