At RENT now...- Page 3

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 12:36pm

Well, obviously there are certain things that still need upkeep, even if keeping other physical aspects slightly run-down was a deliberate choice. Theaters don't maintain themselves.

[BroadwayBound86]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 12:47pm

Maybe because they've known it won't be available for a while. You know, just like you don't hear about any shows coming to Broadway and saying they want the Majestic.

The Majestic is also close to 100% capacity every week....the Nederlander is not.

While the previous show does have to restore the theater, I think most overlook it because of the condition it is in. I personally wouldn't touch it. It's too much work. Especially when there are other houses in better condition (to be honest, what house isn't?) that they could slip a show into.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 12:53pm

Of course, but you can't say that for the past five years, at least, that people haven't known Rent wasn't going anywhere for a while. Incoming shows seek theaters that they know have a chance of becoming available in the near future. Not one that's home to a (albeit struggling) long-running powerhouse. I think people know Rent isn't on its last legs just yet, and so there's no use in setting sights on its theater. In addition to the fact that there may be more desirable houses available sooner, there are also just houses that are obviously going to be available sooner, period.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 1:36pm

Especially when there are other houses in better condition (to be honest, what house isn't?) that they could slip a show into.

In 1996, when Rent first opened, most of them were in worse condition than the Nederlander.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 1:39pm

OOO what is the Adam Pascal ruining her daughter's birthday note?

[DaneSaw]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 1:40pm

Yes, but now a theater designed to LOOK neglected actually IS neglected. The walls are barely one color, the ceiling is flaking off in bits apparently, the seats suck, the builting has been painted an atrocious green color, and the theater lets whoever they want write all over the exterior.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 1:41pm

OOO what is the Adam Pascal ruining her daughter's birthday note?

huh?

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 1:47pm

I agree with some of your points about the piss-colored exterior and obnoxious fan graffiti, but the seats? They've been there for decades on end with asses squashing them 8 times a week; most theatres on Broadway have it just as bad, if not worse.

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 1:50pm

once again - the theater will be restored after Rent moves out...the show that comes in next will be moving into a pristine theater!

[Mattt]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 1:58pm

The Nederlander is in horrendous condition. It makes me sick. The graffiti is totally unnecessary. Things I remember reading are "poop, poop, poop" "Tim Howar is a sexy beast" "(insert name) was her (insert date)" and a lot of things about Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp that make me sick thinking about it. I cannot believe this behavior is allowed. And what kind of fan would do that to the show they love so much? The outside appearance of this theater in the past few years since I first saw the show has become disgusting. IT is destroying Rent's image. Do they think these inside jokes make sense to the random tourist on the search for tickets for a matinée? If I passed a theater looking like that I wouldn't even think about checking it out.

IMO, Rent does not need to close. It just needs to clean itself up and work its way up back to a more mainstream crowd, not just foreign tourists and 12 year old girls. I love this show so much, but its become somewhat of a piece of crap over the years. Has anyone thought about writing to someone important involved with the show and requesting they fix the show up? I was seriously thinking about it. They need better advertising, a better look, a better cast. Their advertising really bites, especially now that their poster designs and brochures aren't exactly attractive anymore. The show is starting to become a nothing on Broadway, if that makes sense. It's like it doesn't even exist. And its not the shows fault. The material is great, the music is still fresh and new, but they just aren't getting out there enough with their advertising.

Rant over. I get so involved in my head with these things lol

[DaneSaw]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 2:08pm

Is Rent still using the "RENT: NOW" advertising at the theater? I was in the city a week ago and noticed that the billboard in Times Square is back to the plain black-on-white one from ages ago.

I said before that they need better advertising, and I completely agree with what Mattt said about cleaning up and getting a better cast. It wouldn't take much to get Rent selling out again, just a few people who care.

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 2:16pm

yeh they need to take a tip from Chicago and find new and exciting slogans and pictures for the show --- "Sin is In!"

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 3:39pm

I agree. New advertising is definitely the way to go. And I mean, REAL advertising, not some stupid website like VFR.
Magazine ads, a new billboard campaign. Clean up the theatre, and bring Wilson and Jesse back as Angel and Collins this summer, and they'd have a hit again.

[masb19872]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 3:39pm

Most of the problems with it these days are no longer intentional. Unless they *meant* for bits of the ceiling to fall on actors during LVB. Or that urine smell that you sometimes get in the lobby. If those are intentional, then they're doing a fabulous job.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 3:42pm

I like the plain one. I had several people ask me if it had been changed/updated with the "Rent: Now" advertising. It kind of made it sound like it had been 21st century-ized.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 3:44pm

I might have missed something. Is the theatre short on money because of the low-grossing show it's holding? Is that how the business works, because I'm rather curious.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 3:47pm

yeh they need to take a tip from Chicago and find new and exciting slogans and pictures for the show --- "Sin is In!"

