‘Rent’ star riffs on love, fame and … ‘Rent’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Rent,’ Jonathan Larson’s rock-opera opus, is a veritable sacred cow to many theater… ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Rent,’ Jonathan Larson’s rock-opera opus, is a veritable sacred cow to many theater fans. So when Anthony Rapp announced a theatrical adaptation of his memoir about his time starring in the popular show, one that would feature Larson’s music, one question lingered: Is Rapp worshipping the sacred cow or simply milking it? ‘ ‘ ‘ Anxious fans can rest easy ‘mdash; ‘Without You,’ playing now on City Theatre’s cool, intimate main stage, doesn’t manipulate its audience’s sentimentality for ‘Rent,’ but rather uses the familiar songs to communicate its intrinsic emotions: grief, fear, love and acceptance. ‘ ‘ ‘ Rapp recently told The Pitt News that, ‘Music communicates on a different level than words alone can,’ which is evident to anyone who has read his memoir. Though the book, also titled ‘Without You,’ is able to give more details about his personal life, it is the music of this adaptation that breathes life into the story. In many cases, Larson’s emotionally charged music communicates Rapp’s feelings with more pathos than in the book. ‘ ‘ ‘ Still, this one-man, one-act show doesn’t rely solely on Larson’s songwriting for poignancy. Rapp punctuates his storytelling with several original compositions, most of which ‘mdash; like a rockabilly ditty about a tumor nicknamed ‘Wild Bill’ ‘mdash; stack up with the ‘Rent’ tunes. Others ‘mdash; noticeably a poppy love song about his then-boyfriend ‘mdash; interrupt the show’s momentum. ‘ ‘ ‘ The show begins with Rapp’s audition for ‘Rent,’ complete with him and the four-man band onstage rocking out in a thumping, energetic rendition of REM’s ‘Losing My Religion.’ Though Rapp spends the next 90 minutes describing the origins of ‘Rent,’ the impact of Jonathan Larson’s death and his mother’s long battle with cancer, consider it a rough CliffsNotes version of the book. What happened to his boyfriend, whom he so dearly loved? When, why and how did he eventually leave ‘Rent?’ The answers are somewhere, but here they remain unanswered, left hanging in the air unresolved by curtain call. ‘ ‘ ‘ Instead this is a play about emotion, not answers ‘mdash; capturing the essence of a moment rather than its details. One of Rapp’s original songs repeats the line, ‘The only way out is through,’ a credo that is clearly at this show’s heart. His performance as a storyteller is a tribute, an exercise in honoring important memories by working through them ‘mdash; in this case, in a very public forum. ‘ ‘ ‘ This is a performance, though, not a therapy session, which begs the question: Is it entertaining? While one-man shows, particularly memoirs, might carry the stigma of self-indulgence, ‘Without You’ is a relatable and emotionally honest story carried by Rapp’s relentless enthusiasm. Characters are given life with subtlety and respect. Decades in the spotlight ‘mdash; including starring in City Theatre’s production of the one-man ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ ‘mdash; have taught Rapp how to stay light on his feet, working all sides of his three-piece stage and reaching audience members from the closest cocktail table to the back row. ‘ ‘ ‘ More than 10 years since ‘Rent’ opened on Broadway, Anthony Rapp is still hanging on. An evening at ‘Without You,’ though, shows that he has nothing but love and respect for the material ‘mdash; the kind of love that any other fan of the show can unquestionably identify with. This Sunday, ‘Rent’ closed on Broadway. With Anthony Rapp and ‘Without You,’ however, its spirit won’t yet be forgotten.