5/6 RENT at the Warner Review & Cinderella

[WickedlyPerfect]

Posted: 5/7/06 at 8:04pm

YEah I know, two totally different topics, but I didn't want to start two threads:

For starters RENT. ... ...
Yeah I don't even know where to begin. I went in with a very open mind. I had heard it wasn't that good and to save my money, but I love the story and the music so I thought I would give it a shot. My seat was great, only a little obstruction of view due to the lights on the stage (my seat was on the right). I was really excited when Mark stepped on the stage and he was relatively good. it gave me hope that the show would be good. Yeah, then it just went bad from there.
I never had a problem when the whole cast sang together. RENT gave me chills like it always does, Christmas Bells (one of my favorite songs) was pretty decent. However, whoever played Mimi shouldn't. she started off bad and continued to go down.
I had an understudy for Rodger, and he got better as the show went on, but never really went anywhere. Collins was the saving grace of the show. I would have been utterly disappointed if someone did not do well, and Collins was amazing.
The show seemed rushed at points, more rushed than normal. The girl who sat beside me had never even seen or heard anything from the play and based all of her judgements on the movie ("why are they starting the show at the protest" -- comment on stage, "Why are all of these songs added to the show if they aren't in the movie" -- comment on any song not in movie but in show.) I stopped answering her questions after the 10th on and let her remain confused for the rest of the show.
All and all I don't regret buying a ticket. It's a tour so I should get what I paid for. The songs that I enjoy in the show were sung pretty well, so it wasn't completely ruined afternoon.


2nd: Why has Rodgers and Hammerstein's cinderella never been on broadway? My mom and I can't figure it out.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/7/06 at 8:13pm

Well, I'm taking my sisters to see this tour when it comes to Birmingham later in the year. I'm a little skeptical because the first time I saw RENT i was amazed. It was so beautiful and everything was perfect. However, after reading your post I'm sort of afraid. They too haven't seen anything but the movie, but Mimi is their favorite. Oh well, i'm still taking them, but I hope they get better in their roles by Sept.

[WickedlyPerfect]

Posted: 5/7/06 at 8:15pm

Mimi's songs are some of my favorite (I'm VERY picky about "out tonight") so to hear them the way they were, bad. However, that's just my opinion. I heard people leaving saying it was amazing and well done *shrug*. I've been involved with music my entire life, so I have an ear, but you might enjoy it. Or you might get lucky and get her understudy. lol

[Chopstitute]

Posted: 5/7/06 at 8:38pm

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I haven't seen the touring cast, but I haven't heard the best things about it. I want to see them, but that's the only downside of living in NY!
I don't like the current b-way Collins, so if they want this cast to royally suck, they should just switch them!

And I do want to punch the girl sitting next to you.

Oh, in regards to your Cinderella question, I directed a middle school production of it at my school, and the reason that it's never been on Broadway is that it would never make it on Broadway. It's not a strong book with songs that aren't their best. From hearing it demolished by twelve and thirteen year olds, I can say that I do hate it, but that's just me.

[WickedlyPerfect]

Posted: 5/7/06 at 11:45pm

chopstitute--
normally I do not mind answering questions from people about shows (RENT in particular). Most of the time they are from younger fans, just as this girl was (she was around 13). but to make all of your assumptions off of the movie was silly and then her questions started getting more and more bogus, so i simply got up at intermission and went outside and walked around and up the street a few blocks before I snapped. Then calmly came back for act II.

I love "Cinderella". However, I do see your point. It is such an easy score to sing. I have no difficulty and I have only a year of training.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 12:24am

Cinderella first aired on TV, which is a much more lucrative endeavor than Broadway. There have been quite a few remakes since. As for the weak book/music, well, MUCH worse has opened on Broadway- and without the Rodgers and Hammerstein names backing it. I mean, that might be their official statement, but it's a pretty pathetic argument.

Updated On: 5/8/06 at 12:24 AM

[Chopstitute]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 12:26am

I would have snapped right then and there, but I guess your nicer than me then

[WickedlyPerfect]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 12:36am

orangeskittles:
I personally think it does better in television than it would ever do on Broadway (I think it has something to do with being able to see expression close up). And I do agree that worse has opened on Broadway, which really is a shame

Chopstitute: I'm not THAT nice, trust me I was about to snap. but her grandmother was truely the kindest person ever (reminded me of my own) so it was hard to snap at the granddaughter. although when she wasn't asking me countless questions, she asked her grandmother who eventually snapped and said "just watch it and you'll see" (she kept asking "Who was that" "What are they doing" "Why did he do that")

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 12:41am

It's a tour so I should get what I paid for.

Whaaaaaa? Putting the Equity/non-Equity debate aside, there shouldn't really be an assumption that a tour is automatically going to be substandard just because the venue happens to not be in New York City.

[WickedlyPerfect]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 12:43am

true, after thinking about it I was wrong. However, there is something that is lacking from Broadway to tour. There isn't that same magic. I know a tour is a way of getting a play/musical to people who normally couldn't afford to get to NYC. I just find it hard to see in the same light. But I do see your point

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 1:12am

I've never seen the show on Broadway, but I loved it. I thought it was magical and beautiful when I saw the tour way back when. Maybe it just lost something because of the size of the theater, or maybe just because the peroformers suck. I haven't have great experiences with non-equity tours. Is the set the same? not like you could really scale it down any further.

