ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Theater

‘La Vie Boheme’ ‘Rent’ musical marks its 25th anniversary

NEW YORK, March 2, (Agencies): Twenty-fi ve years ago, stage actors Adam Pascal and Daphne Rubin- Vega had been cast in a new, edgy musical downtown and wondered if anyone would remember it. “Can you imagine us in 25 years talking about this show and singing these songs?” Pascal wondered to his co-star. “We laughed about it, as if like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s crazy. That’ll never happen.’” Well, it’s happening. The musical was “Rent” and it celebrated its silver anniversary this year with an online gala and a lot of gratitude from generations of fans. Jonathan Larson’s tale of free-spirited artists and street people in New York’s gritty drug- and AIDS- plagued East Village of the early 1990s was inspired by Puccini’s “La Boheme” and found a ready-made audience in young people. “It gives people hope who feel that ‘I’m different’ and ‘I don’t fi t.’ This says ‘It doesn’t matter’,” says James Nicola, artistic director of New York Theater Workshop, which nur- tured “Rent.” ”It says, ‘You can go out and make your own community.’” Pascal New York Theater Work- shop celebrated “Rent” with a gala on March 2 that will be available to stream through March 6. Original cast members will be joined by theater stars such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Neil Patrick Harris, Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Ali Stro- ker, Eva Noblezada and Christopher Jackson. Tickets begin at $25. “Rent” won Tony Awards for best musical, score and book and a Pulitzer Prize. It lasted on Broad- way for 12 years and more than 5,000 performances, A model wears a creation as part of the Daniel Del Core women’s and men’s Fall Winter 2021-22 collection, unveiled during the Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, Feb launching the careers of Pascal, Rubin-Vega, Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Wilson Jer- maine Heredia and Anthony Rapp. There was a 2005 fi lm version, several tours, an Fashion off-Broadway revival, international productions, a Hollywood Bowl concert and a live staging on Fox in 2019, all fueled by songs such as “Take Me or Leave Me,” “Out Tonight” and the crowd-pleasing “Seasons of Love.” Creativity emerges in quieter, digital fashion week “Rent” has since been referenced in everything from “The Big Bang Theory” to “The Simpsons” to “I Am Legend.” In the fi lm “Team America: World Police,” puppets act out a show called “Lease.” Milan designers hit reset button Triumph MILAN, March 2, (AP): Fashion is The collection bears Arbesser’s love meaning men can wear lace T-shirts Larson never lived to see his triumph: He died at off the hamster wheel, taking a deep of prints, this season’s inspired by an without a second thought. age 35 of an aortic aneurysm after its fi nal dress re- breath that is allowing some freshness actual painter’s palette that he picked “It has nothing to do with sexuality,” hearsal in January 1996. to seep into the once relentless cycle. up at a fl ea market, which he mashes Gabbana said. “It is almost a euphe- The 15 original actors stay in touch and share a “It is so weird thinking about fash- up with geometrical patterns and mate- mism; it’s about pleasing themselves.” text thread. “We really kind of immediately fell into a ion, and the kind of hamster wheel rials that range from soft silk jersey to Giorgio Armani staged separate rapport and trust with each other, especially after the of fashion, and how we never had a wool to knits. digital men’s and women’s collec- tragedy,” said Heredia. “There’s nothing that bonds break and always complained about “I felt it was important to keep writ- tions in his own theater both around a people more than tragedy.” Milan-based Austrian fashion design- it,’’ Marc Jacobs said during a Milan ing this story, my little story, keep replica of a gorilla statue dubbed Uri The musical had an unpretentious start. New York er Arthur Arbesser, poses in his stu- Fashion Week video chat with Miuc- adding chapters,” Arbesser said of his that has been part of his personal home Theater Workshop had just moved into its space in the dio holding a painter’s pallet that he cia Prada and Raf Simons post-digital 8-year-old brand. “I am happy that decor for decades. This green version East Village in the summer of 1992 and was under- picked up at a flea market, and which show. “And then you get a break, and even doing something so reduced, so of Uri evoked the designer’s support going construction. Larson rode by on his bike and inspired the signature print for his Fall you complain.” little, while at the same time producing of wildlife preservation, but also ech- poked his head in. 2021 collection of 25 looks, in Milan, Instead, he said, he was taking the quality, you can still be seen, you can oed the collections’ ties to the natural “He was curious because he’d written this musical Italy, Feb 28, 2021. (AP) moment to watch others, and be in- actually sell your production.” world. Prints and designs that can be for the East Village and was looking for a home for it spired. Global masters Dolce&Gabbana interpreted as leaves, or water lilies, or that was in the East Village,” said Nicola. Milan Fashion Week of mostly wo- took a technological leap forward with simple sea