'Rent' in Manila: Here's why you shouldn't miss PH staging of Jonathan Larson's iconic musical

Gear up, theater fans, as one of the most anticipated Broadway musicals, "Rent," is back in Manila!

Written by American composer and playwright Jonathan Larson, "Rent" follows a group of young artists trying to survive in Manhattan in New York City under the shadow of the HIV/AIDS.

The rock-inspired musical premiered on Broadway in 1996. Its Philippine staging this year stars an all-Filipino cast, including Kapuso singers Anthony Rosaldo, who will play the character Roger Davis, Garrett Bolden as Tom Collins, and Thea Astley as Mimi Marquez.

Here's why you shouldn't miss it the show.

1. Iconic musical scores

For those who are not in the know, "Rent" birthed the famous line "In 525,600 minutes, how do you measure a year in the life?" in the song "Seasons of Love."

Apart from this, other notable songs in the musical are "I'll Cover You," "Another Day," "What You Own," "No Day But Today," and many more.

2. 'Rent' is an award-winning musical

With multiple Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama award, the musical is a must-see not just for theater fans but for everyone.

"Rent" significantly bridged the gap between classic and contemporary theater, bringing an entirely new, younger, and diverse audience. It has paved the way for a new era on Broadway.

For the Manila show, Direk Robbie Guevara said their approach would be "drastically different" from its staging 14 years ago. Still, he assured that they would not be changing any scenes or rearranging the musical score.

3. The characters are not lovable, but you'll love the cast

They say deeply flawed and unlikeable characters make every story realistic and relatable to its audience. From the original cast to Filipino cast, their portrayal will make you feel empathetic for each character.

Aside from Anthony, Thea, and Garrett, also among the cast are Reb Atadero, Ian Pangilinan, Lance Reblando, Adrian Lindayag, Justine Peña, Jasmine Fitzgerald, Mica Fajardo, Fay Castro, Markki Stroem, Guji Lorenzana, Kai Banson, Jordan Andrews, Chesko Rodriguez, Misha Fabian, Abi Sulit, Vyen Villanueva, Molly Langle, and Paul Valdez.

The director revealed that from their first rehearsal, he told the cast that the roles they would portray were misfits and that they were not good people by circumstance.

"They're squatters, there's a hacker, there's somebody who kills a dog for money, things that today are not really as acceptable as before. We had to tackle those issues and portray them in a way where we want the audience to understand where they are coming from. The situation that made them deal with life the way they are dealing with it," he said.

4. 'Rent' tackles real-world situations and issues

The musical isn't all about the hums and rhymes, as it greatly portrays real-world situations and issues such as poverty, LGBTQA+ rights, drug addiction, and HIV/AIDS.

"Rent" explores a lot of truths that leave people thinking.

5. It will give you a new perspective on living your life

For some people, life is all about navigating success, but for some, life is about surviving each day. Some wonder how he or she will ever pay rent, and some are trying to just get through what they are going through.

"Rent" may have been released in the '90s, but the musical will always be a hit as it deals with real-time issues across the world.

Direk Robbie said one thing that he would love to leave to the audience's minds to think about is the question, "How will I live my life and others for the better?"

The Manila staging of "Rent" by 9Works Theatrical will run from April 19 to June 1 at the RCBC Theater Plaza.

Ticket prices start at P2,000 to P4,000, available via Ticket2Me at https://ticket2me.net/event/21690.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News