From Audience to Actor: Robert St. Laurence Describes "One Song Glory"

Yesterday, audience member Andrew Caplan posed this question for Robert St. Laurence (currently playing Roger in RENT) on New Rep's facebook page. Today, Robert has answered in great depth! Let New Rep's facebook page be a forum for your questions. Like us, write us: http://www.facebook.com/newrep



Andrew Caplan:

I have a question for Robert St. Laurence: What goes through you mind as you sing "One Song Glory," and how do you think the song affects the rest of the opera?

................................ 

Robert's Response:

Dear Andrew,

One Song Glory is a tough number to perform, mainly due to the fragmentation of the thoughts expressed. I mean, just getting the lyrics right is an enormous task, with all the random 'one song' and 'glory' lyrics scattered about the number. The song mainly expresses Roger's feeling behind the need to write this "one great song." These thoughts and feelings are what drive his actions throughout the story.

There are many layers-- the first being his need to connect with the world and the people around him. He is so plagued by his inability to open himself up to his friends, and he works to do that the only way he knows how, through music. Part of the reason he fails to connect to the world is his constant reliving and inability to accept the past; the main events relevant to this song being the loss of April and contracting HIV. He has already declared his life to be over, and sees his only hope in making a mark on the world as leaving behind "one great song," before he dies.

As the number begins, Roger is in a place of doubt, mocking his 'mantra' of writing one great song. It's the one thing he's held on to for the last couple months/years, and as time passes he loses faith that he can complete this task or that he is even worthy or capable of writing something worthy of glory. He jabs at himself, mocking his previous image and lifestyle as the "pretty boy front man." This is one of Roger's go-to defense mechanisms: to deflect or push away. He grapples with what glory even means, and what is deserving of it. He resents April for taking the easy way out and leaving him to suffer a seemingly endless life of self-imposed isolation and torment. He repeatedly tries to block out his demons, refocusing on the task at hand. Toward the end of the song, a large truth is revealed when he questions a greater power condemning a "young man" to such a bleak fate, and expresses his fear and desire for release from the prison of life.

One Song Glory encompasses much of what drives or inhibits Roger, and much of the drama of the show regarding his character's arc focuses on how this objectives and beliefs hold-up or change when in direct conflict with other characters'. The biggest moment being the final song: Your Eyes. He finally finds the song that will leave his mark on the world and allow him to connect to Mimi, but realizes that the 'perfect song' can't do what an honest and open 'I love you' can. He spends most of the play building a wall to protect himself from the outside world, while others chisel away at it, and in the end he makes the decision to take it down completely. And in that moment, he completes his growth into embracing his loved ones and the fragile present he lives in.

That was a really long answer to a short question, but I hope that gives you an idea of in inner process throughout the song and show.

Sincerely,
Robert St. Laurence

Collected Stories: First Rehearsals @ New Rep

With RENT extended to October 2nd, it may be easy to forget that Collected Stories is opening just one week later! (Previews October 9th, Opening Night October 10th) This past Tuesday afternoon, staff, supporters, actors, and designers gathered for Collected Stories' First Rehearsals @ New Rep event.

A smaller production than RENT, this first rehearsal provided a much more intimate experience for its viewers, who were welcomed first by Director Bridget Kathleen O'Leary.

O'Leary described her own involvement with the play as an undergraduate student, compared to her perception of the play now. "I understood the concept of a mother...a maternal relationship," she explained, "I did not yet understand the relationship between a mentor and a mentee." O'Leary played the role of Ruth, soon to be performed in New Rep's production by Bobbie Steinbach.

As the designers spoke, the characters and their surroundings began taking form. Props Designer Joe Stallone is searching for (and happily accepting) donated books to line the front of the stage to create an old-shelf feel to even the boundaries of the stage itself. If you are interested in donated your books, please contact Joe Stallone at joe.stallone@verizon.net.

 

Meanwhile, Scenic Designer Jenna McFarland Lord showed viewers her beautiful model of the set, describing her visions for both warm and cool tones to balance the scene. 

 The decor of the apartment is trapped in the 60s, a time when Ruth felt life was at it best, and Lord plans to add little hints of the modern world and Lisa's presence in Ruth's life through small bouquets of flowers and other minimal touches. Lighting Designer Deb Sullivan complements Lord's work with the concept of using the cyc to portray a textural space, even movie-reel-esque in feel. Sound Designer David Reiffel furthers the experience with the use of speakers in key locations to bring sounds of the city streets to Ruth's window, and music to her record player. His take on the music was fascinating; his concept being to use both old and new interpretations of Miles Davis' work to replicate the relationship of the two characters. 