creatures, provided the mo- A few days later, Larson dropped off a script and menswear previews for next fall and a no-holds-barred, youth-inspired col- tif for elegantly relaxed looks. a cassette tape of him singing all the songs. The tim- winter wrapped a nearly all-digital edi- lection featuring technical textiles in The fashion world also paid tribute ing was perfect. “We were looking for something to tion on Monday. Only one designer — to creative colleagues in the theater, do about our neighborhood in the literal sense and in bold hues intermingled with hologram walks this musical,” said Nicola. Daniel Del Core, marking his brand’s fi nishes, metallic glimmers and even which have been mostly empty in Italy It was quickly clear that Larson was steeped in debut — held a live runway show for a multi-colored Styrofoam beads, for a since the start of the pandemic. classical music, pop and everything in between, what small number of guests. feast of colorful confections. Pierpaolo Piccioli staged the Val- Pascal calls an “incredibly unique, eclectic infl uence While the bustle of live shows with The 140 looks included some rein- entino Fall/Winter 2020/21 collection soup.” Larson’s musical went to the top of the com- the parade of itinerant fashionistas de- terpretations of Domenico Dolce and live to empty seats in Milan’s Pic- pany’s list. camping from New York to London, Stefan Gabbana’s iconic pieces — in- colo Theater, while the singer Cosima “People can write music. People can write words. Milan and fi nally Paris was missed, cluding Madonna’s bejeweled bodysuit hauntingly intoned Sinead O’Conner’s Not so many people can write words and music to- designers also were stimulated by the and corsets worn by dancers in Prince’s lyrics: “It’s been so lonely without you gether,” says Nicola. “And then even fewer can un- Lady Gaga Jolie slower pace of the pandemic-era fash- “Cream” video — from the early days here.” derstand putting words and music into a dramatic ion cycle. when Dolce&Gabbana helped defi ne the The Valentino collection was a context.” Austrian designer Arthur Arbesser bold sexiness of the 1990s. somber affair, fitting the moment. shrank his collection to just 25 looks, It featured tailored jackets that have The show attracted Rubin-Vega, who usually Variety Futuristic wasn’t interested in musical theater. “This was which he presented in visits to his Mi- been reconstructed into capes, lay- talking to me,” she recalled. “I knew these people. lan studio and video calls, opting out The result was a mix of ered with pointy-collared white These are the kind of people that I hung out with.” LOS ANGELES: Lady Gaga’s dog of a digital runway show. Dolce&Gabbana’s trademark tailor- shirts, skin-fitting tops with seem- It was, she adds, a musical that she herself wanted walker, who was shot last week during a For the creations, he upcycled tex- ing, often under strands of layered ingly hand-cut holes. For women, to see. robbery in Hollywood when two of the tiles from previous collections that had pearls and gold, alongside more futur- there was a movement in flouncy She would earn a Tony nomination for her Mimi, singer’s French bulldogs were stolen, been stashed in a studio cubbyhole. istic elements that bely our new pro- miniskirts peeking out of jacket an HIV-positive heroin addict and stripper. She recalls described the violence and his recovery The designer revitalized them either by tective bearing: elaborate eye shields, hems, while feminine flourishes looking out and seeing audiences singing along — “from a very close call with death” in printing a new design on the other side, plastic sneaker coverings and trans- like ruffles on shirts were employed weeks before a cast album was even available. They social media posts Monday. in the case of a pretty pleated skirt, or parent slickers. Underlining this leap with discipline. Accessories featured were repeat customers. Ryan Fischer’s posts included pic- printing over the original with a differ- forward, a humanoid robot developed studded bags and boots. “It was a supernova,” she said. tures taken from his hospital bed, where ent pattern, in the case of a black archi- by the Italian Institute of Technology Milan designer Francesca Libera- Just being in “Rent” was lifechanging for Heredia, a he says “(a) lot of healing still needs to tectural detailing over a striped cotton. acted as master of ceremonies for the tore had planned an extravagant show then-24-year-old who never thought he’d be in a musi- happen” but he looks forward to reunit- Arbesser said the enforced quiet of digital runway show. in a Milan theater with holographic cal, much less one that made the leap to Broadway. ing with the dogs. the COVID-19-era restrictions, along “The collection is a tribute to this effects, but decided against it in soli- “I never saw my face in the faces of people that Fischer was shot once as he walked with the necessity of saving money, generation that asks us about the darity with theater creatives who can’t three of Lady Gaga’s dogs on Wednes- pushed other creative forces to the 1990s,” Dolce said during an in-person occupy that space. were on Broadway,” says Heredia, who played the day night on a street just off the famed doomed drag queen Angel. fore. He and his team created a patch- presentation of the looks at the design- “I had the moral problem. How Sunset