Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on ReNT (with theater and stage door photos)- Page 3

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 4:53pm

Yeah, I'm happy I got to see her.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 5:06pm

Sorry guys.. I did not answer soon..Were so busy at work today (two people are out!)

To Rentboy (Scott)


To mealz-

Oops my camera was set up wrong..its supposed to be 6/2/08-also my other photos from PASSING STRANGE has the same date! I just reset the camera. I did not even realized it. Merle Dandridge is okay, Justin Johnson- I think he has a beautiful voice, though I felt like he was rushing his "Today 4 U" number. I remember Wilson Jermaine Heredia (now its coming back, lol! ) really did a fabulous job with that song. I remember when I saw him jump from the table..I was like..oh my god..how did he do that...Its just --he was full of energy!

Justin Johnson - the last Angel


I think my problem is the Ensemble as a whole. I always think the strength of the musical is the whole group as ONE. I remember seeing the Original Cast singing Season of Love- and you can really feel the emotion..I swear to god.. I thought I saw Jessie Martin almost in teary eyes when he was singing the song. The emotion was so spectacular that you really feel how's ones life worth in that particular number. When I saw it last week- I see a bunch of people just standing there and singing (almost yelling) I can't even understand the song. It seems to me that everyone was trying to "outdo" one another. Sometimes I wonder as to why they are asking the Original Cast to perform at the TONYS...but now...I understand as to why?

and to everyone- thanks for all your inputs and responses!

J*




Updated On: 6/3/08 at 05:06 PM

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 5:21pm

Jay, You really are the person to see theatre with.

[Broadway_Bound_Star]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 5:29pm

How was Merle?

Me, being 1/2 filipino...

I LOVE YOUR SHIRT!!

.. where did you get it? Haha, and i'm serious, i'd totally wear one.

[misschung]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 5:36pm

Beautiful photographs, what kind of camera do you use? It's a little annoying that they're starting to actually write over the OBC mural...

I like your shirt, too!

I'm thinking of going back and trying the lotto one last time before closing. Maybe the cast will be more comfortable together by that time. Thanks for the review, Jay!

Updated On: 6/3/08 at 05:36 PM

[spidey_882]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 6:10pm

Here's another not-quite-half-Filipino who loved your shirt! :)

Thanks for the review. I hope, after taking the picture, you punched the girl who was writing on the photos squarely in the back of the head for defacing the theater.

Updated On: 6/3/08 at 06:10 PM

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 6:36pm

The audience were always yelling..."Awwwwwww!" everytime Tamyra Gray, Justin Johnson or Eden Espinosa shook their asses...it seems like the audience already knew what was going to happen, and there was almost a cue part that everyone HAS TO YELL- Awww!
They do already know what was going to happen, because the actors shake their asses at the same exact moment every single performance.

5. I'm suprised you didn't like Justin, I think he's a really great angel and very convincing. Oh well, maybe it was a bad day for him.
Lots of people don't like Justin; I don't know why it's surprising that one more doesn't.

BTW Maureen's costume has been different from the original for a long time. I'm not sure when it changed
Circa-2000


The graffiti is disgusting.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 7:19pm

"I hope, after taking the picture, you punched the girl who was writing on the photos squarely in the back of the head for defacing the theater."

That's the spirit! Use VIOLENCE against people who are expressing themselves! Isn't RENT about a bunch of people who are abusing property that does not belong to them?
Plus, so you think that Rentheads have SUDDENLY become outrageous in their enthusiasm for this phenomenon. I am sure the people in charge are letting people get it out of their system before the show closes and I think that is kind of cool.
But you are probably right. A good kick in that girl's head is probably a better idea.

[karen24]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 7:22pm

Jay, I always enjoy your reviews and the time and detail you put into them. Thanks!
A couple of thoughts/comments:
=Wasn't there a conscious decision made to keep the theater grungy-looking, in keeping with the setting and themes of "Rent"? Could that be why things like the disintegrating ceiling are not being fixed, and that they're just waiting until the show closes to do a renovation? Or are you guys saying that it now has gone beyond the artfully grungy stage and is just falling apart?
**I have only seen the show twice as well--once maybe 5 years ago and once when Adam & Anthony came back. I have to say that the first time, I couldn't understand a word anyone was singing. The show was so overamplified it was ridiculous. I did love the music and went out and got the cast album, so by the time I went back for A&A, I had the show pretty much memorized. But I wonder if newcomers to the show are still experiencing the problem I had.
When I saw it with A&A, I did enjoy it more than the first time, not only because I could understand it, but because it felt like the whole cast was energized by having them there. As it happened, Tamyra Gray was out and I saw Antonique Smith--I thought she was quite good!

Most of you "Rent" fans probably know this, but there is a small exhibit about the show up at the Museum of the City of NY. It's part of their "Perform" exhibit about the history of theater in NYC. They have one of Mimi's original costumes and I think one of Roger's costumes as well. There's also a really interesting display about the development of "Avenue Q." And lots of great stuff about the earlier days of NYC theater!

[Mealz1042]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 10:32pm

oh man can we NOT start this graffiti discussion again? k thanks.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 6/3/08 at 10:45pm

how did you get to go see the wall backstage??

[Hair08]

Posted: 6/4/08 at 12:15pm

I love how one theatre goer's opinion makes it that the show isn't good. It really blows my mind. I was there that day and did not feel that way at all. I thought it was very good and that people weren't just "singing" like the OBc by any means. But everyone is entitled to their opinion. Didn't know that Ben Brantley was on this message board. I am pretty sure that Eden had only began performances a day before that poster saw the show so give her some credit.

[lstbutifulgrl2]

Posted: 6/4/08 at 12:32pm

i agree with the above poster.

i was also there that day and thought the cast did a fine job. yes there were areas for improvement, but hell it's live theater, there are always areas for improvement.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/4/08 at 12:37pm

I do agree that one poster's opinion shouldn't be taken as the absolute, but I don't buy the excuse that because it's live theater, it's okay for performances to be inadequate. Because it's live theater, things can always change, no two performances are identical, etc.? Yes, absolutely. But that because it's live theater it's permissible to screw up? No. It's excusable for things to go wrong and be unpredictable, but being live theater is not a reason that we should lower our expectations.

[lstbutifulgrl2]

Posted: 6/4/08 at 12:46pm

i did not mean it in a way that meant we should lower our expectations, more in that because it is live theater it is not going to be the same every time, which makes it interesting... if i wanted to see a show the same way every time i would watch a recorded version or listen to a OBCR

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/4/08 at 12:54pm

No, I definitely agree that variety is what makes it interesting. Of course. That's like, the basic justification for seeing a show more than once; it's not like a movie that is exactly the same every time you watch it. But wanting it to be more interesting is, to me, separate from excusing flaws, you know? Bloopers are cute and all, but like I said, just because it's live doesn't mean we should excuse needing room to improve. Even though there almost is, that's just not an excuse. That's all I meant.

[Rodney Hicks]

Posted: 6/4/08 at 1:17pm

Updated On: 6/4/08 at 01:17 PM

[musicalmaster703]

Posted: 8/21/08 at 3:25pm

< What did he say?

[strelimyn]

Posted: 8/21/08 at 6:53pm

Thanks jay for the review! I wish I were close enough to the city to see the show before it closes.

I want to say Sherie Rene Scott had the different Maureen costume in 1997. I may be wrong.

Updated On: 8/21/08 at 06:53 PM