How long can Rent hang on?- Page 2

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 9/30/03 at 8:29pm

dude, why do certain people around here have such a grudge against RENT!?!? RENT is my favorite show of ALL TIME and no other show can compare, in my mind. September is a tough month for Broadway in genral, but even more so for RENT since it's audience is young people and we all have to go back to school...there are "closing rumers" EVERY September, but, RENT still has a great many good years left in it =) It's the most amazing show ive ever seen and to have it close anytime soon would be a crime against musical theatre.
And I don't know why peopel are so quick to say it won't be revived?? with how popular and important this show has been over the years, I'd bet money it will have a nice revival about 10 years after it closes!! But like I said, the show isnt going anywhere anytime soon, thank God =D

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 9/30/03 at 8:29pm

dude, why do certain people around here have such a grudge against RENT!?!? RENT is my favorite show of ALL TIME and no other show can compare, in my mind. September is a tough month for Broadway in genral, but even more so for RENT since it's audience is young people and we all have to go back to school...there are "closing rumers" EVERY September, but, RENT still has a great many good years left in it =) It's the most amazing show ive ever seen and to have it close anytime soon would be a crime against musical theatre.
And I don't know why peopel are so quick to say it won't be revived?? with how popular and important this show has been over the years, I'd bet money it will have a nice revival about 10 years after it closes!! But like I said, the show isnt going anywhere anytime soon, thank God =D

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 9/30/03 at 8:33pm

I don't think it's the best show but I do think it will last a while. The upcoming months are always the worst for Broadway. Sales on almost every B'way show will be coming out.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/30/03 at 10:01pm

Okay, look. How many "worst months for Broadway" ARE there in a season? Two words: January/August.

Posted: 9/30/03 at 11:00pm

The worst months are always right before Labor day and the couple weeks after and then of course January and sometimes a little bit of February.

Posted: 9/30/03 at 11:22pm

I personally feel Rent has overstayed its welcome on Broadway. Back when it first came out (no pun intended), I liked it and its message. I appreciate what Larson did for Broadway in re-creating the rock musical/opera, however after seeing people die from AIDS-related complications, the end of Rent just plain insults me. I also think that it is a show that has been killed by its gargantually large fan base, mostly comprised of vociferous teenage girls ogling the Broadway man du jour as a star of Rent.

As much as I also dislike Phantom, it's a show that people can keep coming back to and bring their children and grandchildren to. That's what keeps shows like Phantom and Beauty and the Beast running as long as they do. You also have quintessential Broadway musicals such as Chicago which do well. Rent is a very early-mid 90s rock musical, one that many people can see once and be content with that and one that most people won't bring their kids or grandkids to. It's a show for the young, and unfortunately, the youth of seven years later are not for this show.

Just my $0.02

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 2:32am

"dude, why do certain people around here have such a grudge against RENT!?!?"

Dude! What's with the triple posting?

And to make this on-topic, I do think the show will be revived -- it'll just take more time for the appeal to grow again.

I've seen Rent a half a dozen times but don't consider myself a Renthead and have sort of grown out of the show. The audience will always be there, but the size of that audience is what matters.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 2:37am

One of the things I LOVE about Rent is that it IS dated and it became dated very fast. It captured what was happening EXACTLY at the time the show opened. It was not written to fit in a teh "min 90s". It is very specific to 1996. I think that is a good quality.. It shows what progress has been made and what progress has not been made since then.

[King Stevos]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 3:09am

I love rent, was once a complete rent head, driving up to 5 hrs away to see it...But I look forward to its closing, sicne it will then be open for so many regional theaters to produce it. Bringing it to an evev wider audience, lower cost.

Rent has a place in history, and I think it will be revived, it has given tons of people there chance at the spot light. It will be revived, because it is a period piece, and it will be revived, probably just for the sake of reviving it. Probably on some aniversery in the future.

It would be interesting though to see if Rent could make it to a ten year anniversery of opening and Larson's death. I think that would be a good time to close. Even if it needs to close sooner than that.

STEVOS

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 9:04am

"however after seeing people die from AIDS-related complications, the end of Rent just plain insults me. I also think that it is a show that has been killed by its gargantually large fan base, mostly comprised of vociferous teenage girls ogling the Broadway man du jour as a star of Rent."

First of all, I don't see how the ending can "insult" you. Jonathan Larson had several friends who died of AIDS while he was writing the show, and that is EXACTLY why he wrote the ending the way he did. If the ending offended you, well, then you have personasl problrms to work out.
And I don't think a "large fan base" can ever kill a show. fans of RENT are the most devoted Broadway geeks around, and while we may oogle over the current Mark or Roger, thats NOT the MAIN reason we love the show!

