How did you become a RentHEAD?- Page 3

[jeremykushnier1fan]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:55pm

LOVE THE STORY TODAY4U...BEAUTIFUL!lOL.

[xrent_headx]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:00pm

i was hooked up by my dear old friend jeremykushinerfan01 almost a year ago and now there is nothing else i think of ...(other than Nobert Leo Butz)

[ponine24601]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:03pm

well...adam sparked my rent obsession. i bought the obcr and listened to the entire thing right when i got home. i loved the entire score.i got the big RENT bible for christmas, and then i finally saw the production live this july, and it was beyond words.

[jeremykushnier1fan]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:03pm

Oh Norbie...

[xrent_headx]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:12pm

OH-Norbie..... indeed

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 12:23am

I don't know if I consider myself a real RENThead (yet) but I'll give it a go.
ABout two years ago, I was at camp and my friend was singing some song about this chick who wanted to jump over the moon or something. Me, being the extremely sheltered and easily embarrased girl that I was, though that this was just about the stupidest song I had ever heard. My friend would not stop singing it and I wanted to kill her. :-P
I would like to make it very clear that I abhorr loud music on principal, and last year at this time, I thought that I would NEVER EVER want to see RENT. I went to Hungary about this time last year and met a friend who is a huge RENT fan. Me, being a big Idina fan, wanted to hear some songs. We listened to the whole cd, and my first thought was "eh. it's okay." I did realize that the moon song was OTM and believe me, it was quite a revelation.
When I got back from Hungary, I considered getting the CD. I almost bought the highlights, but it didn't have OTM, so I sprung for the whole thing. At first, I listened to the whole thing, and hated most of it. Then I fell in love with Glory and gradually came to love the entire thing. I finally saw RENT this past July and loved it.
The end.

[MissMonika]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 2:20am

hmmm...that's the question.

my friend, Matt, kept bugging me to listen to the recording for a long time, but i wasn't really interested in it. after listening to the recording to Wicked, I became a fan of Idina Menzel and was interested in the other stuff she did. I finally bought the Rent recording and gave it a listen. at first i was like, what the heck is this, but over time i came to love it.

i'm just glad i can say that i loved it before the movie.

[pukamcghie]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 10:39pm

patronus' mention of norbert's 1st mark just gave me flashbacks, they dyed his hair the same red as the sweater he wore lol.

pardon me i'm a lurker, but an old 'rent head' myself. i'm curious why there aren't more older people from 96-98 coming out of the woodwork, especially with the film so close? but hey, i just got here, right? others should too. man i miss all the friends i made on the line! it's patrice btw, anyone know me, i'd love to hear from you.

sorry ot, i guess i should answer the questy-

1996 my lil sis wanted to see the play, bought tix 4 us, made me listen to it for the next couple weeks before the show...but i was a rockstar beach bum type, not a theatre person...but hey i went and was blown away and after the show we met some cool ass people and decided we were bored and just started going all the time. as the months went by, i just made too many friends to leave. and it was fun to burn with adam and jesse at wetlands, or me and justin performing 'paradise by the dashboard light' at koyote kates or anthony always introducing himself to everyones parents. or having the cast members secretly ask you to videotape a certain performance and next thing i know i'm a bootleg hustler for the cast hahaha. then i dunno, the obc left and i got back together with my ex, and i went back to being a rockstar beach bum. now im old and married, but totally stoked about the film. proud. stoked. lol.

i'd love to find my old friends, frieking sasha found me on myspace. killer.

well, carry on then.

just thought i'd pop my head in.

cheers,
patrice

ps, i did some digging in the ole photo boxes
heh heh heh

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 10:51pm

Welcome to BWW Patrice!!

