Rent attendance anecdotes

[Whiteboy Spice]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 8:40pm

Hey everyone --

I'd love to hear anecdotes from you about what your audience(s) are like at the showings you attend this weekend.

I'm especially interested in hearing from folks in smaller towns, outlying areas, Red States, etc, but any and all responses from New Yorkers or Chicagoans or other city folks are of course welcome.

Any sense of demographics, reactions (good and bad), box office results that you care to share would be greatly appreciated.

And just to save my inbox from exploding, can you post them publicly rather than send me pms?

Thanks --

Anthony

[Kimmygonbefamous]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 8:48pm

The first showing tomorrow at the movie theater closest to me (Milford, CT) is already pretty much sold out. I'll be there though. Knowing that made me happy

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 8:53pm

I live in the middle of South Carolina (the redest state of them all . . . I mean the Christian Exodus group is trying to make SC their home and seperate from the United States). I am going tomorrow and I will try to keep you informed but just to let you know that people I work with . . . and more than a couple are majorly homophobic . . . keep telling me how they can't wait to see the movie. I have even tried to convince others to take their husbands/wives/girlfriends/signifcant others to see the movie. But, only time will tell.

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 08:53 PM

[xoxRogue]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 8:59pm

Oh don't worry, I will tell all tomorrow.

But I am going before the other students will be able to...well...that doesn't mean much..alot of people skipped to see Harry Potter...

[WesternSky2]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:00pm

Leaving for the midnight showing at the Ziegfeld soon... and I'm sure I'll have many stories before night is out.

[MUNKY]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:05pm

A lot of people here in and across the bay area (from San Jose to Sacramento) are going to the midnight showing here. This should be interesting. Oh gotta go get ready and "Rent" myself out! I have a friend who runs one of the theatres here, so I'll make sure he give a full report to Anthony.

Reporting live from San Francisco.

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 09:05 PM

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:12pm

yay! It's Anthony!

SO- I'm in a conservative Jersey suburb, and everyone I've talked to is either excited or impartial- in other words, nothing negative. It could be that they have no clue what RENT is about, but I prefer to think that they're actually open-minded. :)

SOOOOOOOOON!

[Kathbos2]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:15pm

Not sure if the pre- screening I attended last night would give you a good idea of the demographics in attendance: the 50 member chorus from a local middle school who looked like they camped out, the random group of ties that looked liked they got off work and rushed over, the over zealous teenagers that looked like they were going to have a nervous breakdown due to the size of the line and continued to walk up and down the street attempting to count the numbers in line to determine their chances, the boyfriend and girlfriend that looked at the line and said screw this lets gets some drinks (there were many). I can't speak for the smaller towns, I attended the prescreening in Harvard Square in Boston. We were The last group of 5 to get into the 200 seat theatre and we were about 20% deep...so you can imagine the amounts that got turned away. I had two 50ish in age couples to my left a group of 10 teenagers with their "No Day But Today" tshirts on to the front, and a 70 year old gentleman by himself to my right. There was the occassional "let's sing along" with half of the audience participating and the other half getting frustrated saying "This isn't live theatre, watch the movie." People definatly enjoyed but I did hear a few concerns about the quick transitions in the end: Roger going to Santa Fe and coming back in 25 seconds can work on stage but not on film. (I won't mention the comment I heard refered to as Rogers's Crossroads moment singing in the desert- oops sorry just did.) and also Mimi's scene in the end in the loft..some felt it was too quick and unrealistic. I would say that 70% of the audience that was there knew every moment before they saw it (for instance most of the theatre giggled when Mimi blew out her candle for the first time knowing what was coming next). I would also say 70% of the theatre was crying during the last 15 mins of the show. The other half was saying "What? You haven't convinced me to feel this just yet? I was getting there, but you didn't bring me all the way.

[CrAzIaBoUtReNt]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:18pm

I'm seeing it in a small theatre in CT near Bridgeport/Stratford line. There are like 20 kids that are going from my school to see the movie. EVERYBODY won't stop singing Seasons of Love. It's like..."The Song". And it sometimes gets a little annoying because their like "Four thousand sixty eight hundred twenty five minutes" and stuff. But everybody is really excited...but not as excited as me
Updated On: 11/22/05 at 09:18 PM

[wickedfreak]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:19pm

Well....My town in a suberb of Houston ad is growing rapidly. We have two movie theaters. Only one will be showing Rent and on only one screen. They must be scared of it or something. lol. I was sort of mad. The other Huge movie theater with 30 screens or something is only on one screen to. I was flaberghasted.

