'Rent': La Vie Bohemia Has Started to Show Its Age

Immortalized on film and now marking its 10th Broadway anniversary, "Rent" is steadily gaining in seniority. The show's youthful brio, its anti-slickness, worked like a charm back in 1996. It proved less charming, with the aging original stars, in last fall's wobbly movie version.

Now that it's advancing in years, the issue of waxy buildup onstage comes seriously into play: Can "Rent" skirt the creakiness question, the sensation that it's becoming less a musical than a monument?

The spirited touring incarnation that's moved into the Warner Theatre through Sunday tries very hard to stave off staleness. And on that score, it's successful. But the desire for freshness comes at the expense of magnetism: In terms of impact, this really is "Rent Jr."

There is more in the way of proficiency than magic in the show now; in earlier days, "Rent" was a dependably affecting experience. These young actors seem better equipped to hit the high notes rather than strike the musical's deeper chords.

The cast, however, does manage to evoke "Rent's" scruffy roots. And although a routineness has overtaken the gallery of stock bohemian characters, the show retains a raw power, especially for younger fans. (The 13-year-old who accompanied me -- a "Renthead" who adopted the musical's logo as her screen saver -- was in bliss.)

The cast of roadshow young 'uns is all but risking respiratory arrest in the effort to ensure Jonathan Larson's ebullient score remains a living thing. (This is a non-union tour, meaning the company works for less than union scale and, generally speaking, the actors have less experience than those in shows in which an Equity card is required.)

Non-Equity does not mean non-talent. Several actors in this touring "Rent" are strong, and in virtually all instances, the voices are up to the demands of the electric melodies. That the songs hold up and are delivered vibrantly are all that many fans will care about.

Particularly well cast here are Ano Okera as Angel, the sweet-natured cross-dresser, and Arianda Fernandez, who plays Mimi, the tragic, AIDS-stricken exotic dancer. Chante Carmel Frierson also does well by Joanne, the uptight lesbian lawyer.

A few of the other principals do not seem physically ideal for their roles. (Latex, it turns out, is not flattering on everyone.) Still, the tour pumps out enough noise and energy to cover up "Rent's" age spots.

Rent, book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson. Directed by Michael Greif. Set, Paul Clay; costumes, Angela Wendt; lighting, Blake Burba; sound, Steve C. Kennedy; choreography, Marlies Yearby; musical director, Jared Stein; associate director, Evan Ensign. With Bryce Ryness, Jed Resnick, Warren G. Nolan Jr., Tracy McDowell, Michael Ifill, Altamiece Carolyn Ballard, Mike Evariste. About 2 1/2 hours. Through Sunday at Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Call 202-397-7328 or visit http://www.ticketmaster.com .