"As much as I also dislike Phantom, it's a show that people can keep coming back to and bring their children and grandchildren to. That's what keeps shows like Phantom and Beauty and the Beast running as long as they do. You also have quintessential Broadway musicals such as Chicago which do well. Rent is a very early-mid 90s rock musical, one that many people can see once and be content with that and one that most people won't bring their kids or grandkids to. It's a show for the young, and unfortunately, the youth of seven years later are not for this show. "

Phantom bores the bejeesus out of me. I WON'T take my grandkids to see it, and I can only hope it closes soon (before RENT, at least)
I think your wrong about people not bringing their kids and grandkids. I personally know lots of RENTheads who will DEFINITELY bring thier kids to see it, and a couple of fans with kids already have done that! RENT is a message that can appeal to ALL generations, not just mine. My grandmother ,for example, thought RENT was great. People will keep coming back to this show. You don't outgrow a message of love and friendship =D

[magruder]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 9:24am

I asked an original cast member about the ending and why Larson chose to revive Mimi. He told me that Larson was concerned about depicting all AIDS or HIV+ people as victims, especially when Angel passes away earlier in the act. Boheme purists may cavil, but that did a lot for me to make the ending go down easier.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 9:33am

Actually, the idea ending would be for Sarah Shulman to jump out of the audience, stab an on-stage Johnathan Larson in the heart and yell "Questo è il bacio di Sarah!"

[Becky]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 9:48am

I wouldn't be presumptuous enough to assume it wouldn't be revived - so I agree with the last few posts. Why wouldn't it? It's a successful musical that's going on 8 years. I look at my pictures of Times Square from '97, and just about every show billboard in my picture has closed. Something about Rent has kept it going, and it's not the so-called Rentheads who live at the lottery for the $25 seats.

I also agree with broadwayguy2 about the show being dated. I love how it captures that time, and of course it reflects a certain time/place. That's what's so wonderful about it. Some people try to make it a negative thing and I don't agree at all. I think it's just hard because it's about a time we lived through, and as we find ourselves more distanced from that time period it's easier to dismiss it as not being relevant. I belive the show is not as much centered around the things that make the show "dated" as it is about relationships/friendships, etc. So I don't think it will affect the show in the long run anyway.

Someone asked why people have a grudge against Rent? I'm not sure. Some make it sound like a mockery of a musical when at the very least it's certainly not the worst thing out there.
Maybe they resent the fact that it's still around when they didn't like it or (to quote a few) "didn't see what the fuss was about." A previous post brought up a good point. It received tremendous applause when some didn't feel it was *that* worthy, so it created a backlash.

You know when someone builds up a movie so much that you go in with these expectations that are impossible to live up to -- and you see the movie only to be a little disappointed that it didn't live up to what you thought/heard? Maybe that's a little of what happened with Rent for some people.

Posted: 10/1/03 at 9:53am

The fact of the matter is that, while it may not be THE most artistic ever created, it certainly has touched a lot of people and has engaged a whole new audience and piquing their interest in Broadway overall.

[Becky]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 10:22am

(quote) ***Actually, the idea ending would be for Sarah Shulman to jump out of the audience, stab an on-stage Johnathan Larson in the heart and yell "Questo è il bacio di Sarah!"***


This is about the most distasteful comment I've read in a long time.
Updated On: 10/1/03 at 10:22 AM

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 12:07pm

"Actually, the idea ending would be for Sarah Shulman to jump out of the audience, stab an on-stage Johnathan Larson in the heart and yell "Questo è il bacio di Sarah!"

You are absolutely disgusting, and you should be ashamed to even show your face around any self-respecting theatre-lover. Wh othe hell is Sarah Shulman anyway?!?!?

[Becky]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 12:11pm

"Who the hell is Sarah Shulman anyway?!?!?"

Ooooh. That's another can of worms and *really* not worth getting into again (discussions on this are just plain worn out). If you want to know, private message me. I'll explain.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 12:42pm

"You are absolutely disgusting, and you should be ashamed to even show your face around any self-respecting theatre-lover. Wh othe hell is Sarah Shulman anyway?!?!?"

Princess, you sound like a petulant, self-important child who is very cranky because other people disagree with you. If you're passionate about RENT, good for you - but how nastily you dismiss an opposing view with a little on-line temper tantrum. It's very immature and very unattractive. I can practically see the spittle in the corners of your mouth.

