RENT at Procter and Gamble Hall at Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, Ohio

Chased By: LaurenB

As a diehard fan of the musical Rent the musical, it was amazing to be able to go and see it again with two of the original cast members. Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal were back to play the roles of Mark and Roger, two best friends trying to make it in New York City as a filmmaker and singer-songwriter.

Aronoff Center Details
Proctor and Gamble Hall at Aronoff Center
650 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 721-3344

Arnoff Center – Google Maps

The show was in Cincinnati, Ohio and we made sure to arrive about an hour or so before the show was to begin. I did not eat out downtown but there are plenty of options if you so choose, including Jeff Ruby’s restaurant that is right across from the Aronoff Center.

As for parking, I would recommend the Olympic parking garage that is right next to Jeff Ruby’s as they charged only eight dollars to park for the whole show and it’s a valet parking service. You pull into the garage and they will take your car and give you a ticket. At the end of the night you hand the ticket back in and wait in life for your car to be pulled down to you. It’s quick and efficient!

We entered the Aronoff Center and waited in line for a moment before they began taking tickets and letting everyone up to the next floor. On that level, you can go to the bathroom, sit around at tables, and even buy some merchandise. They had t-shirts, soundtracks, the official Rent bible, and more if you’re looking for some fun souvenir to take home afterwards.

As soon as the doors opened, my sister and I made our way to our seats which were great. We had tickets for the second level from the top and were in the very last row overlooking the next two levels. Having seats in the middle allowed us to look right towards and down at the stage providing a great view for a lesser price.

Now, the actual show is probably what most people are interested in and I have to say that it was great. I’m definitely a fan and had seen the show live two times prior to October 31, 2009 but it was just as exciting as the first time. I mentioned in the beginning that Anthony and Adam were back which definitely made this even more of a treat. They were the original actors when this play was just starting back in the 90’s and its creator, Jonathon Larson, had not yet passed on. If people are a fan of the movie, they will already know these two phenomenal men as they reprised their roles for the film as well.

Since Rent has ended its Broadway run, it’s definitely worth going out to see this play live before it ends!

Original cast member Gwen Stewart was also back as part of the chorus, bag lady, and Mrs. Jefferson. She has an amazing voice and it was a privilege to hear her sing. As for the New York City Broadway cast, Justin Johnston joined the tour playing Angel again and he did just as good of a job.

The acting for everyone was charged and alive, allowing the viewer’s to invest themselves in this show and these characters until they feel as if it’s a real story being played out in front of their eyes. The singing is always a bit off for live events but for having toured awhile already, they all sounded extremely upbeat and wonderful.

One of the main themes of the play and the reason you should go and buy tickets as soon as you can for a show near you is because there is “No Day but Today.” Really and truly, this is sure to be a hit with many from older teens on up so be sure to see if you can make a date and see a great cast with some original members for those Rent-heads out there.

One last thing that I would like to mention is that at the end of every show, the cast comes out on stage and announces an auction they are holding as well as other ways to help them raise money for Broadway Cares, which helps those with AIDS. At my show, Anthony Rapp was the designated speaker (and he may be at every show, but I can’t say for sure) to let everyone know that they could come backstage and see the set, take pictures, and meet the cast if they bid enough money.

It went up to around 800 dollars and they even had more than one group or winner because they offered to pay around the same amount of money. I only wish I would have had the money to bid as it’s definitely a dream come true opportunity for those who love the show. However, I was able to donate 20 dollars at the end of the night to get a playbill signed by the current cast. It’s something I will keep and treasure always and the money went to a cause that deserves all the help they can get.

“Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes - how do you measure a year in the life? How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love… seasons of love.” – “Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent.

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