"Rent" - maybe not

It's not my favorite piece of performance art in the first place. I saw it on Broadway in 2004 and didn't like it. Saw the movie sometime later and cried. Agreed to see The Atlanta Lyric Theatre's production because a) some fantastic people are in it and b) I've never been to the Strand Theater.

Now I gotta tell ya - the Strand is beautiful. The lobby reminded me of something out of 1920s/30s style. Very good decor. Didn't realize there was a balcony. Bathrooms could have been bigger, but that's the complaint of every woman who goes to theatre.

So, the show - eh. I agreed with one of my friends who came with me: it shouldn't be billed as a "musical" but more of a "concert." Choreography was fantastic, but what would you expect from Ricardo Aponte, who, btw, is bigger than this town. He's just exceptional!

All the acting was very good, very standard. No one was really standing out - everyone worked as a unit. A group. It was a true ensemble. Angel, played by Adam Carl Peyton, stood out for a while, but even in the ensemble scenes, he didn't steal it - he worked with everyone. There were a couple of places where the music was louder than the actors: one I definitely can remember was Act II when Angel was surrounded by the white blanket cover and he was singing...well, his mouth was moving. The music was just too loud.

Would have loved to have seen more of Googie Uterhardt and Jas Sams, just because I've seen them do other things and their power on stage is fantastic as well. But maybe another time, another show.

It's not the actors' fault. It's not the Lyric's fault. It's not even the Strand's fault. It's just the story - the show itself. The audience reaction was more of what you would find at "Rocky Horror Picture Show" - we all know the music, it's a big hit, it's a legend - and it has no real point to it.

Break a leg is sent out to the cast - may they have a wonderful run, and before they become famous, may I see each and every one of them in another show.