Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – ADAM PASCAL & ANTHONY RAPP continue to celebrate their friendship and shared history at 54 Below

• By drediman
• July 3, 2025
• No Comments

This week, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp have returned to 54 Below to continue to celebrate nearly three decades of friendship and shared history. Most will be familiar with the duo as the originators of the roles of Roger and Mark, respectively, from the rock musical Rent — an influential, even life-changing show for a generation of young, budding theatergoers (including yours truly). Happily, they put on a terrific high energy show. To their credit, they both looked fantastic and still sounded very much like they did when they were in the Pulitzer Prize-winning show many moons ago.

Fans will be glad to learn that Pascal and Rapp more than just dabble in the songs from Rent. In addition to pristine renditions of “One Song Glory”, “What You Own”, and of course “Seasons of Love”, the enthusiastic audience was also treated to a crowd-pleasing medley from the musical (which included a tongue-in-cheek “Light My Candle” and a heartfelt “I’ll Cover You”). Beyond Rent, they delved into the songs that have defined their lives, including those from — but not exclusively from — the alternative rock canon of 1980s and 1990s. Some highlights included inspired takes on “Where the Streets Have No Name” (U2), “Fake Plastic Trees” (Radiohead), and “Under Pressure” (Queen, David Bowie). Perhaps most exciting of all was their defiant rendition of “Totally Fucked” from Duncan Sheik’s Tony-winning rock musical adaptation of Spring Awakening, a show whose way was paved by the success of Rent.

Throughout the evening, Pascal and Rapp’s rapport was undeniable, and their genuine banter revealed a deep respect and appreciation for their many years of friendship and collaboration. Having seen their show previously a few years ago at 54 Below, I’m happy to report that they’ve done a good job of keeping the show fresh and spontaneous for both themselves and repeat visitors. The pair was joined by a seasoned band led on multiple instruments by music director Daniel Weiss — the original and longtime music director of Rent on Broadway — who was able to thrillingly replicate the unmistakable sound of the seminal musical for the concert.

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ADAM PASCAL & ANTHONY RAPP: CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIP & HISTORY
Cabaret
54 Below
1 hour, 15 minutes (without an intermission)
Through July 6