I for one am thrilled that more of the original Rentheads are coming out and I sure hope you guys stick around

[Patronus]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 10:53pm

There are so many familar faces in those photos. Thanks for the blast from the past, Patrice.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 11:00pm

For me my obsession was sparked from Wicked. Yes I know such a suprise. ::Looks at screenname:: Anyway, after I heard Idina was leaving Wicked and i wouldn't see her, I heard she was leaving to film this movie RENT, and that she was in the OBC of it. So, my sisters, having seen the show a few years earlier, had the the soundtrach, so I picked it up and listened to it. I got hooked instantly. Now it is one of my all time favorites.

EDIT: Honsetsly though, I wouldn't consider my self a RENT head. Not just yet.

Updated On: 10/8/05 at 11:00 PM

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 11:06pm

I saw Rent on tour in 1998 when I was 11, but I was very young and didn't get the cast recording until I was 13 and then the obsession came full blown when I saw it again in 2002 on Broadway

[Over_the_Moon]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 11:20pm

I'll try to keep this short... I'm really emotionally attatched to the show.

The first I heard of RENT was a flyer that came in the mail for the tour coming to a local theater. From the picture (I think it was from La Vie Boheme), it looked like something I wanted to see, but I never got to.

A few years later, I made my first visit to NYC. Our first night there, my grandmother and I were introducted to TKTS, and we decided to go see if there was anything there that looked interesting. I saw RENT on the board, and thought back to the little flyer. We got front mezz tickets, and got to the theater about 10 minutes before curtain.

I had no idea what the show was about, but I was hooked from entrance where everyone comes out and is all, "Whooooo!" I'd been into theatre since I was very very young, and this was like nothing else I had ever seen.

Even though I loved the show from the beginning, I didn't get emotional until "Life Support." This was around the time my medical problems were getting bad, and the line, "I try to open up to what I don't know, because reason says I should have died three years ago," had me bawling.

As soon as I got home from that trip, I got the cast recording (my very first!), and listened to it non-stop.

Fast forward to now: For the past month or so, I've been out of school because of the same medical problems springing back up again. And the OCBR was really all that got me through the "Why don't I just die already?" days.

It's definitely a perfect time for the movie to be coming out.

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 11:53pm

I don't consider myself a RentHEAD, but I do consider myself a fan of the show. I'll share my story anyway.

When I was seven years old or so, my mom and her boyfriend went to see the RENT tour in Los Angeles, I believe. After the performance, she came home with the cast recording. On the way to school or other places, she'd always play it. I mean...always. And she would sing along to it, too. I actually sort of liked the music, even though I was seven years old and heard all the four letter words I would need to hear in my childhood.

She stopped playing it a year later. On occasions, I'd swipe it away from her pile of CDs so I could listen to it a little bit more. Then, when I was eight years old, I couldn't stop listening to it.

I moved to a different home when I was nine and a half years old, and I was still listening to the music. However, I listened to it on a daily basis.

When I was ten years old, I was still a fan. You know, I was listening to the music everyday, blah blah blah. All that.

On Christmas, my mom gave me a very long package to open last. I figured it was something big and fun to play with. Instead, I found a letter from my mom, neatly folded. I read it...and it said...

"Dear Carole Ann,
I love you so much and am so happy to be presenting this gift to you on this special Christmas.

Since you have been such a good girl and a great partner, I thought you might enjoy a professional production that you have been wanting to see for a long time.

On, Saturday, December 27th, at 2:00 p.m., we have tickets to see what I hope becomes one of your favorite shows!

RENT at (insert random theatre here-I can't give away my location)

Our seats are Tier 2 G/17 and G/18. That's 7th row center-the best seats in house!

With all my love and kisses...

Forever Yours,

Mom"

Underneath the letter were the two tickets, obviously.

I had a blast at RENT, and thought the show was great.

I started to gradually listen to other cast recordings, however, and RENT went in my CD player every once in a while. It's pretty much the same situation now since I've got so many new cast recordings and such.

But I still think that RENT has a special little spot in my heart. And I think Johnathan Larson is a genius. I wish he hadn't died.

