Mimi Jimenez - the current 'Seasons of Love' soloist on tour - Get her on Broadway NOW!

[willact4food]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 10:54am

To anyone who has seen the current RENT tour, you know that the current Seasons of Love soloist, Mimi Jimenez, is a force to be reckoned with. With her incredible belting and passion for this show, she truly stands out in an already wonderful cast.

Frenchie is leaving May 24. I think the producers/casting of this show would be incredibly stupid not to give the role to Mimi.

For those of you who have seen the current RENT tour, let me know what you think! It's time that this incredible talent gets her time on the Great White Way!

-Brandon

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 11:10am

Mimi is up for the replacement job and is actively being considered, but she thinks they'll go with some sort of "American Idol"-esque name, so she's not expecting anything.

Fingers crossed she DOES get it, though. She's utterly phenomenal.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 11:29am

I went to college with her at UCF before I transferred. I got to see her in Working at Seaside Music Theatre and in Lysastrata and Laramie Project at UCF. She was sweet to me, but i've seen her act kind of bitchy before. If she does make it to Broadway, i'll definetely go see her.

[Broadway Dancer]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 12:25pm

I thought she did a great job on the tour, and I'd love to see her get promoted to the Broadway company.

[goofy108]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 12:25pm

i thought the whole cast was amazing. bring them all to broadway.

[longshadowsfalling]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 1:03pm

i thought the whole cast was amazing. bring them all to broadway.

Agreed. I honestly think that this tour cast is more talented then the current cast on Broadway. Although I can see there being more of an issue with Declan's accent if he were on Broadway (although it didn't bug me at all). I would say that Tracy McDowell (Maureen) and Warren G Nolan (Collins) are the two that really, really, really need to transfer to Broadway though- they're amazing. Oh! And Jed Resnick from the old tour cast.

And to address the actual topic of the thread... Yes, she would be a great replacement for Frenchie.

[goofy108]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 2:01pm

ya. i forgot about declan. he was really good. but the accent was so obvious and it stood out. i would find someone different.

[longshadowsfalling]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 2:48pm

Yeah, I've heard him try to mask the accent and it really compromises his singing. Personally, I think that it shouldn't matter- he has an amazing voice and is great for the character- but I know that some people get really distracted by it.

[goofy108]

Posted: 4/6/07 at 3:05pm

i agree. he was excellent.
but like you said, at times it seemed like he was trying to cover up his accent and yet it was still very obvious that he was british.
i wish he had just gone with it.

[javertim]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 12:05am

Amen, Willact4food. I've been saying this since I saw her back in December. There is no one like Mimi Jimenez. You may enjoy my post on the second page of this topic:

http://compulsivebowlers.org/boards/viewtopic.php?t=5689&start=20

I honestly cannot imagine a better candidate to replace Frenchie in May. It's heart-warming to know that someone else was just as touched by her performance as I was and that you were even willing to give Ms. Jimenez her very own topic, here.

[LouieLovesTheater]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 12:13am

I saw one of her first performances as SOL soloist and was really impressed. I've seen/heard enough versions of this song to sort of weed out what I like and don't like. I think she is a solid singer and a pretty decent actress too...not nearly as annoying as some other Soloists who shall remain nameless (at least from me!)

[andyf]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 12:35am

My friend saw the tour and could not start talking about the SOLoist. She said it was some of the most bonkers singing she's ever seen.

With the creation of this thread and seeing that so many other people apparently feel the same way, I'm kind of hoping they bring this girl in. After Frenchie stinking up the stage for the past 15 years, it would be nice to see someone who a) doesn't keep the SOLo so low and b) is apparently phenomenal.

Updated On: 4/12/07 at 12:35 AM

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 10:23am

It's possible, I suppose, that they'll bring Mimi in to replace Frenchie, but I think a more realistic possibility is that they'll give Crystal the role and Mimi will replace her as swing.

[javertim]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 11:19am

I love Crystal as Mrs. Jefferson, but I honestly don't think she has the vocal capacity / endurance to perform the role full-time. Mimi, on the other hand, never seems to quit or show the slightest sign of vocal wear. In fact, I'm basing all of my gushing over her on four performances I saw in Baltimore this past December when she apparently was quite sick. But, heck, I still thought she did the best SOLo I've ever heard ... I have heard Crystal crack the high note several times and her voice is considerably less powerful than Mimi's. This is especially apparent due to the fact that their vocal timbre is quite similar (both have low, brassy voices). And I'm certainly not saying that I dislike Crystal in the role. Quite the contrary -- she's one of my favorites. I just couldn't see them adding Mimi to the cast as a swing and moving Crystal up.
Updated On: 4/12/07 at 11:19 AM

[NY_Broadway2]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 1:43pm

I've seen her 3 times in the role and she is phenomenal!! She should definitely make the transfer if she can. I think a big problem though is the tour is non-equity so she needs to get her equity card first before she can go to Broadway.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 1:47pm

NY_Broadway, the "RENT" tour has qualified Mimi for her Equity card, so she'll be able to make the transfer if they want her to.

[ozone20]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 1:47pm

The thing is that SOL is such an AMAZING solo in and of itself. Mimi has a big,great,nicely toned voice but i really can do without her melisma on this solo or anyones for that matter. a wonderfully beautiful voice such as hers doesnt need anything else but a straight forward,flat footed,commanding melisma free delivery. Updated On: 4/12/07 at 01:47 PM

[willact4food]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 2:13pm

ah, yes! more Mimi lovers! bring on the Mimi love!

somethingwicked, now, I could be wrong, but I'm almost positive that Mimi has not received or is elligible to get her Equity card yet. According to her blog, she has done 20-something shows and 5 or 6 tours and is still not Equity. I'm almost sure that the current RENT tour is non-equity as well.

Even if this is the case, Mimi does not need her Equity card to join the Broadway company of RENT. you can automatically get it when you join a Broadway production. you don't need the 50 weeks.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 2:21pm

There hasn't been an Equity Rent tour in several years.

[willact4food]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 2:25pm

Oh, ok Lizzie. Thank you for clearing that up!

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 2:33pm

willact4food, Mimi has said to friends of hers that this tour has qualified her for Equity status. This is coming straight from her.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 2:36pm

http://geocities.com/mistyintheriver/rent/nonequity/

[Jmoss7602]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 2:50pm

Best Seasons of love I ever heard was from Sharron Brown in the original Benny Cast with Niel Patrick Harris

[NY_Broadway2]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 3:39pm

Thanks somethingwicked for clearing that up for me. She's very talented and I wish her all the best. Hope she makes the transfer!!

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 4/12/07 at 5:45pm

somethingwicked, you have misunderstood. The Rent tour has been non-Equity since 2001 and all actors on the tour are non-Eq. If she's asked to come to the Broadway cast, she would automatically become a member of Equity, just as any other non-Eq actor would, if cast. The tour has not "qualified her to get her Equity card".