RENT. ΤΟ ΠΟΛΥΒΡΑΒΕΥΜΕΝΟ ΜΙΟΥΖΙΚΑΛ ΤΟΝ ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ

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Το πολυβραβευμένο ροκ μιούζικαλ "Rent" στην Ελλάδα!

in.gr, 2/7/2009
Το πολυβραβευμένο ροκ μιούζικαλ "Rent" του Jonathan Larson θα ανέβει τον προσεχή χειμώνα, στο Θέατρο Χώρα!
Το πολυβραβευμένο ροκ μιούζικαλ "Rent" του Jonathan Larson θα ανέβει τον προσεχή χειμώνα, στο Θέατρο Χώρα – Σκηνή Νέα Χώρα, κάνοντας πρεμιέρα τον Νοέμβριο, σε σκηνοθεσία της ταλαντούχας Θέμιδας Μαρσέλλου (Μαγαζάκι του Τρόμου, Grease κ.α.) και απόδοση κειμένου του Γιώργου Καπουτζίδη.

Το Rent, ένα από τα μακροβιότερα μιούζικαλ του Broadway, είναι φαινόμενο: έχει ήδη παρουσιαστεί σε 40 χώρες, μεταφραστεί σε 22 γλώσσες, βραβευτεί με βραβείο Pulitzer και με περισσότερα από 20 Tony και αλλά θεατρικά και μουσικά βραβεία!

Το Rent είναι ένα έργο που εκφράζει τη γενιά της τελευταίας 20ετιας, τα προβλήματα, τα αδιέξοδα, τις αγωνίες και τα όνειρά της - επίκαιρο όσο ποτέ στην Ελλάδα του σήμερα - το οποίο δεν είναι ένα κλασικό μιούζικαλ αλλά μια ροκ μουσική παράσταση με στάση ζωής!

Η ιδέα του Rent βασίζεται στην όπερα La Boheme του Puccini.

Πρωταγωνιστές, μια παρέα περιθωριακών στο Village της Νέας Υόρκης στη δεκαετία του '90, οι οποίοι ακροβατούν ανάμεσα στη ζωή και στο θάνατο, ζούνε τη χαρά της κάθε μέρας, ερωτεύονται, διεκδικούν, τραγουδούν, θυμώνουν, αγαπούν... κερδίζουν!

Ο νεαρός δημιουργός του Rent, Jonathan Larson, δούλευε χρόνια πάνω στο έργο με στόχο να γράψει ένα μιούζικαλ που να αφορά όμως τη δική του γενιά (γενιά του MTV όπως την έλεγε) με σύγχρονο ήχο, σύγχρονα πρόσωπα, σύγχρονη γλώσσα.

Ο στόχος του έγινε πραγματικότητα το 1996 και το Rent ήταν έτοιμο να ανέβει στην Νέα Υόρκη, όταν το πρωί της πρεμιέρας, ο Jonathan Larson βρέθηκε αναπάντεχα νεκρός στο σπίτι του, από ανεύρυσμα αορτής στα 35 του χρόνια.

Δεν πρόλαβε να δει το έργο του, που σημείωσε τεράστια επιτυχία αρχικά στην Αμερική και αργότερα σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο που αγάπησε τους ήρωες του και τη δίψα τους για ζωή, τη μουσική και τα τραγούδια του.

Το Rent είναι μια δυνατή, πολυπρόσωπη παραγωγή που έχει αναλάβει ο παραγωγός Γιώργος Λυκιαρδόπουλος (Highway Productions), με ζωντανή επί σκηνής ροκ μπάντα, έμπειρους και πολύ ταλαντούχους συντελεστές και ένα θίασο νέων ηθοποιών και τραγουδιστών με σκοπό να εξασφαλίσουν ένα μοναδικό αποτέλεσμα για τις μεγάλες απαιτήσεις του είδους.