So, that's my story.

[Kass983]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 7:26am

Well I'm glad someone pulled this thread from the woodwork; it's been wonderful to read. I was lurking about occasionally back in August, but somehow missed this thread. So here's my story...

I do consider myself a Renthead, though I've never seen the show, it doesn't make it out to Utah often. I'm as old as Adam Pascal is, 35, and a single mom. Back in 1996 I was also a postal worker who rarely saw her kids and didn't even know I liked Broadway music yet. I loved music, and plays were nice, but I just had no idea.

Forward to 1999, after a time of homelessness, hospitalization for depression and the violent death of a family member. A therapist at the hospital thought I might like to hear a song, it was Seasons of Love. I'm about to cry right now remembering how that song made me feel that day. It took that big, scary 24 hours of the unknown and broke it down to minutes measured in love.

It helped me remember why I keep breathing air; that stumbling isn't failure, not getting back up is; and that ultimately everything is about the ones you love. Everything else will eventually fall into place.

I had to have the CD, so I bought it right when I got out. It has become my anthem. No Day But Today. I also became a fan of Broadway musicals and will be forever.

Life hasn't been easy by any means with a layoff early this year; my oldest getting married and my son finding ingenious ways of not doing what he's told, he's 16. This was a good year for the movie to come out. I must say that since my first exposure to RENT, it has become easier to take things in stride and go sing a song or something. I don't mean to sound Pollyanna about it, and maybe it doesn't do this for everyone, but it does help me keep my perspective.

I'm a good mom, I work hard, I'm back at the post office actually and in school full time; it's difficult but a blessing as well. I can still be a kid too, lock myself in my room and belt out Over The Moon....instantly all is well with me!

My children, (ages 18, 16, and 11), have heard RENT at least weekly for over 6 years; know all the words (they don't say the bad ones, lol); and they "get" it. Maybe it's because of all our struggles as a family, it's something we can all share and understand. It's not simply entertainment.

I don't know if a Renthead is someone that's seen the show 127+ times, or if it can be someone who has listened to and imagined the show 127,000+ times. I'm of the latter group and consider myself a Renthead. Anyone that comes to my house has to listen to it, and now watch clips of the movie too and promise to see it; and if they don't come to my house I talk about it. I plug Adam's CD's shamelessly and talk up Idina to high heaven.

All I know for sure is that RENT is very personal to me, and has been an important and literal soundtrack of my life. It has helped me in ways I know I haven't adequately expressed here.



Updated On: 10/9/05 at 07:26 AM

[hak]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 8:08pm

okay flashback to 1986...

i'm walking down the street on a sunday morning and i glance down and see this line of people camped out in front of the theatre...

i go up and ask one of themm what they are waiting for. he explained the whole $20.00 front row ticket thing [this was back before a lottery]. so, i figured i can wait a few hours.

saw the show... was blown away! went to buy the OBCR, but it didn't exist yet!! so every chance i got i'd go to the theatre and count people, under 34 seats spoken for? i'm in!!!
i saw the matinee the day they won the tony.. a bus came and picked the cast up to go to the tony rehearsal,when they return they were sooo pumped up [they must have got an idea that they won].
the night the CD was releassed i went to the store at midnight to pick up my copy. the people at work got sick of hearing from my office.
when the show opened in boston, i went w/ 2 others from work and then by luck was in boston for a few weeks w/ work and when i could would go and count people...
when the canadian cast opened my friend and i flew in to see it there. [bought tix for the evening show in advance and ended up 'counting people' for the matinee]
moved to florida for work, and when the benny tour came thru both miami and fort lauderdale, i was always 'counting people'

total count for seeing the stage version 75+ [i lost count]

does owning every internationl cast CD help classify my rentheadedness?

now, am sooo psyched for the film!! i will be there for the first showing even tho i will be at mom' for turkey day vacation
Updated On: 10/9/05 at 08:08 PM

