After five years on Broadway in Rent, Justin Johnston could be forgiven for feeling a bit blasé about the show and his role as Angel. But as the charming young actor reveals in this essay for Broadway.com, the return of original stars Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal has given the production a fresh sense of excitement, both onstage and in the audience. Johnston, a native of Gary, Indiana, began his journey with Rent in the second national tour after playing a variety of musical roles and dancing in the African-American dance company at Indiana University. With musical influences as varied as Michael Jackson, George Clinton and Queen, Johnston hopes to expand on the independent EP recording he made several years ago entitled Wait 4 Me. For now, he's happily channeling Pussy Galore and singing “I'll Cover You” at the Nederlander Theatre.
Having Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal back in Rent as Mark and Roger is a surreal experience. I constantly feel as if I'm in a bootleg video from 1996! After doing the show with so many different actors in the roles, I would have to say this is the most unique experience—which is the ultimate compliment, considering how every Rent actor has brought something amazing to the production.
These days, each show feels like opening night. As soon as Adam hits the stage and we all follow him out including Anthony, it becomes even more of a madhouse. Everyone comments on how amazing they sound after having been away for so long. I would understand if someone thought they were lip synching to the CD, but not to worry: It's live. They make it look effortless, as if they never left the show—but in actuality, it's been a decade.
The response to the show in the past month has been riveting, and I'm just happy that the audience feels the same powerful intensity I do when Anthony and Adam tell this story. I see the looks on the faces of the audience members when the show starts, and it's clear they are more than ready to go on this journey with these guys who made Broadway history. It feels like the entire cast is having a heart-to-heart dialogue with about 1,200 strangers, and they are holding on to every word.
Not surprisingly, the same 1,200 strangers all reconvene outside the theater on 41st Street after the curtain call. The first week took the breath out of us because we didn't figure on the chaos that would ensue from fans eager to greet the returning stars. I believe Anthony and Adam were just as shocked, because the stage door experience probably wasn't this intense in 1996. We wondered how on earth it got to this level of pandemonium—then we realized that since the movie version was released two years ago, an even wider audience has been attracted to Rent. Thus, you get what you see… Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal practically climbing over people to get out of the theater.
The response only proves that the message of the show still rings loud and clear, even more so now that they have returned. You can hear and feel the love the audience gives to the guys when they walk out to sign autographs. I'm sure they both know that it's real—and appreciate the level of response after giving so much of themselves for two and a half hours. When all is said and done, I can honestly say that spending this time onstage with Anthony and Adam has been an irreplaceable experience in my own journey with Rent and in my career, one that I will remember forever.
