I first saw Rent in Melbourne in 1999 which featured Aussie talents Christine Anu and Rodger Corser. It blew my mind and left a lasting impression even after all these years, so when I found out on Thursday night that there was going to be a production in Jakarta this weekend I snapped the tickets right away for their first show on Friday night. I wasn’t disappointed. Mostly.

I think the cast did very well in presenting the show for the local audience –they snuck in a couple of local references which were cute but I kinda wish they didn’t, took me out of the scenes – and they sang great. Although I love the addition of the impromptu Saman dance in the cafe scene. In the Melbourne show Angel was my highlight of the performance but in this one it’s Maureen who stole the show.

That the songs and the lyrics came rushing back and filled my head and got me to sing along throughout the entire show after not having listened to the tracks for a little while shows how much of a mark it left on me. I just wish the stage wasn’t so brightly lit, it took away the focus from the main performances vs the chorus or background.

PS: In one scene Angel hit Mimi in the face with a stick, I think it was an accident because it was quite a swing. The whole cast paused for a few seconds and I could feel the shock from the stage. She apologized and they all continued with Mimi holding her cheek.
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