[incendiary_wit]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 8:19pm

My best friends Alex and Evie saw the show on tour down here in FL. They loved it so much, they got the CD and performed the songs at a party. I didn't want to 'suffer' (I cringe that I used that word) alone, so I dragged my friend Aubrey. They did LVB, which was too fast to catch. Rent, too loud and angry. Light My Candle, "you're both girls, you're scaring people." Tango: Maureen, same as LMC. One last song to try and turn us. They shut up and turned up One Song Glory. Adam's voice stopped my eye rolling right in it's tracks. I loved the song, *grins* and the pictures from the CD of Adam. (my Anthony love started later and that's a different story)

My mom heard my complaints and, being the devious woman she is, bought me the cast recording. I finally gave it a listen and *smiles fondly* the rest is glorious history. Now, I'm running around converting people to the show *preens*

[stylinbohemian]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 8:27pm

Mines pretty simple:
Idina Menzel obsession, and the recommondation of a few friends...listening to it off and on for a while, then finally saving up enough money to get the OBC cast recording, that someone just stole from me!!!, that really set me over into the totally Rent head mode

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 9:01pm

My sentimental and semi-cheesy story:

I really couldn't have cared less about musical theater until my freshman year of high school ( a whole 2 1/2 years ago), when I was cast in 'Cabaret'. After that, I became more and more interested in Broadway. I really hadn't heard much about RENT, except for the song "Seasons of Love". I was more into the 'popular' (excuse the pun) musicals, like Wicked.

That was until my 16th birthday, which was this January.
I wanted to do something different for my birthday, and decided that I would see my first Broadway musical. I don't even really remember why, but I chose RENT. I knew absolutely nothing about the show, except 'that song'. I wasn't even sure I would get the tickets for my birthday, but sure enough, my mom surprised me with them. So we saw the show, right after I took my Math A Regents. I was insanely excited, even though I was seeing a show I knew nothing about. As cheesy as it sounds, I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the show more and more as it went on. I was just blown away by the show, the talented cast (well, most of them anyway. Drew Lachey not included), and the amazing message that the show had. I walked out of the theatre saying "I want to come back here tomorrow." To me the show was just amazing and inspiring. And then we stage-doored afterwards, and I met two of the cast members (Cary Shields and Kelly Karbacz), who were very nice, even though I was pathetically shy, and couldn't really believe that these "celebrities" were being so nice and talking to all of these people.

Anyway, I was just hooked on thow. I went out and bought the higlights CD the next day, and decided it didn't have enough of the songs I liked on there, so I blew some more of my birthday money on the full OBCR.

I've only seen the show twice (so far), but I absolutely consider myself a RENThead. I don't think the amount of times you've seen teh show makes you a RENThead, but more how you enjoyed the show and what it meant to you.

[Chloe]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 9:23pm

My story is kind of a repeat of a couple of others already on here, so I won't go into it, but I'd love to hear more from Patrice and Patronus about those early days. Tell us some stories, guys.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 9:28pm

Seriously. So many of us weren't there from the beginning. I would love to hear more about them!

Posted: 10/9/05 at 9:40pm

when i saw it in march. lol not much of a story.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 9:44pm

I met and worked with someone this summer, who, after we knew each other for quite a while told me that he assumed I was one of "the original" Rentheads. I was flattered, but... that struck me as an odd assumption! I mean, all other things aside, I'm way too young!

[WickedScoundrel]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 9:50pm

When I started getting into theater in high school my friends kept ranting about it, so I downloaded a few songs and grabbed the 'best of' CD. Eventually got my hands on the full OBC recording and have been obsessed ever since.

[theatrebabe]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 10:11pm

Well, I don't think I am really a true Renthead as I have never seen the show (shameful, I know)However, here is my story...

A couple years ago years ago, the tour came to my town and my sister went to see it. She brought back the cd. I listened to, but didn't really become obsessed until about a half a year ago.