Costume Designer Tyler Kinney finished the presentation before the actors began their reading of the play. He and O'Leary spoke of a casual, put-together style for Ruth. He then displayed before and after images of "College Lisa" and "Successful, Sexy Lisa."

If this first rehearsal is any indication, Collected Stories promises to be an intimate, touching play with rich context, sets, lighting, and sound. Buy tickets now at http://newrep.org/collected_stories.php.

RENT still has an impact

by Jana Pollack, New Rep Reviewer

Like many theater people, I have a special place in my heart for RENT. Despite my inner cynic, the opening chords of "One Song Glory" can bring tears to my eyes in an instant. I know all the lyrics and, when I hear them, I’m instantly transported back to high school, when I first saw and fell in love with the show. As a teenager, the youthful rebellion it projects seemed to be giving voice to my own confusion.

Now, coming to New Rep’s version as a 25-year old working adult, I was surprised to find myself less invested in the journeys of these characters - to find myself questioning their economic situation and their dedication to the abstract idea of being an “artist”. Still, Jonathan Larsen's final work presents some concrete, lovable characters; and while there are soap opera moments, there are moments of truth that continue to resonate.

Under Benjamin Evett's direction, New Rep’s RENT provides much to be admired. Chiefly, I admired Nick Sulfaro's performance as Angel, the transvestite whom we first meet busking on the streets of Manhattan. As the only character who seems to lack flaws, Angel can be hard to make into a whole person; here, I felt that I knew Angel and I loved her, and the credit goes to Sulfaro’s full-bodied performance.

John Ambrosino's Mark also stands out. As the narrator, Mark is not given a whole lot to work with; we never get to know him and he doesn't really have a point of view of his own. However, as a performer, Ambrosino stands out: he was always on - on key, on point, exactly where he needed to be. I believed him as Mark, the detached filmmaker, and I loved watching him.

Robert St. Laurence, as Roger, was not as strong on opening night. In that performance he seemed nervous, and he was never able to fully embody his character. While he is clearly very talented and has a beautiful and resonant voice, he didn’t quite seem comfortable on stage and in Roger’s skin.

Evett makes a number of choices to distinguish his version of RENT. Perhaps the most daring is his use of full nudity towards the end of the show. Unfortunately, this choice serves to divert attention from the agony of the moment, and I wished the clothes had remained on and the audience had been allowed to experience grief without distraction.

Overall, this production is just RENT - it does not stray too far from the original formula, and therefore embodies all of the flaws and strengths inherent in the piece. It is often corny (it charts the course of a year in holidays, starting with Christmas Eve and moving through New Years, Halloween, etc) and melodramatic (someone comes near death and then returns having seen a tunnel of light), but still manages to soar above those calculated moments and touch something real. These characters seem to be suffering greatly without any real explanation (many have seemingly well-off parents who turn up in funny voicemail messages), and yet they make us believe that their struggle for their art and for love is not just worthwhile, but valiant.

New Rep's RENT

by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

I love RENT. There, I said it. I’ve loved from the first time I saw the Original Broadway Cast in 1996 through the many incarnations I have seen since. Now that we have established my bias, we can talk about New Rep’s production. The performance opening night was uneven and while there were many strong points, there were others that still need to be addressed. Director Benjamin Evett and Choreographer Kelli Edwards make a real effort not to duplicate the Broadway production (let's not mention the movie) – some of the choices work, while others didn’t seem necessary.

Nick Sulfaro’s Angel was wonderful, from the time he enters early in act one, you’re drawn to his character and the warmth, love, and later vulnerability and pain emanating from Angel. His two big numbers, “Today 4 U” and “Contact”, (both of which are often done with pre-recorded tracks, but were instead played live with a reduced orchestration), are two of the best numbers in the show. My other favorite moment (and performer) in this production was Aimee Doherty’s Maureen and her rendition of “Over The Moon.” One rarely gets to see Aimee in this type of a role, but she excels and brings down the house. The chemistry between Maureen and her lover, Joanne (Robin Long) was also great as evidenced in their number “Take Me.” There were other nice touches to this production that I appreciated, including the interplay during “Another Day” between the life support group and Mimi/Roger which really added to the number. Also, don’t miss the cute Monty Python reference in “La Vie Boehme.” I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Kathyrn Kawecki’s set – it was great and incorporated many elements including a cool street lamp.

