Anthony Rapp has already apologized three times, and our conversation is but 30 seconds old. He’ll apologize at least one more time in our nearly hour-long chat — all for the tiniest offense of missing my first phone call for our interview.

It’s easy to see how the 37-year-old, out actor fits so smoothly into the skin of his best-known role: Rent’s Mark Cohen, an aspiring filmmaker who attempts to keep the peace among a vibrant and emotional group of bohemian friends in ‘90s New York City. It’s a role he’s been living with for more than 14 years — from the 1994 workshop through the Broadway opening to the 2005 film and now a farewell tour, which arrives at its first stop in Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare Jan. 6.

The first question is the most obvious: With a career that’s spanned Adventures in Babysitting and Six Degrees of Separation, Hedwig and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, why return to Mark Cohen?

It began with a limited run on Broadway last year, as Rent was approaching the end of its 12-year engagement. Rapp was asked to return, along with the original Roger, Adam Pascal.

“It was really rewarding and also just fun to be with our friends again,” Rapp says.

Their appearance led to a boost in ticket sales, which may have helped producers come up with the idea for a new tour across the United States, also starring Pascal and Rapp.

“There were probably a lot of people who couldn’t come to New York,” Rapp explains. “… If we can take the show to them, it’s sort of in the great tradition of other original Broadway actors who have gone on tour.”

Joining the pair are Gwen Stewart, who memorably sang the rousing "Seasons of Love" solo as part of the original cast, and a host of other performers from the Broadway run.

So how does Rapp keep his Mark Cohen fresh, considering he’s been playing the filmmaker in some form for nearly a decade-and-a-half?

“It’s never occurred to me that’s anything I’ve needed to do because [the show] gives back so much,” he says. “It’s so rich and relevant and so alive.”

The trick is finding the chemistry between performers and reveling in the powerful and moving source material. “If you’re an actor and there’s a candle that’s burning and you stick your hand in the flame, you don’t have to pretend to be burned.” Rapp says.

But in addition to working with new cast members, Rapp is finding fresh inspiration in another area: The tour’s rehearsal process led director Michael Greif to make two “rather significant” changes to the production. One is in the way the show opens, the other — well, Rapp refuses to spoil it for audiences.

And while new viewers will have no idea that anything is different, Rapp says returning audience members will be surprised — and possibly moved by the second alteration.

“It doesn’t change the fabric of the show, but it’s exciting to be a part of something that can change creatively,” he says.

*    *    *

Mark Cohen is perhaps the closest autobiographical character created by Jonathan Larson, the writer, composer and lyricist of Rent. The filmmaker captures his friends’ stories, like the playwright did. And Larson’s girlfriend left him for a woman — as does Maureen, Mark’s ex, in the show.

“I think in many ways that Mark’s issues are sort of Jonathan’s issues,” Rapp says. “… I think he did struggle with, in some extent, to record the life he witnessed and put it into his work.”

But, he continues, “I think that there’s some of Jonathan in everybody in the show.”

Like Roger, for instance — the HIV-infected singer-songwriter who seeks to record one great song before he dies.

“Jonathan seemed to have some weird sixth sense about his mortality,” Rapp explains. As is widely known in the infamous Rent lore, Larson died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm at age 35 — just after dress rehearsal of the original production.

But Mark Cohen’s issues are also Rapp’s, as he explained in his 2006 memoir, Without You. “… I knew once again that I shared Mark’s ability to avoid dealing with pain in his personal life by pouring himself into his work,” he writes.

I asked if that’s the same, now that he’s more than a decade older.

“I feel that I’m less that way with the newer people in my life,” Rapp says. But with friends and family who have been in his life longer, he says the old patterns occasionally emerge.

Tackling the character of Mark Cohen as a 37-year-old, instead of a 24-year-old, isn’t so different, Rapp says. He’s still a “young man trying to make his way in trying circumstances in New York City at the turn of the millennium.”

