ANTONIQUE SMITH - r En T

[whateverman]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 3:55pm

The BEST Mimi EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does anyone else love her like i do? That VOICE... and her Mimi has a real HUMAN quality. NICE!~ Updated On: 4/26/06 at 03:55 PM

[Patronus]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:00pm

You meant to add, "that is currently playing the roll" right?

I'd love to hear some specific reasons and examples as to why you feel this way.

What did Antonique do that the other Mimi's that you've seen didn't do or did differently that makes you feel this way?

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:02pm

I think she sounds like a horse when she sings.

[whateverman]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:03pm

no i didnt mean to add that actually.. but i did add more to why i feel this way.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:04pm

I think she was one of the few people seriously considered along with Rosario Dawson for the film. There are clips of her online. I think she's just fair. That chick from the German production is probably the best I've seen outside of Daphne.

[whateverman]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:09pm

really? for the film huh? i could see that. her acting is subtle and natural and would have worked well on film. gotta check out the German chick. Her name? i've see clips of Antonique online too.. out tonight/let it be.. amazing. the best singing Mimi to me.

[Patronus]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:09pm

I found her Mimi to be a bit to "harsh".

I will put some of that blame on the sound system which was still new at the time but I didn't see any sign of vulnerability in her performance at all.

She was a very "tough" Mimi, which I have no problem with, but I didn't believe that she was sick. Vocally she was fine, but not great.

She also had zero chemistry with Joshua Kobak who was the Roger I saw opposite her, but I'll put that blame on him since he didn't seem to have much chemistry with anyone else in the show either.

I suppose it's possible that I saw a down performance from her as I know a lot of people really love her, but I can think of 5 or 6 Mimi's off the top of my head that I enjoyed much more than Antonique. She wasn't the worst I've ever seen, but far from the best. Updated On: 4/26/06 at 04:09 PM

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:10pm

I wasn't very impressed with her. I thought she lacked vulnerability that is a necessity for Mimi's character arc. She came off as very tough, which is fine, but there needs to be something underneath.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:14pm

I haven't ever seen a more vulnerable Mimi than Ms. Smith.

Her "Goodbye Love" is disturbing and jarring. He can't even get words out at times because she is sobbing. I believed her every second of the performance, and she's in fine vocal form.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:19pm

i didn't get to see her but im sure she is wonderful, i loved Krystal L. Washington as Mimi though.

[whateverman]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:20pm

OMG munk i agree. her goodbye love and Without You had me GAgging! lol .. in a good way that is. all the vulnerability was right there to me.

Updated On: 4/26/06 at 04:20 PM

[DancNdaMoonlite]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:41pm

I thought she was amazing. Especially in Without You and Goodbye Love. I can't even put into words how good she was in those songs.

[dbooher25]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:44pm

I feel you on the Krystal L. Washington praise. I have never seen anyone work the rail in "Out Tonight" like she does! And chords of steel to bout!

[FabalaYero85]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:48pm

Nobody can hold a candle to Karmine and Daphne. haha

I love Antonique...but not in Rent. she is a sweetheart. but her Out Tonight just makes me want break something. I've seen her with Jay and Will...still waiting for her and Tim, but would killed to have seen her and Cary.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:49pm

Anthonique has dreadful vocal technique. Some people like it cause they think her voice is reminiscent of Daphne, I personally just found it painful. That girl is going to get nodes if she doesn't watch it, there is so much tension in her throat and it's just not safe.

I also found her character portrayal to be pretty two-dimensional.


Just out of curiousity, what other Mimis have you actually seen?

[HBG]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 5:02pm

I saw her and thought she was amazing! Not only does she have a great voice, but I have never seen such an emotional performance on a stage. She nearly brought me to tears and was just so real. I loved her!

[onelastrefrain2]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 5:10pm

I can't stand Antonique's performance as Mimi, though she really is a sweet girl. Her vocals are way too low and raspy for my liking and her acting.. I don't know if you would really consider it that. Not to be harsh or anything, but when you compare her to someone like Karmine Alers or Daphne..yeah

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 5:18pm

Not sure why it matters who I've seen, but I've seen nearly all the Mimi's, if not all of them. Here is who I can think off:

Daphni Rubin-Vega
Karmine Alers
Melanie Brown
Krysten Cummings
Maya Days
Marcy Harriell
Antonique Smith
Loraine Velez
Krystal L. Washington
Caren Lyn Manuel
Yasmine Alers

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 5:21pm

I wasn't asking you munk, I was asking the original poster.

Updated On: 4/26/06 at 05:21 PM

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 6:26pm

I totally disagree. I found Antonique's Mimi much too fierce, and her voice, albeit powerful, never blended with the rest of the cast. She overpowered everyone else, and I didn't feel as though she was in any way vulnerable. Mimi's supposed to appear confident, but Antonique's Mimi was too confident - on more than one occasion, she SHOVED Roger. I always felt Mimi had vulnerability, an insecurity; qualities that make her a real character beyond the book, and Antonique didn't possess/express anything like that at the performance I saw.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 6:30pm

I agree overthemoon. The last time I saw the show was when Will Chase was in for that short run a few months ago. He played a very aggressive Roger, and paired with Anthonique's overly brash Mimi they were borderline physically abusive.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 6:35pm

I think some parts of her performance display too much confidence in the way of being very flirtacious, but she kind of wavers in and out of that. Overall, I like her a lot.

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 6:43pm

Antonique is my favorite Mimi that I've seen. I love her voice, and she is the sweetest person ever at stagedoor.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 4/26/06 at 6:57pm

I've only seen her as Maureen, and I wasn't impressed. Her singing sounded more like yelling to me.

[ozone20]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 9:32am

Hey how was Loraine velez in the role of MIMI// was always curious. anyone know?