The Rundown:
At 22 years old, Anthony Rapp had no idea as he rushed in late for an audition that his life was about to change forever.
The show was Jonathan Larson’s RENT, which would eventually win the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Larson, who became one of Rapp’s close friends, wouldn’t live to see the musical’s success, dying the day before the show’s first preview of aortic dissection. The loss, and that of Rapp’s mother a year later, are the subjects of his new musical, Anthony Rapp’s Without You, now playing Off-Broadway at New World Stages.
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No Tea, No Shade:
Rapp’s stage performance is based on his 2006 New York Times best-selling memoir of the same name. Most RENTheads are familiar with Larson’s tragic passing, though Rapp’s firsthand account will likely stir emotions thanks to the actor’s emotional vulnerability and ability to embody in voice and posture some of the extended players, such as the show’s original director Michael Greif.
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The momentum behind RENT’s creative aspiration and Larson’s unique composition, which drew from the worlds of musical theater, pop, and rock, also come to life as Rapp relives those first rehearsals when the cast first sang the epiphanic “Seasons of Love.”
Coinciding with the musical’s enormous success was his mother’s cancer diagnosis and her untimely death at age 55. Paralleling the AIDS support group portrayed in RENT, Rapp sought spiritual and emotional support, turning to Cy O’Neal, the co-founder of Friends in Deed, who Larson had consulted with.
Over 90 minutes, Rapp weaves familiar RENT melodies with his audition song (REM’s “Losing My Religion”), original music, and other tunes backed by a fantastic five-piece band. Eric Southern’s scenic and lighting design combined with David Bengali’s projection design give scope and focus to Rapp’s storytelling, which because of the narrative structure, offers little suspense or dramatic conflict.
Still, Rapp is unfailingly likable and still possesses singing prowess that helped redefine the sound of contemporary musical theater. Director Steven Maler adeptly moves his solitary actor about the stage, including on top of a table a la “La Vie Bohème,” albeit a bit more carefully for the 51-year-old Rapp.
Let’s Have a Moment:
After RENT‘s opening night raves and national media coverage, Rapp and the company settled into the reality of an eight-show-per-week Broadway performance schedule. But just as he began riding the crest came news of his mother’s advanced cancer diagnosis, which meant time off from the show and trips to his hometown of Joliet, Illinois. Struggling to accept the inevitable, he reached out to O’Neal by phone:
“… I thought I was ready, but I don’t know, she seems like she’s fading, and I can’t stop crying, you know? I just can’t stop crying. I feel like my heart is breaking, like it’s breaking out of my chest. It’s so hard.”
“Yes. It is hard. But that’s what hearts do. They break. But if you let them, they break open. Your heart is breaking open. You have to let that happen.”
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Of course you can. It’s already happening. The only way out is through.”
The Last Word:
Beyond his professional benchmark in RENT and the relationship with his mother, Rapp steers clear of other aspects of his life.
Trekkies won’t hear mention of his role of Lt. Cmdr. Paul Stamets in Star Trek: Discovery. Other Broadway appearances in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, or If/Then (opposite Idina Menzel) are also skipped over, as are any stories of his relationship with longtime fiancé Ken Ithiphol or the recent birth of their son Rai Larson.
“This energy right now that I’m bathing in with my mom, I feel like it’s osmosis coming through to him, I hope. It’s very meaningful,” Rapp told PEOPLE. “I’m not quite feeling tremendous grief right now about the fact that she’s not here to meet him. I feel like she kind of is here.”
And while their omissions give focus to the show’s title, the exclusions also strip away a sense of joy that balances grief and mourning and the more dramatic peaks and valleys of a life fully lived.
Anthony Rapp’s Without You plays Off-Broadway at New World Stages through April 30, 2023.
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DBMC
Good for him! A very talented man.
Flamingo Falls
We had the pleasure of seeing him and the original cast — including Idina Menzel — in Rent, and we knew it was a turning point in the history of musical theater. Years later, we saw him and Adam Pascal in the 10th year anniversary tour of Rent. Although they were both a little too old for their roles, they — and the show — still were powerful. And still more years later, we saw him and Ms. Menzel in If/Then before it went to Broadway. Again, a great performance. What a talent! Now that we live in the wrong side of the country for a quick trip to NYC, I hope his one-man show tours. Break a leg, Mr. Rapp!