Actually, considering how passionate you are about the show, I'm surprised you don't know about the Sarah Schulman matter, which (whatever the truth of her accusations) has cast a shadow on the show for me for good.

Sorry you were offended by my black humour. Aside from the stabbing, do you know what I am referring to?

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 12:50pm

"Princess, you sound like a petulant, self-important child who is very cranky because other people disagree with you. If you're passionate about RENT, good for you - but how nastily you dismiss an opposing view with a little on-line temper tantrum. It's very immature and very unattractive. I can practically see the spittle in the corners of your mouth.

Actually, considering how passionate you are about the show, I'm surprised you don't know about the Sarah Schulman matter, which (whatever the truth of her accusations) has cast a shadow on the show for me for good.

Sorry you were offended by my black humour. Aside from the stabbing, do you know what I am referring to?"

ok this message board needs to have a quote feature..but anyway...
With the Sarah issue, were you referring to the stupid woman who made the lawsuit against the Larson estate, clamining SHE wrote RENT instead of Jon? I know about that, but in my anger i wasn't tihnking clearly and didn't recognize the name right away.
That lawsuit was a bunch of rubbish, trying to get credit for something she didn't do. Regardless of what you think of her OR Jonathan, it was still EXTREAMLY rude to disrespect Jonathan Larson, since he isn't even alive.
Thank you for apologizing, at least. I apologize too, for lashing out, but RENT is very near and dear to my heart and I can't stand it when people have no respect for it's dead genius creator.
Aside from that, if i sounded like a child ,can I ask how old YOU are? I asked you this in a PM, but i'm really wondering ifd that old man picture next to your posts is really you....

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 12:55pm

Boy, do you make Rentheads look bad. Lemme guess, you're stomping your feet as you type? Do you ask your mommy to come help you with the big words?

I also feel the end of Rent is insulting, and that's before I saw Bohème half a dozen times as well.

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 1:00pm

Boy, do you make Rentheads look bad. Lemme guess, you're stomping your feet as you type? Do you ask your mommy to come help you with the big words?

I also feel the end of Rent is insulting, and that's before I saw Bohème half a dozen times as well.


If you find the ending insulting you are obviously not a RENThead, and you obviously don't understand the message of RENT. Which is fine, its your loss. Whatever. But don;t you dare try to condescend me like that! i'm 18 and in college, so I don't appreciate you trying to be cute and clever by making fun of me.

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 1:07pm

That's not a revelation or anything. I said earlier that I am NOT a Renthead. I am a fan of the show. I appreciate the show, but did it ever occur to you that it's possible to find flaws in something you like? Because it is. Being a fan of something -- a baseball team, a book, an actor -- doesn't demand unconditional love.

It also doesn't demand that you use immature language to get your point across. Fewer exclamation points and an overall less excitable and defensive tone might make you a little more palatable to the rest of the people here.

Do you actually read everything on this thread, or just what you want to read?

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 1:08pm

OK, Princess, I'm sorry if I offended you in my Tosca post.

And I will say that although I did not like RENT, Larson's death - like Michael Bennetts and Howard Crabtrees and dozens of others - WAS a great loss to musical theatre. I once heard Audra McDonald perform a song he had written for an never completed musical about the 1939 Worlds Fair (I think other songwriters contributed to the score) and his song was about a housewife in the 'World of Tomorrow', and it was absolutely brilliant. Very sophisticated, sad and terrifically funny all at once.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 1:16pm

Sarah Schulman did not "make a lawsuit against the Larson estate." You're thinking about Lynn Thompson who was the dramaturge for the show. And Anthony Rapp himself said that Thompson in fact had a very good point (he was there when she was helping to shape the show with Larson) but that her timing of the lawsuit couldn't have been worse. She got paid like 50 bucks for her work and let's just say, she did a LOT of work on what became the final version of the show.

The Sarah Schulman saga was an entirely different matter. Schulman's lawyers advised her not to persue legal action against the estate because "she didn't want to be the girl who sued RENT." Her complaint was that ALL (and I do mean ALL) of the lesbian stuff in RENT was in her novel "People in Trouble" which was published six years before RENT. There was a self-centered performance artist who leaves her husband for another woman. It also included a computer wizard who, get this, hacks into the ATM, guess where, at The Food Emporium, and gives the cash to poor people.

Thompson went on record as saying that Larson had been reading People in Trouble, Tony Kushner went on record as saying that Larson in fact said how much Thompson had helped him with the show.

So there you have it.


Here's a book to learn more

[Becky]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 2:31pm

... Updated On: 10/1/03 at 02:31 PM