While there was a lot that I enjoyed, the production was not without its flaws. Many of the issues I feel could be remedied; for example sound issues with microphones as well as issues of balance where I couldn’t hear the ensemble well. For me, this really detracted from some of the powerful moments in the show. The band in the opening number seemed muted and restrained. The opening number, “RENT” lacked the energy and tempo I was hoping for – it wasn’t the big rock number I had hoped to hear. This seemed to be the case for the majority of the first act with some exceptions. There are additional directorial decisions - the changing of the orchestration in “I’ll Cover You” and Mimi’s actions during “I’ll Cover You” which I thought detracted, but unless you are a diehard RENT fan, you will likely not notice them.
I’m glad that New Rep chose to tackle RENT and forge a new direction by not mimicking other productions. I may see this production again later in the run in the hope that what I observed in one performance were anomalies. I still love RENT and I hope if you see this production, you will share my love for the show.

"RENT": Overdue

by Jack Craib, New Rep Reviewer

After twelve years on Broadway, a 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and a Pulitzer Prize, a video of the final performance, a film version, and a recent Off-Broadway revival, it’s safe to say that the New Rep production of “RENT” is probably well overdue. At the time of its first production it was notorious for its upfront treatment of the AIDS epidemic as well as the fact that its triple threat creator Jonathan Larson (book, music and lyrics) died suddenly just before its first preview performance. He had loosely based it on Puccini’s “La Boheme”, exactly one hundred years after the opera premiered, substituting HIV for tuberculosis as the central crisis. “RENT” was then, and still is, considered a watershed for rock operas, with over three dozen songs and seven major characters.

That’s a lot of territory to cover in just over two hours, and therein has always been its most significant failing. With so many protagonists to follow, there’s not much back story time left in which to get to know or care about most of them. A production that doesn’t involve its audience can seem as though it lasts all of 525,600 minutes (the total time in a year as given in its most famous song, “Seasons of Love”). This is the fourth version this reviewer has seen, and it’s also the first to (almost) overcome the challenge.

Credit for the success of this production must first go to the extraordinarily fluid direction by Benjamin Evett and choreography by Kelli Edwards; their collaboration is certainly a marriage made in theatrical heaven. It’s the definition of the word “seamless”, as they managed to keep their sizable cast constantly moving as integral parts of the central action without upstaging one another. They are aided in large part by the versatile scenic design by Kathryn Kawecki and the incomparable musical direction by Todd C. Gordon. At times the far reaches of the set and the volume of the four piece orchestra can conspire to drown out some of the lyrics, but this is a welcome trade-off for the intrusive and distracting wraparound concert microphones used in most productions of the work.

Credit should of course also go to the enthusiastic performances by Robert St. Laurence as Roger, Eve Kagan as Mimi, John Ambrosino as Mark, Robin Long as Joanne, and Maurice E. Parent as Tom Collins. The incredibly versatile Aimee Doherty as Maureen shows off a totally new side (at one point quite literally), though her biggest number, the hilarious performance-art “Over the Moon”, literally stops the show, and not in a good way; she’s terrific, but the momentum of the plot is derailed. In the pivotal role of Angel, Nick Sulfaro comes closest to presenting a believable, fully realized person, emotionally involving perhaps more for his/her representing many victims rather than truly having had much opportunity to develop his individual character.

Those reservations aside, the musical surprisingly earned the Tony for best book, but less surprisingly best score. With songs such as “Without You”, “I’ll Cover You” and even a few gratuitous nods to Puccini‘s “Musetta’s Waltz”, as well as almost continuous recitative, it outshines most of its subsequent rock score imitators. There are some missteps (would these street people really break out in a song such as “La Vie Boheme”?) but Larson’s achievement is ultimately memorable. While this will never be this reviewer’s favorite musical, in New Rep’s version, fans of the work should feel that this “RENT” pays off.

New "Season of Love" at New Rep

While watching New Rep’s RENT, the audience forgets that they have already seen the movie, that they know the plot-line and the characters’ fates even before Mark (John Ambrosino) rolls his video camera.  Watching the cast, you can’t help but be re-absorbed into the lives of the characters presented.

Robert St. Laurence performs Roger brilliantly.  He walks through each scene stricken with sadness, his face gaunt and his eyes rimmed in red.  Even while singing the flirtatious duet “Light My Candle” with the coy exotic dancer Mimi (Eve Kagan), he manages to look exhausted.  He sings “One Song Glory” proudly, but with a note of desolation in his voice that makes the song unforgettable.

Nick Sulfaro, who is endearing and funny as Angel as he sings about getting paid to kill a yapping dog in “Today 4 U,” has an instant chemistry with everyone else on stage.  Aimee Doherty is equally quirky as Maureen with her avant garde protest and exasperated outburst that “There will always be a woman in rubber flirting with me!”