[cubbiegirl]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:23pm

Small town in Missouri (16,000 people) with an 8 screen movie theatre..not showing it.

[wickedfreak]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:25pm

That is so sad!! do you live near a city or something that will be showing it?

[Feathah]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:26pm

Went to the Zeigfeld tonight at 6:30 to pick up my tix for tomorrow night and there were already people waiting online to get in for the midnight showing!

[cubbiegirl]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:27pm

The closest town with a mall is an hour and a half away..that theatre is showing it so I'm going to drive up there.

This town is very conservative, very religious and racist, so I was counting on it coming here.

[xoxRogue]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:28pm

CrAzIaBoUtReNt, I'm seeing it in Trumbell. I was almost going to go to the one in Stratford (better seats.), but then I found out the one in Trumbell is earlier. Hopefully it will be in the huge theater.

[CrAzIaBoUtReNt]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:33pm

Lol. I never realized that there are so many people in my area on these boards!

[sadiem100]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:43pm

I live in Seattle and was able to go to an advance screening on Monday. Everyone there was really excited and applauded after most of the songs (except Without You and I'll Cover You Reprise cause they were so intense). Afterwards a huge applause and many people (including me) just walked out silently crying.

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:48pm

i'm going tomorrow..it was really weird cause today in school in honor of RENT, i wore this sweatshirt i made that says 525,600 minuts and then RENT by my chest. To my surprise people were singing it all day. BOYS were singing it. I was like woww, go see the movie tomorrow! One of my friends who saw an advanced screening on monday said that everyone clapped after SOL which i thought was really cute. I actually JUST ordered my tickets online, I am sooo excited you have NO idea, well maybe you all do haha :). I'm dragging along 3 friends, two of which have never seen the broadway production or heard the songs, but are sooo excited to go.

[ikmbway]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:52pm

When I go to see the movie tomorrow afternoon I will definitely inform you of what went on. Can't wait to see it! Nice hearing from you on here. Always cheers me up!
Updated On: 11/22/05 at 09:52 PM

[kates422]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:55pm

I'm seeing it late tomorrow night. I'm right outside of St. Paul, MN...so I will let you know! Luckily, it's playing everywhere around me! Yay!

[greenifyed]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:55pm

Since I live in a particularly "red" area of Pennsylvania, it should be rather interesting. My friend is a manager at the theaters here, though, so I can probably get an official count.

Woooot.

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 09:55 PM

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:56pm

I have yet to see it in my area, but I do know that the majority of my friends are seeing it tomorrow, or plan to see it over the weekend. I really think this is going to do fantastically with the teens. *crosses fingers*
I will definitely report back tomorrow night!

[NJgirl]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:59pm

Two friends of mine went to the screening in Orlando, FL last night....said the crowd was a very mixed demographic (teens to 50's)....they brought a rent virgin with them and he said he had a hard time following the story and he left during "over the moon" bc "he didnt get it"...but mostly positive reactions from the crowd from what they could tell..she said they laughed at the right parts, esp over the moon, and the minute sarah silverman hit the screen and she said the obvious Rent fans were laughing before the funny lines in anticipation...but their personal opinion was that it definitely was a movie for the Rent fans and maybe not so much your average joe not familiar with the stage version.

Im hitting up the first showing after I get out of work tomorrow night (7ish) here in the Princeton/Trenton NJ area. The box office, when I picked up tix tonight, said they should've considered a midnight showing bc tix for tomorrow are flying and they said they were about 50% sold for tomorrows showings and they were showing it in 2 of their largest theaters. I'll report more back tomorrow!

~Cristin

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 10:18pm

Will do! Counting down the time now.. just gotta get through my show's music rehearsal from 10-3, then I'm off to the 3:40pm showing!!

[Rentheadut]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 10:28pm

Salt Lake City, Utah
Monday, 7pm

Two different screenings, both packed. Audience clapped at MANY parts of the movie, including SOL, Out Tonight, Today 4 U, Maureen's entrance and at many different comedic moments. Mooing occured briefly. Many sniffles were heard during Without You and ICY: Reprise.

Afterwards I heard two things: People asking when they could see it again, and people complaining about the What You Own Britney Spears moment.

Other then that, very positive reviews from all! The Utah gang loves you Anthony!!!

Brian