[WickedlyPerfect]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 1:19am

I actually had a discussion with a friend about the size of the stage at the Warner. When I first saw RENT it was on Broadway and I had a standing room only ticket, so I saw the whole thing standing up , in the back of the theater. At the Warner I saw it row H, on the right side, but only had one problem seeing things in one scene. What I thought was interesting, and this brings me back to what I was saying about the stage size, was the fact that RENT is normally on a small stage in a smaller theater. At the Warner, the theater is HUGE but I never felt like the stage was too big for the production. Once the show started I got sucked into the story again. I felt like I was front row center, that's how pulled in I got.

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 1:22am

I saw Rent twice this weekend(Friday night-10th row, and Sunday night-5th row).They could have done a little better casting(particularly with Mimi), but I liked the cast. Maureen(Tracy McDowell)and Joanne(Chante Carmel Frierson), saved the show for me. I got two different understudies for Roger this weekend, Gavin Reign on Friday and Matthew Hydzik on Sunday. Gavin did a pretty good job with the role, but Matthew was painful to listen to at times. I still came out of both performances very happy. If you are thinking about seeing the tour, don't let the bad reviews stop you. I would see it again if I had the chance.

[WickedlyPerfect]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 1:28am

oh I would see it again too, that's how much I love the show. Just I was a little let down. Gavin was our Rodger. He started out rusty which is sad because he starts out the show with his numbers (RENT and One song glory), but he got better as the show went on. It was almost like he was warming up in the first act. His performance in "Goodbye Love" blew me away, wishing he had that power in the first act though. I loved Maureen and Joanne. Mark had a wonderful performance. Angel was a little lacking at the start and got better throughout the show, just like Rodger. Glad you enjoyed the show electric! (did you stage door it either time? I had to leave and didn't have the time to look for it and wait. )

Updated On: 5/8/06 at 01:28 AM

[Chopstitute]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 1:30am

Rent can never be ruined for me by a cast, even with Tim Howar's One Song Glory... *shivers*

Wait- slash that. Brittney Spears could ruin Mimi for me. And Justin Timberlake can 100% ruin Roger.

But I want to see the tour cast, all the same.

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 1:56am

I stage doored both times. The stage door is in a narrow alley two corners around from the front of the the theater, so it is easy to miss if you are not looking for it. I met the whole cast on Friday. This was a thrill for me, espically meeting Tracy McDowell. After having met Sherie Rene Scott in NYC the night before, I have now met 7 different actresses who have played Maureen Johnson (Idina Menzel, Sherie Rene Scott, Ava Gaudet, Amy Spanger, Kendra Kassebaum, Caissie Levy, and Tracy McDowell).Tracy is the first I met while she was playing the role (Ava Gaudet is current playing the role on Broadway, but went on as Mimi when I met her). Thr rain on Sunday night kept me from meeting everybody, but I still met most of the cast again, minus Tracy and Matthew.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 2:54am

Cool Feeling Electric. I didn't know Spanger (my wife - not really, but she's amazing) and Kendra played Maureen. Very cool. I'm sure they were amazing. Well, I can't wait for the tour. I haven't seen the show live since I saw it my sophmore year of high school for the first time. Is the set different? I mean, I know its non-equity, but could you tell it was non-equity?

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 3:09am

Amy played Maureen on tour (as did Caissie Levy,Who will be making her Broadway debut as Penny in Hairspray later this month). The Rent set is virtually identical to the one on Broadway. You cannot tell it is non-equity from the set.

Updated On: 5/8/06 at 03:09 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 3:15am

Sweet. Really? I wonder if I saw her. I wish I had my program from way back when.

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 3:38am

I just looked it up to confirm things. She played Mark's mom and others on tour in 1996, and Maureen in 1997. I don't mean to go off-topic, but I noticed another interesting credit fot her. In 2004, it says she was in a show called R Shomon at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. I wonder if this later became See What I Wanna See (Which Idina Menzel starred in at The Public Theater last year), because the first act is partly based on Rashamon. I wonder what role Amy played in the Williamstown production.

Updated On: 5/8/06 at 03:38 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 4:18am

The Rent set is virtually identical to the one on Broadway. You cannot tell it is non-equity from the set.

Isn't it the old Benny tour set anyway?

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 5/8/06 at 4:16pm

This weekend is my first experience with the tour (I just saw it on Broadway for the first time in November), but from my memory there is little or no difference between them.

Updated On: 5/8/06 at 04:16 PM

[darkcrystal]

Posted: 5/10/06 at 3:45pm

I saw Rent twice this weekend, too! Sat night I was in row X because the people I went with wanted to sit toward the back of the theater (for some odd reason), but I got rush tickets on Sunday and was in the front row. My view was a little obstructed, but I kneeled in front of someone for Out Tonight, which was the only part I cared about missing. I do wish I had been able to see Mike (Benny) during Contact, cuz I heard he looked hot! haha I also agree that Mimi wasn't the best. her voice kept getting worse and worse, but she was still alright. I also saw both Matthew and Gavin as Roger, and I personally loved Matthew. Everyone else seemed to think he was rusty, but I thought he did great. I guess he was missing lines on Friday night, but I didn't think he missed any at all on Sat night. Ano and Warren were WONDERFUL as Angel and Collins and were totally my favorites. I met just about everyone after the show, but it was raining and they were in a hurry to get out to celebrate Jed's birthday, so I didn't want to really bother them. Mike (Benny) was definately fun and easy to talk to (and cute!). Overall it was a great experience and I would reccomend it to anyone who can't get to New York for the real thing, or anyone who wants a slightly different feel to the show. It's not exactly the same as seeing it at the Nederlander, but it's pretty damn close.