How long can Rent hang on?- Page 3

[Benzy92]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 4:14pm

Variety reported about a month ago that the weekly nut for RENT was 225,000 and it has been doing around that.

[Becky]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 6:43pm

***"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."***

That may have been one area of concern, but that's not why she abandoned legal action. She was told that legally, she didn't have a case. Morally? Well, that's debatable and has been discussed extensively -- both sides have good arguments and nothing good ever comes from hashing it out. But the fact remains that technically there wasn't anything she could do regarding her claims. It didn't have much to do with avoiding a reputation of being the person that sued Jonathan.
Updated On: 10/1/03 at 06:43 PM

[King Stevos]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 7:14pm

You know, I was kinda disapointed with the ending as well, when I first saw it at least, I thought it was a cop out...a way to give such a great tragedy a happy ending, I personally would have loved to have seen mimi die and with Roger singing the song to her dead body...But things can be to dark I guess...Mind you I thought this when I was a complete rent head, listening to multiple recordings, buying the score, and such many other wastes of time and money...So, what I mean by this is that Rent heads and many other complete devotees to things can love something dearly and still hate something about what they love.

STEVOS

Posted: 10/1/03 at 9:56pm

What is wrong with being the person "who sued RENT?" Being viewed perhaps as someone who is trying to cash in? Sounds like those in the know about the origns of RENT would say Larsen was attempted to cash in on others' work, and succeeded. The he upped and died, securing his place forever in the firmament as a one-hit wonder.

I mean it isn't as if one were suing John, James, Peter or Mathew. Now that would be some bad PR in some circles.

RENT was tired by the time it arrived at the Nederlander. Surviving as fodder for those too old for Disney and too young for Lloyd Weber.

Your for a better Broadway!

[Becky]

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

Broadway Bulldog, what do you say to those that love Disney, Rent, and Webber?

Posted: 10/1/03 at 10:18pm

How sad.


lol.


Bulldog.

[Jennifer]

Posted: 10/1/03 at 11:25pm

No disrespect to you Bulldog, but doesn't it seem a bit hypocritical for someone who signs off their posts with "Yours for a better Broadway" to put down what someone else finds enjoyable? What makes your taste in shows better than someone elses'? I embrace anyone who's willing to put in the time and effort to keep Broadway thriving. It doesn't have to appeal to everyone, but who am I, or anyone else for that matter, to judge its merit or lasting impression? I've seen alot of shows, from Disney to ALW to Sondheim and more. Some have left a more lasting memory, but I have walked away from them all feeling entertained and the better for the experience of being there. To me, *that's* a better Broadway.

Posted: 10/2/03 at 11:17am

BIG BRAVO to you Jennifer. I could not have said it better myself. I though it was only me who wondered about his Yours for a better broadway. I thought wow, maybe my broadway, is not the better one.
I love everyone from La Lloyd Webber to Socrates to Craig Lucas to Sondheim.
I also enjoy the quirks like Debbie Does Dallas and the brilliance of Miller's Death of a Salesman.
Can I make Broadway better if I embrace it all? Hmmmm.

Posted: 10/2/03 at 11:51am

Jon, I'm not at all offended. My own standards are different from others, as it should be. You, if I recall correctly, believe strongly in Linda Eder. I personally don't quite see any brilliance there, but to each his/her own.

Yours for a better Broadway!

[Dee]

Posted: 10/2/03 at 12:03pm

I also see the ending as slightly unrealistic but it depends on the actress who is doing it. Some can pull it off very well and have Mimi come back still sick but holding on to life. Others seem to just perk up and automatically become healthy again making it blatantly unrealistic.

Larson changed the ending because he wanted RENT's message to convey life instead of death. He wanted people to leave the theatre inspired to go out and live their lives to the fullest instead of leaving with sadness and tragic realization. In Finale B the song goes, "There is no future, there is no past." and Roger comes in with "Thank God this moment's not the last". It is supposed to be symbolize his thankfullness that he has another chance and his realization that he could have lost her and that he should have "lived each moment as his last." People are supposed to leave the theatre wanting to go out and live and take advantage of every opportunity incase they aren't given a second chance.

Larson wanted RENT to be a show about optomism and positivity and the ending embodies that. Angel's death gave realism but he didn't want the show to end on a bad note because it would take away from the positive message.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 10/2/03 at 12:06pm

Bulldog,

With the attitude that you have towards shows currently on Broadway, you are going to be constantly looking for "A Better Broadway". I think a vital part of broadway is change. I don't think that RENT is the second coming, but there are plenty of other shows that are currently running, that are very entertaining, and "artisitically fullfilling". I know you long for the days of vaudeville, but those days are long gone. Time to move on.