Το Rent αποτελεί ένα στοίχημα για τους συντελεστές του, με μοναδικό στόχο το δυναμικό αυτό ροκ μιούζικαλ στο Θέατρο Χώρα να λάμψει και να αγαπηθεί όσο έχει και στον υπόλοιπο κόσμο.
Συντελεστές

Σκηνοθεσία – Απόδοση στίχων: Θέμις Μαρσέλλου Απόδοση κειμένου: Γιώργος Καπουτζίδης Ενορχήστρωση - μουσική διδασκαλία: Γιώργος Ζαχαρίου Χορογραφία: Αλέξανδρος Γιαννής Σκηνικά: Γιάννης Σκουρλέτης Φωτισμοί: Τάσος Ζαφειρόπουλος

Πρωταγωνιστούν: Αργύρης Αγγέλου, Πάνος Μουζουράκης / Ησαΐας Ματιάμπα (σε διπλή διανομή), Άντα Λιβιτσάνου, Αλίνα Κωτσόβουλου, Αντιγόνη Ψυχράμη, Μίνως Θεοχάρης, Βασίλης Αξιώτης, Χρήστος Γεωργαλής, Μαριάννα Γερασιμίδου, Τάσος Φωτιάδης, Νατάσσα Καρακατσάνη, Στέργιος Νταουσανάκης και η Θέμις Μαρσέλλου.

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Synopsis

Act I

The first act of the show takes place on Christmas Eve. The show begins as Mark Cohen, a filmmaker and the narrator of the show, begins shooting an unscripted documentary in his loft. He turns the camera on his roommate and best friend Roger Davis. Roger is a songwriter and former drug addict whose girlfriend committed suicide upon discovering that they were HIV-positive . Mark's mother interrupts the filming with a phone call; she reassures Mark about his performance-artist girlfriend Maureen Johnson dumping him for a woman.

Roger and Mark's friend Tom Collins arrives at their building but is beaten up and mugged before he can enter. Meanwhile, Roger and Mark receive a call from former friend and roommate, Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III. Benny married into a wealthy family and bought Mark and Roger's apartment building as well as the lot next door. He tells them the rent is due, despite his promise to let them live in the apartment for free . Mark and Roger decide to rebel against Benny and refuse to pay their rent (Rent).

Meanwhile, Joanne Jefferson, Maureen's new girlfriend, is working to set up for Maureen's performance protesting Benny's plan to develop the lot where many homeless people are currently living, when the sound system blows. Maureen calls Mark against Joanne's wishes, asking him to fix the sound system; Mark agrees to help against his better judgment. Back on the street, Angel Dumott Schunard, a street drummer and drag queen, spots Collins injured and comes to his aid; they leave together to tend to Collins's wounds. They are instantly attracted to one another and quickly discover that they both have AIDS (You Okay Honey?). The two quickly fall deeply in love.

Back at the loft, Roger attempts to write a great song to make his mark on the world before he dies of AIDS (One Song Glory). Roger is interrupted by a knock on his door. He answers it to find Mimi Márquez, a beautiful stranger asking him for a match to light a candle due to the power failure. Roger thinks he has seen her before and soon realizes that he saw her working as an S&M dancer at a club. Roger learns that she is a nineteen-year-old junkie who lives in the apartment downstairs (Light My Candle). There is mutual attraction, but Roger is hesitant to flirt as this is his first romantic situation since April's death.

Collins finally arrives at the loft. He introduces Mark and Roger to Angel (Today 4 U) just as Benny arrives with an offer for the roommates: if they convince Maureen to cancel her protest, he will let them live in the loft rent-free (You'll See); however, the two rebuff his offer. After Benny leaves, Angel and Collins invite Mark and Roger to attend Life Support, a local HIV support group meeting (Life Support).

Mark arrives at the lot and meets Joanne. While fixing the sound equipment, Mark tells Joanne of how Maureen flirted and cheated with other men while he dated her (Tango: Maureen). Mark feels better after the exchange, but Joanne becomes suspicious. Back at the loft, Mimi arrives and asks Roger to take her out for the night (Out Tonight). Roger, however, rejects her, telling her he can't love again, and demands that she leave (Another Day). However, Roger thinks it over and ends up leaving the loft to go to Maureen's protest. Mark and Roger meet up before the protest. Roger spots Mimi on her way to buy drugs from a dealer. He intercepts her and apologizes, inviting her to come to the protest and dinner with them instead, to which she agrees.

