In Anthony Rapp’s ‘Without You,’ there’s joy inside his tears
when Anthony Rapp was cast in a workshop production of a new musical in 1994, he was just happy he could quit his job at starbucks. but he had no idea the show, by an up-and-coming composer named Jonathan Larson, would become the theatrical juggernaut “Rent” that would take him on a journey to broadway, through grief, acceptance, and joy.
Rapp chronicled that life-changing experience in “without You: A memoir of Love, Loss, and the musical Rent” that became a bestseller in 2006. He then spent the next decade working on and off with steve maler, founding artistic director of Commonwealth shakespeare Company, developing the book into the one-man musical “without You,” that plays the Calderwood Pavilion April 2-14.
“It’s always tricky to activate the narrative of a book,” says maler, “but we knew the music and lyrics of ‘Rent’ were the through line. still, there’s a deeper story at work here. it’s really about how do you move from loss to celebration — of life, friendship, parenting? How do you learn to be present? there’s a call to action to celebrate the moment you are in.”
Inspired by Puccini’s opera “La bohème,” “Rent’s” challenge to live life to the fullest was given a shockingly poignant twist with Larson’s sudden death from an aortic aneurysm, just before the show opened on broadway in 1996. Rapp’s mother, mary, died just one year later after a long battle with cancer.
“‘Without You’ is informed by what it means to lose people,” says maler. “Jonathan Larson was gone in an instant, and Anthony (and so many others) never had a moment to share things with him. His mother died young, but the process afforded them both more time to be honest and express genuine love.”
In the show, the stirring score of “Rent,” which includes “seasons of Love,” “Life support,” and “without You,” overlap and interweave with Rapp’s personal story, with the actor and singer accompanied by a five-piece band.
Although he says writing the memoir was his only goal, when a friend suggested he adapt it for the stage, he turned to maler.
“Steve directed me in ‘Henry V’ [for Commonwealth shakespeare Company’s 2002 production on boston Common],” he says. “steve didn’t have a strong relationship to ‘Rent,’ so he could be more objective and find the parts of the book that he thought would work onstage.”
As the pair shaped the show, both were busy with other commitments. Rapp had signed up for the 2009 “Rent” reunion and film, the development and run of the musical “if/then,” and then joined the cast of “star trek: discovery,” where he appeared for five seasons. He and husband, Ken ithiphol, are also raising two young sons, and Rapp says he only performs when his family can be with him.
While the script for “without You” went through various iterations over the years, the opportunity for an offbroadway run in January 2023 focused the production team. the show now includes some original songs, musical direction by daniel A. weiss, as well as set design and projections by david bengali, which maler says build a visual world that takes the narrative to a new level.
“Before that off-broadway production, we went back in and started layering things in,” says Rapp. “i wrote three songs in a musical vernacular that evoked [my mother’s] voice. i have a really strong sense of who she was, and they are written in the realm of what she listened to.”
Maler says Rapp’s authenticity helps audiences connect with his story and find parallels in their own lives.
“Anthony isn’t just telling a story, he’s re-experiencing these moments in his life,” maler says. “while we greatly admire performers like Anna deavere smith, whose impersonations of real people are so precise, when Anthony plays Jonathan Larson, his mother, and [’Rent’ director] michael greif, and others, we always know who is speaking, but also that they are filtered through his interactions with them.”
“This is a true story about an impactful time in my life,” says Rapp. “i want to honor both the joys and the sorrows that are part of loving and being loved. As Larson’s lyrics say, ‘the only way out is through.’”
French theater company’s debut
The french theater Project is a new venture bringing french plays and performances to boston for American premieres. the company debuts with “tu seras un homme papa” (“You will be a man Papa”), a one-man play based on a true story of a father and son that will be performed in french with english subtitles at the maso studio at the Huntington, April 5-6. Admission is free. written and performed by gaël Leiblang, a former sports journalist and director of documentaries about legendary athletes, the drama is staged as a prizefight, with Leiblang using the sports metaphor to frame his story.
gordon Clapp as Robert Frost
Emmy winner and new england native gordon Clapp brings his one-man show, “Robert frost: this Verse business,” to the Roberts studio theatre at the Calderwood Pavilion April 23-28. the play, by local playwright A.m. dolan, is culled from recordings and writings by frost. Clapp portrays the poet as a flinty old man who peppers the performances of his poems with “wild surmises” on art, religion, science, “radicals,” and “conservatives.” Clapp’s last performance in the boston area was at Central square theater in the 2017 production of “the midvale High school fiftieth Reunion.”
Although Clapp has performed “this Verse business” in regional theaters and colleges over the years, this will be its boston premiere, where frost made his home, first on beacon Hill and then on brewster street in Cambridge for 20 years. tickets are $25-$75 at bostontheatrescene.com.
A superfan’s elton John tribute
Tom Cridland’s bio describes him as an entrepreneur, investor, fashion designer, podcaster, singer, songwriter, and record producer. but lately, he’s become best known for “tom’s elton tribute,” a performance of elton John’s hits, including “bennie and the Jets,” “tiny dancer,” “Rocket man,” “Candle in the wind,” “don’t Let the sun go down on me,” “i’m still standing,” “Crocodile Rock,” and “Your song,” which he brings to the emerson Colonial theatre April 13.
Cridland says John’s music inspired him to quit drinking and start playing the piano. He began performing “tom’s elton tribute” in a bar in 2022, and the appearance at the Colonial is part of a us tour. tickets are $29-$114 at emersoncolonialtheatre.com/events/toms-elton-tribute.