[Becky]

Posted: 10/2/03 at 12:08pm

"It is supposed to be symbolize his thankfullness that he has another chance and his realization that he could have lost her and that he should have "lived each moment as his last."

Exactly. And that's not to say Mimi doesn't die 10 minutes later anyway. She just didn't die at that moment, and there's nothing unrealistic about that.

I've always respected the ending he chose, and it irritates me that a few overseas productions have chosen to have her die. Had Jonathan not been so vocal about NOT wanting that to happen, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. It was his show. It should remain his ending. Not the ending others interpret as a better ending. Updated On: 10/2/03 at 12:08 PM

Posted: 10/2/03 at 12:11pm

Jennifer,

Go back and read your and my recent posts. I don't believe I was personally putting anyone down for not agreeing with my personal opinion.

A sense of humor is important. Some posters seem to think the world revolves about who likes what show/performer, etc. Personally I believe that one's affinity for Broadway and all that it implies is not a life/death matter. It's only a show, and only a performer, and next year there will be another show/another performer to become flavor of the month.

Yes, I believe the fare on Broadway can be better. Futhermore, that it is only by not accepting the mediocore that more often than not appears on the boards can the audience demand a higer bar be set and learn to become a discriminating audience.

Eat, breathe, drink RENT all you desire. Enjoy it. Believe it will change the world. I, lone audience member might I be, thoroughly disliked it. It's what makes horseraces.

Cheers. Bulldog, who always remains

Yours for a better Broadway!

[JakeB]

Posted: 10/2/03 at 1:26pm

Princess MimiChica - you say September is always a bad time for Rent. Last year it was 75%, the year before (obviously) around 30% and the year before it was about 70%, at the moment it's below 50, so in fact this year is particularly bad for Rent, the worst.

[Jennifer]

Posted: 10/2/03 at 1:51pm

Bulldog -

I did read what you said, and by you saying "how sad" to the question about "those that love Disney, Rent, and Webber" means you feel their taste is sub-par. Again, your opinion. That doesn't necessarily speak for the majority. Regardless of how you feel about any show, just because it doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean it's bad.

This has nothing to do with rabid fans of any show or performer. There are more of those than just for Rent and the actors that have been a part of it. There are plenty of people who go to the extreme, but there are just as many if not more that don't.

I too always hope for the best when it comes to Broadway and setting the bar higher for what can be done, but to demean other works doesn't seem like someone who's looking for a better Broadway, it seems like someone who lost the entertainment value of what's out there and is just looking to criticize.

Posted: 10/2/03 at 10:32pm

MasterLcZ.... two words for you: Muori! Muori! (And mille grazi for the Puccini.... it's been a rough day.)

MimiChica, I have to say it's the pig-headed Rent fans such as yourself that make me dislike Rent. Which is tragic (no pun intended) as it isn't a bad show. It has its flaws, but because of its vociferous following has become, by virtue, more dislikable. I appreciate the contribution Larson made to musical theatre, but I feel that he probably had better shows within him and would have been interested in seeing him progress as an artist and a composer (Sondheim refers to his first musical as his baby pictures). And you know something? Phrase it whichever way you want, but a person is bound to have "personal problems" when they see people die and can't do a blessed thing about it. And in real life the only tunnel is the Lincoln Tunnel. And you may as well be dead if you go through that thing. The most devoted "Broadway geeks" as you phrased them are those who have a love of theatre in general and don't confine themselves to one show, praising it as the best thing to come around since pads with wings. The most devoted "Broadway geeks" aren't the ones who crash the weddings of cast members, who steal costume and prop pieces, who somehow get cell phone numbers and hotel information for performers or who trash the personal reputation of performers on message boards for the slightest reason for distaste (all of the above situations I've seen happen). Those are what one would call detriments to the theatre community and society in general. But I suppose there is no point in my saying any of this to begin with as I could be reciting The Republic right now and you would find some impish way to refute it. Bless your heart.

My mother brought me to Rent when I first saw it, and while we both agree that it is an appealing and good message, it's poorly executed. I like that Larson didn't want to make HIV+ people the total victims, something which I'd read before, but thanks for the reiteration, Magruder (which I mean sincerely). It goes from a world of realism to a world of Lifetime with the way he chose to write the ending. I'm not saying Mimi has to die, but does she have to "die" and then come back? (I mean, I know we women have a hard time making up our minds, but this is ridiculous....)

