Casting for RENT

[ozone20]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 12:41pm

With RENT running for 10 years now and the all of touring companies that have come and gone, does anyone have any ideas on whether they would bother to actually hire brand NEW people as replacements at this point? (that have never done the show) or are they just pulling from the crops of actors that have done it on bdway or on a tour? cuz surley there zillions. lol. your thoughts please.




Updated On: 4/28/06 at 12:41 PM

[Katt]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 12:45pm

Well, the broadway cast right now is mostly alumni. The listed people below shows that they usually don't hire new people.

Matt Caplan - Been there FOREVER, Broadway off and on, originally from the Benny Tour
Ava - Collins Tour
Haven - Benny Tour
Tim - New
Luther - Broadway and Canada
Marcus - Collins Tour
Justin - Previously was on Broadway
Antonique - Previously was on Broadway
Owen - Previously was on Broadway (I think?)
Frenchie - Previously was on Broadway


Updated On: 4/28/06 at 12:45 PM

[ozone20]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 12:49pm

ahh gotcha. i've been curious about this as i will be auditioning soon. had close calls with casting(but no cigar) while the tours were sprouting in the 90's. they havent seen me tho in a while and was wondering what the chances were for a "new" face. gonna go in again anyway tho.
Updated On: 4/28/06 at 12:49 PM

[Katt]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 12:50pm

Well, if you're good, then of course they'll use you. They have just been tending to reuse people as of late. Good luck. :)

[ozone20]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 12:53pm

excellent. Thanks!
I know Dustin Owens was a newbie to Rent as was michael McElroy come to think of. I guess it boils down to if they like u or not. Updated On: 4/28/06 at 12:53 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:11pm

I really, really think someone should consider doing what was done with Les Mis; going in and wiping out the cast entirely, cleaning up and starting with an entirely new cast.

[Katt]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:11pm

Michael McElroy isn't new. He was the first Collins replacement back in 1997. They didn't exactly have Rent alumni back then. :)

And I agree with Em. Everyone needs to go.

Well, Marcus and Haven can stay, but only if promoted to Collins and Maureen. Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:11 PM

[ozone20]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:13pm

well no need to wipe them all out if they are good and the show is in good shape. but i think new unseen talent will keep it fresh as as well. Seems like it would be in the RENT spirit to continue to unveil "new" fierce talent.
Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:13 PM

[Katt]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:15pm

But the show ISN'T in good shape. Matt Caplan could care less about his performance, Ava and Atonique's were nothing stellar, Marcus would be SO much better as Collins than Destan, and Frenchie doesn't take her role seriously. The bag lady part isn't supposed to be played for laughs (neither is Maureen for that matter) and that bothered me.
Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:15 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:17pm

But it's *not* in good shape. There are so, so many problems, and at this point, they're not even problems that replacing an individual actor here or there could fix, because it's tired *on the whole*. They're all very talented individually, and there are a few instances of great chemistry between and actor or two here and there, but on the whole, it's not working.

I absolutely LOATHE Frenchie's "artissssssssssssssssssssts" bit.

Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:17 PM

[ozone20]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:17pm

oh well if in isnt in good shape thats a WHOLE different story. In that case new people that are fierce and WanT to be there might be what they need.

Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:17 PM

[Katt]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:19pm

I think, that it's even more prevelant to me after seeing the original cast on Monday and how much joy and emotion that they bring to their roles...how much fun they were having simply being togeher. You could tell that it was so much more than just a job to them.

It's hard to live up to that, and the current cast isn't doing it. Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:19 PM

[ozone20]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:21pm

wow.. thats unfortunate. so is it justthat there are a bunch of lackluster perfomances? are the kids just 'walking through' it? is that it? ugh.
Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:21 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:21pm

Yes. Now I understand why people who saw the OBC couldn't get themselves to go back for so many years; and even though I recognized the problems with the current cast beforehand, the degree to which it bugs me is much greater. They're just not doing justice. I don't want to see anyone else do that show for a very, very long time, because now I know how disappointed I'll be.

[Katt]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:23pm

That is exactly how I feel. At this moment, I feel like...if I never see Rent again, that would be fine. Because after seeing how much they loved their roles, I don't want to see people who are phoning in their performances. It would just be really disappointing to me.
Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:23 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:26pm

"At this moment, I feel like...if I never see Rent again, that would be fine."

That's pretty much how I feel. Until there's another cast that will at least try to invest that much passion into it, I find that my cast recording is more worth it than the show. Which is a shame, and awfully frustrating; I think the show deserves so much better.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:30pm

It's frustrating that after having this totally divine experience on Monday night, seeing the show again will almost be painful, because it's so angering how *lazy* it is. It's not in any way, shape, or form that the current cast members are not talented, but something is missing. I think it goes very much without saying that nobody's going to be the OBC. No subsequent cast is going to have that level of chemistry and that kind of bond and I don't expect them to, but there has to be a middle ground between that magic and this robotic nature.

Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:30 PM

[Katt]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:31pm

It really does, and it's upsetting to me. But that's what happens when they continually use people who have been there for years instead of getting new faces. I'm almost positive that Tim and Moeisha are the only new cast members right now. Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:31 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:34pm

Right, Emcee. I know that while you can't neceessarily MATCH the original cast, getting some GOOD talent in there and stricter musical direction and direction, that it can at least be something that people who know NOTHING about Rent can walk in and have THEIR lives changed. Because right now, that's not the case at ALL.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:36pm

They're really talented, but the show feels like a machine.

And that's not how it should be.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:46pm

Yeah. I have to wonder when the last time Michael Grief watched a show and gave notes, or he rehearsed a new castmember (rather than the stage manager). I mean, really, just doing that to keep them on their toes can help.

[JLSatUD]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:47pm

And it is a little bit like watching kids play dress up.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:48pm

I think it's less of an issue of them being lazy bums who need to be kept on their toes, who are consciously slacking off because they don't care, and more just that they're almost all recycled; the sparks are gone. In some cases, I think it's by conscious fault, in others I think it's the vibes they bounce off of each other; if you do anything for too long, even if you love it, you're going to get tired.

I know that I'll never enjoy seeing the show again as much as I did on Monday night, but I also know that it doesn't have to be a saddening, painful experience. It can at least be enjoyable, even if it doesn't hit that height; and right now, I don't think that's possible.

Updated On: 4/28/06 at 01:48 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:50pm

Well, I wasn't saying they were lazy. It's just like you said, after doing a show for a while, it's more than likely that people WILL fall into habit rather than fresh performance, and although a complete overhaul would be better, the LEAST they can do is try to keep the people in there from not falling into these habits.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 1:52pm

I'm just trying to cover all bases, as far as "placing blame." Like, I think that Caplan is lazy, point-blank. I think he's bored and he doesn't care, and it shows. But, I don't think that holds true for all of them, at all. For example, I don't think Ava has what it takes, aside from the belt, nor do I think she takes it seriously, no matter how many times she says she does; if she truly does take it *that* seriously and she's still giving the performance she is, then she's really not a very good actress.