The scenery of the play is not so much bounded, as sketched.  The framework for an apartment, and performance space, and doorstep, and cafe are all there, but it takes the actors to bring life to this framework.  Their vitality turns even a wood-burning stove and a fire-escape into a home.  From the multi-colored flyers lining the walls of the theater space to the industrial scaffolding framing Roger and Mark’s warehouse apartment, the stage has a 3-dimensionality that emphasizes the complexities of the characters' lives.  As the cast takes the stage for an AIDS support meeting, Roger is off-center in the shadows, quietly strumming on his guitar, reinforcing his solitude.  The complexity is also seen as members of the ensemble periodically watch from the second story, revealing that the story is bigger than the lives of this group of friends, that there are lives going on outside of the performance.  

Several choruses repeat the line: “There’s only us/ there’s only this/ forget regret, or life is yours to miss.” RENT is, at its heart, a celebration of life.  As the homeless warm their freezing hands over the fire or the artists “moo” along with Maureen, the audience is struck by their togetherness, and that is the most memorable part of the performance.  

-- Victoria Petrosino

RENT: Better than Broadway

Having seen RENT on Broadway over a decade ago, I was concerned about how it would fit on the smaller New Rep stage. It’s such an enormous, explosive show! I needn’t have worried.

The Charles Mosesian Theater has cleverly been transformed into a persuasive replica of a mid-90s New York City street and loft, complete with endless colorful posters dotting the walls of the set and extending into the audience area. This intentional rupturing of the “fourth wall” continues throughout the performance, as the actors draw the audience in through song, direct address, and, at one point, collaborative mooing. The gritty, industrial set is the first clue that, if you come to see RENT, you’re in for a wild ride.

Know this before you go: RENT is not for the faint of heart. It’s an energetic show, one that demands heart and soul from both its performers and its viewers. The musicians and actors/singers in New Rep’s staging of this classic are top-notch, across the board. For the most part, the opening-night audience was right there with them; only a few poor, startled souls left at intermission shaking their heads. RENT is a raunchy, joyful, foul-languaged, heart-wrenching, nudity-strewn, make-you-laugh-and-cry-at-the-same-time kind of show. You have to know that going in.

Once you accept (dare I say love?) the swearing, sexual fluidity, the transvestism, the unflinching look at AIDS and death and drugs, the ribaldry, the in-your-face-ish-ness of it all, you can start to appreciate the high quality of this particular performance. It’s better than the one I saw on Broadway, all those years ago, which, then several years into its run, had grown stale and somewhat rote. New Rep’s version quivers with new energy, fresh pain, and a whole lot of talent. Never mind that most of these actors were babes-in-arms when AIDS began to ravage the gay, street, and artistic communities portrayed here; they have taken up the mantle and gestalt of that time and reawakened it for all of us.

Kudos to the director, the musicians, and the actors. Of particular note are the star performers, not a weak link among them. John Ambrosio as Mark carries the show, moving it along at a rapid clip with nary a voice falter (although, unfortunately, the sound system was not so steady; here’s hoping that will be fixed shortly). Eve Kagan, recently seen in “Passing Strange,” is achingly young, jittery, and haunted as Mimi, who brags that she has the “best ass below 14^th street.” That title is contested by Maureen in her skin-tight black pants and chains. (What a joy to see Aimee Doherty get to play the bad girl for once!). Robin Long is pitch-perfect as the whip-smart, jealous Joanne, while Danny Bryck is perfectly sleazy. Robert St. Laurence is appropriately angsty and moody as Roger, and Maurice Parent slips smoothly into the skin of Tom Collins. But really it is Nick Sulfaro, in his New Rep debut, who steals the stage. His playful flamboyance lights up the stage whenever he makes an entrance but doesn’t obscure his wisdom and good heart as the others revolve around him.

~ Shauna Shames, with Johanna Ettin

RENT: A fun prop!

by Joe Stallone, Properties Designer

With every show I work on, I always have a "favorite" prop and a "most fun to make" prop.  For RENT, my favorite prop is the squeegee. 

I like its unique shape and size and the red handle gives it some spark - even when scratched, broken, and faded.  I like that I knew exactly what it would look like the instant I read it in the script.  This prop tells a whole story about its owner.  This mundane, broken-and-fixed odd little cleaning implement tells us of his resiliency, his desperation to keep a grasp on his pride and his dignity before it is lost forever along with any remembrance of who he was and could be again.  The squeege is his livelihood and his lifeline.  And... it's a fun, quirky thing with a fun, quirky name.  Go on, say it: "Squeegee!"

Coming next... My "most fun to make" RENT prop.