Tributes
These are memories of closing cast members and special previous cast members who were deeply appreciated for their
talent and commitment to the show. This is all entirely subjective perspectives on their performances and should
be seen in such a light. Please pay attention for credits to those who wrote them.
(*= awaiting tributes!)
1. Adrian Lewis
Morgan
"Adrian.
So, a few words about Adrian Lewis Morgan, hmm? On my walls
are photos of Adrian in the three incarnations that I am so far to see him in! - so a few words may not be enough!
This will mostly regard Adrian as Roger in RENT, but I have to go a little while back to really start. Adrian is
- for certain - the one reason that I ever ventured along to RENT in the first place.
Adrian played Annas in the 97 - 98 London production of Jesus Christ Superstar and on the night of the last performance
I grabbed him on his way back to his bike and asked him what his plans were. He said that he'd be in RENT from
October and so October comes round and I still had no idea what RENT was about but I remembered Adrian's tip-off
and as something about him had drawn me to him for no other reason than to talk to him I decided to go and see
the little guy.
I still remember, as if it was yesterday, the moment he stepped onto stage. Not knowing the plot to the show I
didn't realise that he had a main part and so he arrived on stage and first I was struck dumb by the bleach job!
But then he swung into action and all thoughts of how he was looking went out of my head. Don't get me wrong, he's
a good-looking guy!! but mainly it's not that which draws people to Adrian.
Professionally speaking his presence on stage is amazing; he has a voice that can be anything from scarily evil,
through every other emotion to being the most calming influence! Also, anyone who has ever seen Adrian as Roger
is unlikely to forget his little looks, flirting with Mimi or snarling at Benny or teasing Mark whilst he's listening
to his mum on the answer phone!
Apart from the fact that you couldn't mistake "that" voice, what sets Adrian apart from the other Rogers
I've seen is mainly the little bits he adds to the part. The way he slams down on the table during the line "…
what binds the fabric together when the raging, shifting winds of change keep ripping away?…", the way he
says "..I was waiting for you don't you know?..", the skidding across the stage on his knees during Glory.
That look during "..I didn't recognise you without the hand-cuffs..", the whole of Another Day. The 'tongue'!!!!,
the way he does "..oh your words are nice Mimi…" and the way the he looked when Krysten sent him flying
on their last show together because she'd forgotten how little he is compared to Peter who'd been on the matinee
that day!
Personally speaking, Adrian is the nicest, kindest most modest person that you'll ever be lucky enough to meet.
He will never believe that people are chasing him for a photo or an autograph or just to say hi. He'll chat about
just about anything and is always so enthusiastic about what he's saying, the last time I saw him play Roger in
London ( 4 days before he left ) we had a long chat about his best-friend's birthday party and how he was the only
straight guy in the room and as he walked in everyone stared at him!! He also doesn't seem uncomfortable about
expressing his feelings, it almost broke my heart when, in Birmingham after Les Mis, he was telling us about how
much he missed RENT and all the guys in London. It almost breaks through the "tough-guy" - the bike,
the leathers and the big boots - image!!! Just joking!!
Please remember that these are only comments and observations based on the too few times that Adrian's and my paths
have crossed! We're not friends - I wish we were! - but he's the kind of guy you can really imagine being friends
with, the guy you can imagine spending the evening in the pub with and having a fun time!!!
I've missed him a load during the last 10 months of RENT because I missed the way he was so easy to talk to - BUT
we went to Birmingham to see him in Les Miserables and he is phenomenal and you begin to remember how versatile
he is and how he is going to go from strength to strength and be storming in whatever he does. So I guess that's
closure on the Adrian/RENT thing as there's now no show to wish he'd come back to!
As all who know me will know that Adrian means a whole lot more to me than I can put down on paper and I'm usually
unable to explain why! But I've tried to keep this unbiased !!! chance would be a fine thing!
L8r
Claire
xxooxx "
"Joe joined the Cast of Rent in October 98 and I often
wondered what his first 2 months on the show must have been like for him, because at the same time he was filming
Sex, Chips and Rock 'n' Roll during the day, where he had to act with an irish accent and wear hair extensions....then
go on to the Shaftesbury in the evening...and play Mark with the most amazing american accent. I saw Joe on his
first night, which I think was show number 6 for me, and I instantly connected with his performance.... it could
have been that cheeky expression on his face the first time he came on stage and stared into the audience ....