On the subway, on their way to the show, Collins talks about opening up a restaurant in Santa Fe (Santa Fe). As Mark leaves to go double check everythings okay for Maureen's show, Collins and Angel confess their love for each other (I'll Cover You). Maureen arrives and begins her performance: A thinly-veiled criticism of Benny through a metaphor involving a cow and a bulldog, culminating in her urging the crowd to "moo" with her (Over The Moon). The protest results in a riot that Mark catches on camera. Afterward, the group goes to the Life Café, where they run into Benny and his investor and father-in-law Mr. Grey. Benny criticizes the protest and the group's Bohemian lifestyle, declaring that Bohemia is dead. Mark gets up and delivers a mock eulogy for Bohemia, and all the bohemians in the café rise up and celebrate La Vie Boheme, ("the bohemian life"), joyfully paying tribute to everything they love about life while dancing on the tables, driving Mr. Grey from the café (La Vie Boheme A).

Mimi confronts Roger about ignoring her during dinner. Roger explains that he is trying but he has baggage that she doesn't know about that is holding him back. Mimi says she has baggage too and is not waiting for someone perfect. She says life is too short to waste time on taking things slow. Then Mimi's beeper goes off, reminding her to take her AZT, and Roger and Mimi each discover that the other is HIV-positive. They talk openly for the first time and despite their uncertainties and fears, they finally take the plunge into starting a relationship (I Should Tell You), and rejoin the group (La Vie Boheme B).

Act II

The act opens with the entire cast lined up at the front of the stage singing "Seasons of Love" - a song which contemplates how to measure a year in a life. The second act takes place over the course of the year following the first act, beginning on New Years Eve.Mimi, Mark, and Roger attempt to break into their building, which has been padlocked in response to Maureen's protest. Mimi and Roger are happy and say their past week together has been great. Mimi optimistically makes a New Year's resolution to give up her addiction and go back to school. Joanne and Maureen also decide to try a relationship again (Happy New Year) . Collins and Angel arrive bearing a blowtorch. As the others work on the door, Mark, Joanne and Maureen climb the fire escape into the loft and find a message on the answering machine that Buzzline, a tabloid newsmagazine wants to hire Mark as a director after having seen his footage of the riot.

The others finally break through the door just as Benny arrives. He says he's there to call a truce and offer Mark and Roger a key, but the group doesn't trust him. He reveals that Mimi came to talk to him and that he and Mimi used to date. He suggests that Mimi came onto him. This revelation upsets Roger and he briefly rebuffs Mimi before Angel settles everyone down. Roger and Mimi both apologize, but Mimi remains upset. The group leaves except for Mimi, who turns to the drug dealer for a fix.

On Valentine's Day, Maureen and Joanne have a fight while rehearsing for a new protest, and begin to fight. They give each other ultimatums to take each other as they are or leave (Take Me Or Leave Me). Joanne is not able to accept Maureen's flirtatious and non-committal ways and Maureen cannot take Joanne's controlling behavior so they break up. By spring, Roger and Mimi's relationship becomes strained and Angel's health deteriorates. Roger has been living with Mimi in her apartment for two months and he keeps talking about selling his guitar and moving out of town. Mimi comes home late again after secretly buying drugs, causing Roger to believe that she is cheating on him with Benny. Roger jealously storms out, Mimi stops him and tries to tell him the truth (that she is not cheating and that she is still using) but can't get the words out, and Roger leaves her. Collins continues nursing Angel who is very sick as AIDS begins to overtake him. Mark continues to receive calls from Buzzline. Eventually, Roger and Mimi, and Joanne and Maureen reconcile (Without You).

They then break up just as quickly. They are frustrated in their relationships, because they cannot trust and fully commit to one another. At the same time, Angel dies and Collins is heartbroken (Contact, I'll Cover You Reprise). Mark expresses his fear of being the only one left surviving when the rest of his friends die of AIDS. He finally accepts the job offer from Buzzline. Roger reveals that he is leaving New York for Santa Fe, which sparks an argument about commitment between he and Mimi, and Maureen and Joanne. Collins arrives and admonishes the entire group for fighting on the day of Angel's funeral and that the "family" is breaking up. Maureen and Joanne realize their fighting is petty and they reconcile. Mimi tries to go to Roger, but he turns away from her and she leaves with Benny.

