The 1990s may have been a prosperous time by some measures, but not for those on the fringes of the economy, those facing discrimination or fear, those living with HIV/AIDS.

That bleaker side of the era, as well as its brighter forces of creativity and audacity, found potent expression in Jonathan Larson’s ambitious musical “Rent.” A touring production launched last fall to mark the show’s 20th anniversary is paying a visit to the Hippodrome Theatre this weekend with a high-wattage cast.

You can’t miss the fresh relevance of “Rent” today, when society seems even more sharply divided between haves and have-nots, deserving and suspect. The musical’s characters and their specific situations — HIV-positive (straight and gay), struggling artist, transgender — easily become metaphoric for any kind of outsiders, and that will always give “Rent” an extra, potent layer.

Larson drew on Puccini’s gem of an opera, “La Boheme,” for his plot (and a few melodic strands). The operatic bohemians are a much more poetic, much less manic bunch than the musical ones, but in both versions, poverty, love, jealousy and loss are constant forces.

Some of the “Boheme” connections have always felt contrived or overdone to me. A brief mention of avian cruelty in the opera, for example, becomes a major incident of animal cruelty in the musical, strangely played for laughs.

And the indelible death scene at the end of “Boheme” turns dangerously close to comical in “Rent,” when the supposedly expiring character bounces back to life. (An affecting death in the musical is reserved for a supporting player.)

Larson’s score is packed with notes, but a lot of them sound superfluous, serving more as souped-up, often tiring recitative than important song material. And out of more than two dozens songs, only a few have memorable hooks.

Still, it’s the cumulative strength of “Rent” that really matters, and those strengths are formidable. Larson, who died at age 35 the night of the dress rehearsal for the musical’s Off-Broadway premiere in 1996, left a lasting mark.

The touring production’s non-union actors dart through well-honed paces, directed by Evan Ensign, who uses up every inch of Paul Clay’s nicely gritty set.

All of the performers jump into character persuasively. The excellent Danny Harris Kornfeld does a wry turn as aspiring filmmaker Mark. David Merino sparkles as drag artist Angel. And as the volatile Maureen, Katie Lamark makes the most of the “Over the Moon” scene, a witty, if over-extended, satire of performance art.

As for the singing, it’s all serviceable, but prone to overdrive. This is especially true with Kaleb Wells, who pretty much screams his way through the role of former junkie Roger.

Maybe for the 25th anniversary of the musical, a producer will try a radical concept. A toned-down, subtle approach to “Rent” is overdue.

tim.smith@baltsun.com