or his american accent .... allI know is that when we got to the Tango Maureen and I saw him doing that exagerated
head flip ..... I knew his Mark was going to be phenomenal....and I was right. Joe's performance was very dynamic
and although he was able to take Mark through an incredible emotional rollercoaster, I suspect he will always be
remembered for the irony, the sarcasm but above all the humour he brought to each show. In The Crow Road, in one
of the scenes Peter Capaldi jokingly calls Joe's character (Prentice) a "cheecky wee bastard".... a scottish
term of endearment.... which I think fits Joe perfectly. So .... cheeky by all means but also incredibly talented,
just turned 24 with a career in Theatre, Televison and Films which spans over 12 years and a body of work of such
quality behind him. To name but a few: Sex, Chips and Rock 'n' Roll- The Crow Road - High Road - Taggart - Macbeth
- Small Faces - Dad Savage. Joe is also a "perfectionist"..... by that I mean..... the slightest thing
going "wrong" anywhere on that stage would drive him insane..... he would still carry on as if nothing
had happened of course, but if you were a regular member of the audience you could tell he "was not amused".
I will always remember the expression on his face when the bottle of Stoli was dropped (not by Peter!!!) and shattered
in hundreds of little pieces......his face was a picture!!! Or the night we thought things were running really
smoothly, but suddenly just at the end.... the most important "prop" turned on Joe. As he said "..turn
the projector on!"...the damn thing refused to work at all...so Joe started to slap it ...gently at first....
but then got really angry and really bashed it.....with no luck. Eventually they threw a second projector on stage
and Joe swiftly carried on.....what a trooper! Then disaster struck.... just when Joe and Peter moved to the front
of the stage, pretending to look downstairs after been called by Maureen....somebody came out crawling from stage-right,
attempting to grab and pull away the trolley with the broken projector....but I guess they pulled a little too
hard, because the projector fell on the stage floor with quite a "clunk"....well....Joe by this time
was besides himself. Later when he came out of the stage door he was apologising to everyone....and I don't know
why... my goodness...he can hardly be held responsible for props failing to function, right? But, as I said, he's
such a perfectionist...bless him!!! But of course... over this past year.... we have seen other aspects of Joe's
character....we have seen his patience at the stage door....stopping to talk to fans for ages after each show....and
his friendliness on the night before the closure of Rent. After Jacqui and Josh (on behalf of the whole Cast) had
delivered bags after bags of food, drinks and chocolate, Joe arrived with a bottle of freshly squeezed "Scottish"
orange juice (!!) and sat on the pavement until the wee hours of the morning with the Rentheads sleeping out...
wrapped in somebody's sleeping bag and he just chatted!!! He didn't need to do that ...... and yes....yes.... I
suppose the cynics amongst you could argue that it was "a duty call".....but I disagree ....and even
making room for that possibility....it was still an extraordinary thing to do..... moments that will certainly
always be remembered.
Love LUA"
(sorry- leon and me. awaiting my scanner to start working again!)
"Ode to Leon Maurice Jones
Okay, okay. So it's not strictly an ode but I'm fed up of typing the word 'tribute' so I changed it, kay? Well….
I've been putting this off for quite some time and pretending that it was coz I was too busy waiting for everyone
else's to get around to it, but I guess if I'm honest it's a really daunting thought to articulate just how good
Leon is at what he does. I suppose I should start at the beginning.
Leon was an original member of the London cast of RENT and remained with them up to three weeks prior to its closure,
when he left to perform in FAME in Sweden. Leon was cast in the parts of Paul, a cop and others. He was also first
understudy to the part of Benny, and later went on to become third understudy to Angel (more about that later).
I will never forget Leon's unending enthusiasm; the way he could just light up the stage. My most vivid memories
of him in the ensemble were:
· In Life Support: the comforting smile that crept across his face after Gordon had spoken).
· In RENT: Claire and him throwing themselves about at the top of the stairs with so much energy).
· In La Vie Boheme: his never-ending collection of new dance moves and weird 'ewwww' voices and the lustful
way he looked at the waiter as he walked in!!!
· In Santa Fe (where his dancing was just allowed to shine).
The moment that captured him best however is when he was so pleased and joyful at Collins' and Angel's new-found
love in I'll Cover You. His cheeky grin in response to "I've been hearing violins all night" is a clear
summary of his character.
His individual interpretation of Benny was very different to the others I have seen, with more charm. It was possible
to believe that this man had once been best friends with Mark and Roger and had managed to scheme his way into
the wealth he now possessed. He also showed more regret toward the end of the show in terms of Mimi's condition
and his mistreatment of his old friends.