As Roger prepares to leave the city, he gets into a fight with Mark. Mark accuses Roger of running away because he is afraid of watching Mimi die and asks Roger how could he let Mimi go. Roger accuses Mark of hiding in his work. When Roger leaves the apartment, he finds that Mimi, who has come to say goodbye, has heard everything (Goodbye Love). She bids Roger a tearful goodbye saying she just came to tell her love goodbye and does not blame him for leaving. He is confused, but quickly leaves before reconsidering. Mark suggests that Mimi enroll in a clinic and Benny suggests rehab, which he offers to pay for. Instead, Mimi runs away. Collins is then ejected from the church as he is unable to pay for Angel's funeral. Benny tells the pastor that he will take care of the bill. He, Collins and Mark reconcile.

In Santa Fe, Roger cannot forget Mimi; back in New York, Mark is working for Buzzline. They both have an artistic epiphany, as Roger finally finds his song in Mimi and Mark finds his film in Angel's memory. Roger returns to New York just in time for Christmas and Mark quits Buzzline to work on his own film. On Christmas Eve, Mark is preparing to screen his finished documentary (What You Own). Roger is ecstatic about finding his song but is worried because he cannot find Mimi. Collins arrives with money, revealing that he rigged a nearby ATM to dispense free cash when "A-N-G-E-L" is typed in. Suddenly, Maureen and Joanne arrive carrying Mimi who is sick and delirious. Roger realizes Mimi is seriously ill and might not have much longer. They finally clear up their misunderstandings as Mimi grows weaker. She begins to fade but not before telling Roger that she loves him (Finale A). Roger tells her to hold on as he plays her the song her wrote for her. As he finishes, Roger finally tells Mimi that he has always loved her (Your Eyes). As they kiss, Mimi goes limp and Roger cries out in grief. Then, suddenly, Mimi gasps and awakens, her fever breaking. She says that she was heading into a warm, white light and that Angel was there, telling her to turn back. Mimi and Roger embrace and Roger thanks God that this is not his last moment with Mimi. Everyone begins to sing the Life Support message of the fleetingness of life and reaffirm that there is "no day but today". At the same time, Mark screens his documentary. At the climax of the finale, Angel appears on stage to sing the last line with the rest of the company (Finale B).

Main characters

• Mark Cohen, a struggling documentary filmmaker, the narrator of the show. He is Roger's and Collins's roommate until Collins moves out; he is also Maureen's ex-boyfriend.

• Roger Davis, A once successful, but now, struggling musician who's HIV + and an "ex-junkie." He hopes to write one last meaningful song before he dies. He is having a hard time coping with the fact that he, along with many others around him, know that they are going to die. His girlfriend April killed herself after finding out she and he had HIV. He is roommates with Mark.

• Tom Collins, a gay anarchist with AIDS. He is described by Mark as a "computer genius; teacher; vagabond anarchist who ran naked through the Parthenon." Collins dreams of opening a restaurant in Santa Fe, where the problems in New York will not affect him and his friends. He was formerly a roommate of Roger, Mark, Benny, and Maureen. Then Roger and Mark, until he moves in with Angel.

• Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III, Landlord of Mark, Roger and Mimi's apartment building and ex-roommate of Mark, Collins, Roger, and Maureen. Now married to Alison Grey of the Westport Greys and is considered a yuppie sell-out by his ex-roommates.

• Joanne Jefferson, an Ivy League-educated public interest lawyer, and a lesbian. Joanne is the woman for whom Maureen left Mark. Joanne has very important parents (one is undergoing confirmation to be a judge, the other is a political figure).

• Angel Dumott Schunard, a drag queen, street percussionist with AIDS. He is Collins's love interest.

• Mimi Márquez, A club dancer and drug addict who has AIDS. She lives downstairs from Mark and Roger, and is Roger's love interest.

• Maureen Johnson, a bisexual performance artist; Mark's ex-girlfriend, and Joanne's current girlfriend. She is very flirtatious and cheated on both Mark and Joanne. (en.wikipedia.org)