Boulevard. Video captured by the work mini-dress out of cotton, silk and ers’ showroom. could I do a show in a theater at this It was Heredia, a self-described hyperactive club doorbell camera of a nearby home cap- kid, who one day during a break in rehearsal leaped tured Fischer’s screams of “Oh my! I’ve technical nylon, and they experiment- The designers said the younger gen- moment when artists themselves can- onto a table in heels — to the astonishment of director been shot!” and “Help me!” and “I’m ed with Shibori hand-dying for a wool eration’s idea of sexy is much freer of not recite in this place?” Liberatore Michael Greif. That move was put in the show. bleeding out from my chest!” mini skirt. preconceived notions than in the past, said by phone. Police are seeking two men in the Cherishes attack and said Monday they are still “The trick of that whole number wasn’t the jump- investigating. Franklin D. Roosevelt planned the could show Roosevelt the city’s beauty. son after the president’s death in 1945, ing on the table. It was the jumping off of the table,” The two dogs, named Koji and Gustav, defeat of Nazi Germany. Churchill gave the painting to Roosevelt and had several owners before Jolie and Heredia says, laughing. “My back and my knees are were returned unharmed Friday evening The two leaders visited Marrakech as a memento of the trip. partner Brad Pitt bought it in 2011. (AP) paying for it now.” when a woman showed up at a Los Ange- after the conference so that Churchill The painting was sold by Roosevelt’s ❑ ❑ ❑ Heredia won a Tony for his work, but he says he les police station with them. Detectives do cherishes more the dozens of people who have ap- not believe she was involved in the robbery NICOSIA, Cyprus: A man has been proached him to say Angel helped them come out to or shooting and did not know if she would charged with uttering threats and causing a their parents, accept their son or just inspired them. receive the $500,000 reward Lady Gaga disturbance after barging onto the grounds “The impact that it’s had on the generations to me had offered for the dogs’ return. The singer of Cyprus’ public broadcaster to protest has affected me even more than the Tony,” he says. is currently in Rome to fi lm a movie. (AP) what he said was the country’s “blasphe- ❑ ❑ ❑ mous” entry into this year’s Eurovision “It’s one of the best thing that’s ever happened to my song contest, police said Sunday. life.” LONDON: A Moroccan landscape Police told The Associated Press “Rent” also helped put New York Theatre Work- painted by Winston Churchill and the man, who hasn’t been named, was shop on the map, where it has continued to nurture owned by Angelina Jolie sold at auction released after being charged with four shows like “Hadestown,” “Once” and “Slave Play.” on Monday for more than $11.5 million, counts, including being verbally abusive. “You really can look at the history of New York smashing the previous record for a work Police said witnesses to Saturday’s Theater Workshop divided neatly between before by Britain’s World War II leader. incident told investigators the man ‘Rent’ and after ‘Rent,’” said Nicola. “It’s that signifi - “Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque” verbally accosted employees outside the cant. It transformed the organization.” sold at Christie’s in London for Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation’s news One “Rent” fan is Miranda, the visionary behind 8,285,000 pounds ($11,590,715). The department. He was apparently upset that “Hamilton,” noted Rubin-Vega. “In no uncertain pre-sale estimate was 1.5 million pounds the broadcaster had selected the song terms, he is a legacy of Jonathan’s, just like Jonathan to 2.5 million pounds, and the previous “El Diablo” (“The Devil”) performed was a legacy of Sondheim,” she said. record price for a Churchill painting was by Greek singer Elena Tsagrinou to Adds Pascal: “It’s a gift that continues to give.” just under 1.8 million pounds. represent Cyprus. “Rent” is a rock musical with music, lyrics, and The image of the 12th-century mosque Amateur video of the man confronting book by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Giacomo in Marrakech at sunset, with the Atlas CyBC staff showed him screaming at a Puccini’s 1896 opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a Mountains in the background, is a piece number of employees in the yard, asking how of both political and Hollywood history. they could justify supporting such a song. group of impoverished young artists struggling to sur- The only painting that Britain’s war- The title of “El Diablo” as well as it’s vive and create a life in Lower Manhattan’s East Vil- time prime minister completed during the Anthony Rapp, (left), and Adam Pascal appear during a performance of the lyrics have touched a raw nerve with lage in the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City, 1939-45 confl ict, it was completed after 1996 musical ‘Rent’ in New York. The New York Theater Workshop celebrated some in the east Mediterranean island under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. the January 1943 Casablanca Confer- the 25th anniversary of ‘Rent’ with a gala on March 2 that will be available to nation, who consider it to be fraught with ence, where Churchill and US President stream through March 6. (AP) Satanic connotations. (AP)