“What I hope has happened,” he continues, “is that I’m a more seasoned actor so I don’t have to work so hard in showing things. … “I imagine that some of the things that I’ve been through in the past 10 to 12 years come through.”

*    *    *

Those things include the death of Larson, as well as Rapp’s mother, who died during the run of Rent on Broadway. He writes about both in his memoir, which he is now working to turn into a one-man show. Rapp workshopped the production in New York, and staged it at Pittsburgh City Theatre earlier this year.

Rapp sought the assistance of another writer to trim the 306-page book into a 40-page script. “It’s essentially the text of the book chiseled down to within an inch of its life, weaving in with music,” he says.

But re-experiencing the emotional highs and lows of his life during the early Rent years gave him pause. “Performing it is like living it every night,” he says.  “I thought it was going to wear me out.”

But those performances made him feel closer to his mother, he says. And audience members have come up to him afterward to talk about the losses in their lives.

“Somebody said the most incredible compliment: ‘You’re continuing the work of Jonathan.’ And that was incredibly meaningful to me,” he says.

Rapp hopes to bring the production to New York after the Rent tour wraps later this year.

Toward the end of our interview, I asked Rapp if he ever hopes to leave Rent and Mark Cohen behind. After all, in 14 years he’s performed the role in workshops, off-Broadway, on-Broadway, in film and on tour — plus he’s written a book and a play about the experience.

“I would wish this experience on any living person,” he says. “To be part of something that matters, that means something, that is admired and makes such a difference.

“… If this does turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it’s more than enough for most lifetimes.”

The Details

Rent

PlayhouseSquare, Cleveland

Jan. 6-11, 2009

Across the country throughout 2009

Cleveland tickets $10-$60, available here.

For dates and tickets elsewhere, click here.

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Viva La Vie Boheme!
written by marceline , January 05, 2009

This will be my sixth time seeing RENT. The most recent time was last summer in NYC right before it closed. I'm thrilled for the chance to see Anthony and Adam, regardless of how "long in the tooth" we ALL may be.

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...
written by Cindy , January 07, 2009

I loved "Rent" when I saw it a few times in NYC. Will someone please post the "changes" made to the show if you see it on tour? I'd be interested to know what they are . . .

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Spoilers- don't read if you've never seen "Rent" or don't want to know about the changes!
written by BQRC , January 13, 2009

Cindy-

I was fortunate enough to see Anthony & Adam reprise their roles for this tour.

There were 2 changes. The first was the way the show opens. When Mark comes out to narrate that it's December 24th... the house lights are left on. I really loved this change. It made the dialogue seem more like an aside, and less like the "official" start of the musical.
It also gave us an additional feeling of excitement- instead of getting butterflies when Mark first appears and when Roger first appears- you had the additional excitement when the house lights went dim.
The second change I'm still on the fence about. During the Eulogy for Angel, the entire ensemble joined in for the first few words. It's difficult to describe. For example, when Mimi begins her reflections on Angel's life, everyone on stage says "Angel was" and then Mimi continues alone with "one of my closest friends". It was nice, but a bit jarring if you've seen the show a few times and just weren't expecting it!

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RENT Lives!
written by Cindi , January 13, 2009

I saw RENT twice on Broadway, while the "original cast" - or rather, most of them - were still in the show, and a handful of times here in Cleveland before the current tour arrived here. I saw the final dress, opening night and the two final shows on Sunday, and they were just AMAZING. Anthony and Adam have always been magical onstage together, I'm just glad that people outside of NYC will be able to witness that magic now. For me, the nicest part of the show was seeing how strong and well-balanced the entire company is, and how well they all work as an ensemble. This is truly a BEAUTIFUL peace of work. DON'T MISS IT!!!

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Thanks!
written by Cindy , January 15, 2009

BQRC --

Thanks for the info! Interesting changes. I'm not likely to be able to see the show on tour so I appreciate hearing about it.

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