Long before she actually saw the stage production of “RENT,” Tavia Rivée Jefferson was a girl listening to the cast album in her bedroom, imagining what Jonathan Larson’s romantic and iconic update of “La Boheme” would be like.
Today, Jefferson is an acclaimed director, serving as associate director for the Broadway productions of “The Wiz” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and most recently the resident director of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow.” This summer, she’s in Madison to bring her own vision to “RENT” as director of Capital City Theatre’s new production. It will play at the Orpheum Theater for just four performances June 5-7.
“Capital City Theatre has just been so supportive, and the cast, I couldn't have asked for a better cast,” said Jefferson while taking a break from rehearsals last week. “All of the pieces just seem to be falling into place. It feels almost too good to be true. I’m almost waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Jefferson talked about approaching such an iconic musical from a fresh perspective.
Do you think you approach “RENT” differently because you heard it well before you saw it?
I was living in New York when “RENT” came out, and I was going to a performing arts school, so I kind of had no choice but to hear it. It was everywhere! My mother was like “You’re not going to see this show as a teenager, that’s a little too young.” So I had that space to dream up what it looks like. Even in my room I’d be singing the songs and thinking, “It looks like this.” “Will I?”, “I'll Cover You,” “Your Eyes” – those numbers just spoke to me, and being able to recreate them this time in my vision? I cry every time.
How would you distill your vision for “RENT”?
My vision for “RENT” was honest. Over the last 30 years, some versions have gotten a little more heightened and theatrical than I would prefer. This was a really nice opportunity to just break it down and make it more about the story. The truth, the honesty, the rawness, the community of it all, the parallels from where we were 30 years ago and where we are now.
Maybe not using as much of that kind of Broadway theatricality of it all, and really just grounding everyone, so the story could be heard as well as felt.
It looms so large in the culture. How much do you owe to people’s perceptions of “RENT,” and maybe their memories of seeing it in the past, versus creating a vision of your own?
There were moments where I was very clear with my design team that I did not want it to look like any traditional version. I don’t want Roger in plaid pants. But then there were moments when I said “Oh, I want to keep this.” Especially because some of those moments are so important to the audience. I don’t want to rob them of that.
Is there something about the play that speaks differently to audiences in 2026 than it did 30 years ago?
Unfortunately not. It’s 30 years later, and we're still talking about housing insecurity and wealth disparity and health care access and gentrification and mistreatment of different communities. All of that is still very prevalent and that is heartbreaking.
I'm hoping that this will kind of hold up a mirror to audiences to just say, "Oh, okay. Where can I show compassion? Where can I recognize the similarities?”