Dear me.... can I have the key to your liquor cabinet, Auntie Sueleen? Hell, can I just move into your liquor cabinet?

[Becky]

Posted: 10/2/03 at 11:12pm

***MimiChica, I have to say it's the pig-headed Rent fans such as yourself that make me dislike Rent.***

You'd get more people to take your thoughts seriously if you didn't start out your post with such a childish attack. I almost didn't read past that first remark.

***I'm not saying Mimi has to die, but does she have to "die" and then come back?***

It's not like she returned from the dead. Deathly ill people do lose consciousness...and it's possible her "visions" were nothing more than hallucinations during her moment of being unconscious. Who knows. I never felt like it was that big of a deal personally.

Posted: 10/2/03 at 11:25pm

But it's true! The overly-zealous fan following that show has acquired have given the show a bad name, and not just in my book. It's positively ghastly.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 10/2/03 at 11:28pm

Thanks to Namo, as always for knowing the back story on just about everything! I found that bit about the woman and the lesbian novel the only riveting thing about this VERY long thread. I'm confused as to why she "didn't have a case"?

On a completely different note, the casting choices for the show (once the originals left) were hideous, to put it kindly. Manley Pope? Oh, I could go on and on. If you ask me, *that's* what's been wrong with the show for the last 5 years of it's run. It's often like watching your relatives putting on a show at their backyard barbecue. Simply awful! Awful singers, actors, etc..

Posted: 10/2/03 at 11:33pm

Al, is your picture from A Little Night Music? I keep trying to place it when I see it.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 10/2/03 at 11:39pm

You have no idea how many pm's I've gotten about this picture. My poor girl Mandy Gonzales needs some more exposure, *obviously*. It's from DOTV.

[Becky]

Posted: 10/3/03 at 12:21am

***I'm confused as to why she "didn't have a case"? ***

Hey Al,

If you google her name, you'll find many archived articles and discussions on this -- and you can find the detailed explanations for why her own lawyer wouldn't pursue her case. It makes sense when you read the details of the law. Everytime this gets debated on these kinds of forums (the old Broadway.com board was most recent battle ground I remember) the discussions are heated and long -- and nothing ever gets solved because both sides had valid arguments.

[Dee]

Posted: 10/3/03 at 3:20pm

RENT does have a very active fanbase and much of that fanbase consists of young pre-teens who seem childish and don't understand that everyone has a different opinion. I myself don't see this as a reason to dislike the show but I also understand why that might rub some people the wrong way.

As I said to my mother the other day, "RENT is one of those shows that either you get or you don't. There is a lot of obvious beauty in RENT but the deeper, more important, more brilliant messages are rooted deep within the music and they aren't visible to everyone."

I at one point did not like RENT. It actually took me a decent number of years to understand it's beauty and power. Prior to my understanding of it I too didn't understand what the fuss was about. At one point I think I described it as "stupid and pointless." Then I realized the obvious message of "No Day But Today". After that I listened to the OBCR repetitively and everytime I heard it I picked up something new.

I understand everyone's position regarding RENT because i've been in them all. I say that if you don't get it then fine but don't go knocking other people's views of it because everyone sees RENT differently.

And to Al Dente- I agree that much of the casting has been horrible but over the summer the cast was near perfect (with a few obvious exceptions). The producers finally realized that they've been lacking in the casting department and are making an effort to fix that.

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 10/4/03 at 11:19am

First, let me just state that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show...

Yes, Rent has a very intense fan base, but, if you ask me, they're not the ones helping to keep the show in production...the Rentheads (or at least the ones I know...I interned next door to the Neder and saw the same people outside that theatre several times a week) only go see the show with lotto seats or they buy standing room only. Maybe if they started...GASP! buying $40 student tickets, the show would be bringing in a little more. (It all addds up...) If they can afford to pay for lotto seats 10 times a month, they certainly can afford a more expensive ticket if they go less. I think if they stopped the lotto system, Rentheads would quickly disappear.

As for the current cast, some definitely shine brighter than others...I completely adore Sebastian Arcelus, but I don't think he was really ever cut out for "Roger" and I hope he leaves his swing position when his contract is up and finds something he really CAN shine in.

Posted: 10/4/03 at 11:22am

Broadway Bulldog~~ Did you insult my fabulously talented Linda Eder? See now we can never ever be friends. WAAAA!


Yours for a Successful Broadway!