Take Her or Leave Her

Even I didn’t know, Simon Morris readers that Jessie Wallace once played Maureen in RENT. Reading that this week reminded me of the versatility of this iconic role and leads me to explore just why Maureen is such a fantastic character.

Maureen Johnson is a bi-sexual performance artist who is the girlfriend of lawyer Joanne and ex-girlfriend of film maker Mark in the hit 90’s musical RENT. That short description alone should give you an idea of just how many opportunities an actress is given when she takes on this iconic role.

Musically, Maureen requires a girl with lungs. Her signature introductory song, ‘Over the Moon,’ is a stylised Native American chant that reimagines classic nursery rhyme ‘the cat and the fiddle.’ Her main duet, the stunning ‘Take Me or Leave Me,’ with partner Maureen, is probably the best break up song in modern musical theatre.

The thing is that Maureen is so flighty that there are a number of different ways you can play her. I turn to three interpretations of the classic RENT character here to illustrate just why she is so fantastic.

The role was created on Broadway by the ever talented Idina Menzel, who went on to also create the iconic role of Elphaba in Wicked,  for which she won a TONY. Maureen was in fact her first major role on Broadway and she reprised it in the film version of the production.

Menzel made the character strong, determined and passionate. With Idina’s Maureen you saw the activist side of the character emerge. She cared about the world around her and the art she produced. She was very much the fresh faced, idealistic Maureen with a slight edge.

Next we turn to Nicole Scherzinger’s interpretation of the character at the Hollywood Bowl production of the musical. As the leading Pussycat Doll, Nicole oozes sexuality and this is an important aspect of Maureen. Maureen sizzled during her turn at the bowl.

Finally, we turn to Jessie Wallace’s portrayal of the activist. The EastEnders actress replaced Denise Van Outen in RENT Remixed, a reimaging of the piece set in the modern day. Despite the negative reviews it got, Jessie highlighted the hardness in Maureen; what gives her the strength to get up and stage her raw protest pieces.

Maureen is such a complex role and each of the three actresses highlighted a different aspect of the character. That’s why Maureen is so fantastic; you never know what you’re going to get from her. It’s a new experience every single time.