However, I will always cherish most the day that I had the opportunity to see him as Angel. It was a one off on
a matinee mid-week and he just blew us all away. One word: DIVA!!!!! I can tell you this, I have never been so
nervous prior to a show in all my life. I kept thinking he was gonna trip or forget his lines or something! But
in typical Leon style he walked out on stage and performed as if it were a regular occurrence. And man, he looked
good in the Santa costume!!! Like someone out of the Supremes…. this cute little bob and all smiles. It also gave
us the opportunity to really hear his stunning voice. He brought things out in Mykal's Collins that just made the
relationship between them all the more beautiful. None of us could stop crying when Angel died in that show, simply
because he had really shown the love, respect and energy for life that I equate with the character. A True Angel.
On top of all this, Leon always talked of the show with the greatest love and enthusiasm. There was not a single
day that I was at that theatre when he didn't give everything to the part he was playing. I respect him a great
deal for what he put into the show and am so appreciative of his kindness toward all of the Rentheads. Best of
luck to him with Fame, and whatever else the future may hold.
Peace & love alwayz,
selina."
"Nolan Friedrick (KCHG - EGCHG)*
I have been asked to write a few words as a tribute to Nolan Friedrick (I wonder why!).....so this is what I was
able to come up with.... this being the 7th draft.... having distilled 15 months of performances, fun and laughter
into one page. Nolan joined the Cast of Rent in August 98 (I believe) as an understudy for the part of Tom Collins,
or at least this is what the programme says. However, over the last 15 months Nolan has actually performed as:
Paul, Steve, The Waiter, Squeegee Man, Gordon, Mr Jefferson, Soloist # 2, ... but regrettably never as Tom Collins.
One of the things immediately noticeble in Nolan's style on stage is.....how comfortable he is..... I mean... he
is so totally at ease and relaxed in front of an audience. I suspect this is due to the fact that he's a consumed
professional, with years of experience and a large number of big shows under his belt such as, to name but a few,
Hair - West Side Story -Miss Saigon - Starlight Express - Five Guys Named Mo and ....Cats.....although.... as hard
as I've tried, I can't quite picture Nolan in tights and a fluffy tail!!! He takes his work extremely seriously
but at the same time he's confident enough to be able to "stray" from the established guidelines and
inject an enourmous amount of humour at the appropriate moment, into whichever part he happens to be playing. His
Mr Jefferson together with The Caroler were gems!!! He's also quite a character.... who always seemed to be running
late. Once... way back in April 99...on a Saturday afternoon I was standing in the queue at 2.10 pm, when all of
a sudden a taxi pulled up outside the theatre at very high speed and a very frantic Nolan propelled himself from
the back seat, threw some money at the driver, turned around towards us, lifted his arms in the air and screamed
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" which in "actor's language" means "....Oh for heaven's sake...I
can't believe I am late again.... this will not look good on my resumee!!"...... and then he just run off,
leaving me and Cristina with the very difficult task to explain to the new people in the queue that he was NOT
an incredibly well dressed psycopath, but in fact a very well respected and much loved member of the Cast of Rent.
And then, there was the time when he came and sat in the queue, on the pavement with the Rentheads for 45 minutes....
just chatting.... and heckling the passers by.... of course I wasn't there at the time... (it figures!!) but stories
of that afternoon travelled for days. On another occasion Nolan was playing Gordon, only for the 4th time I believe
(and he wasn't even the undertudy for this role!) At one point....towards the end, when they do "Christmas
Bells are ringing" for the second time..... the whole group was on stage, except Nolan...... and the "Rudolf
the Red Nose rein deer" line was only seconds away.... so just as I was beginning to get really worried....
in strolls Nolan.....nonchalantly.. wearing Mr Jefferson's coat (the first one he managed to grab) and managed
to reach his spot and say his line with less than 2 seconds to spare. Later, when we chatted, he said he was downstairs,
casually browsing through the script thinking "... now let's see....where else am I supposed to be on?....Oh
shiiiiiit.....noooowwwww!!!". He's also an incredible singer and dancer.... his moves in "Santa Fe",
"LaVie Boheme" and "The Contact" number will always stay with us, and his singing as the Soloist
#2 was remarkable.But the image I will always carry with me is of Nolan singing the last Seasons Of Love, on stage
with Cast and Crew.... saying goodbye .... and not being afraid to show his emotions. He will always be remembered
with much love a great affection!
LUA
* KCHG = Kindly call him God! * EGCHG = Even God Calls Him God!"
""Peter Eldridge.
From Offstage Understudy to Squeegie Man to Roger.