- Exactly. CHICAGO has had stronger grosses than RENT for the past several years. Most of it is promotion and casting.

[masb19872]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 3:51pm

Definitely. They already have a stunt cast, but what's the point if no one knows Tamyra's there? New posters and maybe a street team would do wonders.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 3:54pm

How's this for a new slogan:

"Rent: come see us! Pleaaase! Matt Caplan needs a job when South Pacific ends!"

[DaneSaw]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 3:56pm

Gobstopper, VFR was exactly what I was talking about in one of my earlier posts, I completely agree. Unless you just happened to be browsing the Rent website or came across some idiot in a message board trying to earn "minutes" or whatever, you'd never know about the site in the first place. Voices seemed more aimed at people who are already fans of the show or see it regularly as it is.

Like someone else said, Rent needs to take a note from Chicago's advertising techniques. Chicago's ads are sexy and gritty and make me want to see it. And just from being in Times Square alone, I know that Chicago advertises more than Rent. Spend a day in the theater district and you'll probably see posters for Chicago everywhere. The best you get with Rent is a (small) billboard hanging 40 stories over Times Square, and a poster or two in the subway.

[Mealz1042]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 4:05pm

Alright here we go:

hmm when i was home for vacation, rent was packed everynight. I guess it always gets like this though right after tourist season.

ps can't say i'm a fan of tamyra grey. then again when you posted that i guess you had not yet seen her "I JUMPED OVER THE MOON!!!!!!" ridiculousness. Say unrealistic.

"Looks like it won't last much longer if that keeps up." - not true, i mean maybe a close is in the future sometime in the next couple of years, but the grosses go down like this EVERY year and every year someone posts "omg rent is doing so poorly its going to close like tomorrow omg!" so yeah, i'm not too worried about this. To be honest, it may be one of the few shows open on mondays but how many people do you know go to the theatre on monday nights? (okay, maybe a lot but a lot less than most other nights)


"Daphne is still the best Daphne." Winter_sky, I don't know who you are (or maybe i do and i just dont know your username) but you are AWESOME!! definitely the funniest thing written on the nederlander. Except maybe "Jonathan Larson is an Angel in heaven and Adam and Anthony are angels on earth" lol


As for advertising etc. I think Rent needs to take a moment to chill out. Think about it. In the last 2 or 3 years there has been the movie (and everything that comes with it), rent 10, voices for rent, rent: remixed, Adam and Anthony's return. I just think all this hype with random different things that arent related except for that they have to do with rent needs to die down, bc people are getting sick of hearing it.
Then what they need to do is get a new cast. A good cast, a talented cast, new young energetic genuine actors who haven't been in rent for the entirety of their adult lives, people who aren't tired of the show, people who aren't cast because a few people know their names. Down with the stunt casting and recycling unless its someone REALLY good (such as Caren Lyn Manuel as full time Mimi) I'm not saying they should go ahead and fire Marcus and Shaun, I'm just saying it's time for some new talent here.
once that is all done THEN they should spend time and energy on and awesome advertisement campaign.
And while they're at it they could repaint the nederlander and clean up the street around it so it actually, you know, attracts people instead of repelling them.

Sadly I have no say in the matter so it doesn't really make a difference.

"OOO what is the Adam Pascal ruining her daughter's birthday note?" Someone wrote on the nederlander "Adam Pascal ruined my daughter's 16th birthday" and the date signed is one of the days that Kyle Post was on as roger, so I guess she was pissed that he wasn't there.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 4:11pm

...that's uncalled for. How are these people not embarassed?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 4:33pm

hmm when i was home for vacation, rent was packed everynight. I guess it always gets like this though right after tourist season.

So you went every night?

These people aren't embarrassed because they think that as supporters of the show, this is somehow their right. It's awful what they're doing to that building -- and worse, that it's being permitted.

[Mealz1042]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 5:39pm

Yeah the graffiti is absolutely horrendous people think its good because they think its in the spirit of the show. Wrong. If it was some cool graphic "graffiti inspired" design that was painted on the theatre proffessional, or something that is similar to real artwork inside the theatre it would be acceptable but this is just attrocious. People also think its "the wall" and it's not. "The wall" is backstage and you have to be in the cast, crew, or invited there to sign it.

here are some lovely pictures for your viewing:













Sorry, I should have said everynight that I was there, I saw the show twice over break but I was in the area a LOT and I had friends seeing the show almost every night so I would usually go say hi to them either during lotto or after the show if I was free or had seen a show that got out earlier.

Updated On: 1/15/08 at 05:39 PM

[masb19872]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 6:21pm

Here are some more pictures of the beautiful Nederlander:




I had a picture of the Adam hate note somewhere, but oh well. You get the idea.

Updated On: 1/15/08 at 06:21 PM