Peter was with the London Rent cast from the beginning, with his tattoos, piercings and long hair. Yes, to start
with his hair was long and tied back on the occasions he played Roger. His interpretation of the role at first
was very similar to Adam's except that he couldn't play the guitar (so always had to sit with his back to the audience
while the band covered for him) and he always had his own quirks, like the finger movements while 'holding' Benny's
heart. As time progressed Peter found his own portrayal of Roger, a little more scared than Adam, sometimes more
angry, but always with Peter's imprint. Of course, by this stage his hair had been cut, bleached, and many of the
piercings taken out for the show! But let's not forget his amazing 'Will I?' renditions, his waiter, his squeegieman.
They didn't last long because of circumstances, but they always made us smile. It seems a moot point to say that
Peter has an amazing talent which Rent really brought to the foreground and let many of us experience.
However I think what most Rent fans will take from meeting Peter is his humility and lack of any pretension. He's
simply a nice guy, witty, good to talk to and giving of his free time to talk to fans of the show and of him."
Bex.
"I have no idea how to even begin such a tribute. In all the shows I have seen in the West End and at GSA, etc. no one has ever shown as much passion for performing as Richard. Every single part he played in RENT in London (which included Angel primarily, and the majority of the ensemble roles) he did with enthusiasm and commitment. I don't think as many of the regulars have ever cried at the beginning of Will I? as on his last night of playing Steve and the Gay Waiter. His attitude of enjoying every moment of life always comes across in his performance. I suppose in my opinion the night I will never forget of him on stage was on the 8th of may in '99. It was my birthday and I was absolutely buzzing that he was up there doing his thing. I have never seen him sing with so much passion. He as angel and Mykal as Collins were the most beautiful couple and their interpretations of the characters always reflected their love of the show. I am always grateful to him for displaying an Angel who reminded me to be open-hearted and filled with hope and faith. I can never forget his Divaness or his pain or his comedy on stage. Typical Richard-isms? The way he claimed "OH! we'll get along fine!" with that squeely voice at the beginning. How he developed the character. For instance in Today 4U, the little old lady impersonation that was so funny. His improvisation and spontaneity that kept Santa Fe and I'll Cover You alive and constantly altering. Angel's slow death - his fear and pain that was so clear in his responses. How his Angel always thought of Collins first - trying to shield him from suffering. Walking into the light after Angel's death - the peace, embracement and compassion in his expression. A flashbulb memory comes to mind: his hugely enormous red, yellow and orange striped jumper that engulfed him during RENT as he laughed and laughed, desparately trying to get his arms out! His bizarre hats in LVB. Him stood in the light in Life Support, so open and caring. And of course, how good that boy looked in drag! As Lua once described it, "Angel IS richard's part". I wish he'd finally have got the chance to prove it. All that's left to say is Good Luck for the future and 'may his dreams become reality and his destiny make him happy'." Sel.
"Loraine's RENT story begins in February 1999 when she joined the cast as first understudy for Mimi. I have
to say I was really excited at the fact that Loraine would be playing a main part in my "other favourite musical".
Loraine performed most Wednesday matinees at the start. The first time I saw her as Mimi, remember the fact that
Jo was outside talking and when I noticed her name on the board (this was like a minute before the show was due
to start and we didn't have tickets talk about * rushing*) I ran outside tell Jo. Jo in turn let out a huge high
pitch scream of excitement. Anyway, Loraine took over the part of Mimi full time on 17th May when Krysten left
for Broadway. At first I had a really hard time seeing her as Mimi because she has always been Carmen (Fame) to
me, but after a couple of times I started to adjust. Loraine's overall stage presence is just "cool"
and this totally reflected on her interpretation of Mimi but it works! She plays a "cool" Mimi who has
a drug habit and knows it, its just part of her life that she has to deal with. Although Loraine's Mimi is cool
she the vulnerable and scared parts of Mimi's character show through - especially against Peter's Roger as though
her Mimi's actually trying to "act tough". Loraine has a beautiful voice that is shown off to full against
Peter's in Another Day but can also really let rip in places. Loraine is one of the nicest people I've ever met,
it's a shame that her Mimi didn't get the opportunity to grow and develop further, and if they get her in America
I hope it gives her that chance. Well I've tried, but it's hard to express it in writing. I would say see for yourself
but...
Lots of Love Paula xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
I promise that in a couple months (when the dreaded exams are done and dusted) to get these reviews
up and running - and my scanner fixed and all that jazz. I have to just quickly say in summary of the following.
Wayne can only be described as one of the strongest members of the ensemble i have ever seen. I still can't believe
how much he rocked as Benny. Bloody Amazing. And him as the waiter was just TOO funny! Mark is such a sweetheart
(and SO MANY PEOPLE ADORED HIM! (sophie!)). His voice is immaculate and he struggled on regardless even when he
was sick! Krysten, well, only one word can ever summarise her: Diva. That's all.