#1
Special Guest :
NYCBoy2
wheelsinmotion
a tribute to one of my favorite musical of the 90's...
E42
Rent
Long-Running Musical
Nederlander Theater
6/1 2 pm matinee
2 hours and 30 minutes (with 1 intermission)
Tix Price: $55.00 (MEZZ CNTR)
INTRO: I only saw RENT twice.. first- almost 12 yrs ago and yesterday. I guess you might say... I saw the begining and the end of this show. Yesterday was supposed to be the last day~ that's why I saw two posters from here, who liked me bought tickets for the last day...NYCBOY2 (Marcus) and wheelsinmotion (Brandon) who coincidently...are also 10 yrs younger than me...so basically there were two generations of Rent fans there- the old timers like me and the new Renthead.
Rent is probably one of my favorite show in the 90's. When it first opened. It really made an impact on me. Ive listened to the OBCR probably a hundred times in the 90's. I never really had a chance to revisit the show, but I just can't let the show go without seeing it for the last time.
Things I LIKE about the show
1. The Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson- Ever since I first saw the show almost 12 yrs ago.. I always love the material.
2. Will Chase- as Roger : I thought Will Roger is the only one in the main cast that really made the role his own. He is probably born to play Roger. He really is perfect for this role. He's just had a perfect voice as Roger and his rendition of Glory to die for. Ive only seen 2 Rogers- Adam Pascal & Will Chase -and both are good and different from one another. He is sporting a blonde spiky hair that looks like Spiky in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
3. Ensemble like Jay Wilkinson as Gordon & Mr. Grey , Andrea Gross as Alexi , Maia Nkenge Wilson as Mrs. Jefferson, bag lady and vocalist in Season Of Love- I thought this are only to ones that really stood up with me.
Things I DID NOT LIKE about the show
Most of things that I did not like are the actors:
1. Eden Espinosa- I am actually a big fan of Eden. I love her in Brooklyn and Wicked (LA) I admire her vocal prowess, though I will say.. I was very disappointed with her bec. I felt like she is not playing Maureen at all.. she is playing Idina Menzel playing Maureen.. let me borrow yankeefan's phrase that he used in his Sunday in the Park
review...if you close youre eyes..you can even imagine hearing Idina Menzel singing..and I mean that not in a good way. I really feel that she is not Maureen, but she is playing Idina, even her mannerism and facial reaction is down right Idina. I was very disappointed...I was hoping she will do Maureen her own way, the only thing that not identical to Idina was her costume in the Over the Moon. They gave her a new costume~ at least that was a change!
2. Mostly the remaining cast : I will say.. I was soo underwhelmed...I felt like everyone was playing the actors from the Original Cast. For me-they failed to make the role their own, also sometimes when they sing- it feels like they are competing with one another..I know this is supposed to be a Rock Opera, but something is missing in their performances..it looks like they were just there to sing or belt out the songs...I really did not see the characters.
a. Tamyra Gray- beautiful voice, great body but unfortunately not a good dancer. Her "Out Tonight" number was soo robotic and she was so stiff! I would given her a good review bec. of her beautiful voice, but the dancing part and acting- I was disapointed. I felt like she was just there to sing- dont get me wrong, she sings beautifully..but I dont see Mimi in her!
Tamyra Gray as Mimi
b. Justin Jonson (as Angel) great falsetto voice, though he was not a good dancer neither. his "Today 4 U" did not really win me over, I thought it was flat.
c. Michael McElroy as Tom Collins- he is always running out of breathe while he was singing.
(e. Adam Kantor as Mark- this guy is almost in the MY LIKE LIST, though I felt that he really did not impressed me till Second Act during "What You Own Song" which is actually my favorite song in the musical... I will say he is not in my like list nor dislike, but I guess I mention something about him. He has a very good voice though and very nice in person! )
In Summary: I only seen Rent twice- the original cast and the last cast. I dont know what went wrong? I probably compared them to my first experience when I saw the show almost 12 years ago.. The funny thing is I can't even remember the 1st time I saw it, so when I saw the show..its almost a new musical for me~ What I saw yesterday was a bunch of people JUST singing the songs, I did not see the characters in them. The only one that really made his character his own was Will Chase..almost everyone was just there singing and trying to get this thing over. There were more energy in the audience than the stage. The audience were always yelling..."Awwwwwww!" everytime Tamyra Gray, Justin Johnson or Eden Espinosa shook their asses...it seems like the audience already knew what was going to happen, and there was almost a cue part that everyone HAS TO YELL- Awww!. I actually love the audience.. they are very energetic! though I was disapppointed with most of the cast.. I dont know if this is the 9th generation or 10th generation cast but it seems like the cast are just TIRED of doing the show! The show is not outdated, I feel like its still potent with its message, though the cast that I saw is making the show STALE. though even I'm 50/50.. I would still give this a LIKE IT review bec. of the material and Will Chase. Probably~ sometimes no matter how much you love a show...there is probably a time to let it go, until it get revived and get a new make over to make it FRESH again!
I took extra photos of the Nederlander Theater for those who want to remember ReNT!
There's Only Us .....There's Only This
Forget Regret Or Life Is Yours To Miss
No Other Road No Other Way
No Day But Today!
SCORE 3/2- I LIKE IT!
Nederlander Theater
The Last Cast of Rent:
The Back Wall of Autographs:
MERCHANDISE:
Going inside the theater:
The Playbill
Stage Door Photos
Merle Dandridge as Joane (the last Joane)
Rodney Hicks as Benny (the last Benny)
Maia Nkenge Wilsom
Adam Kantos as Mark (the last Mark)
with the last Mark of ReNT!
My Autographed Playbill
Posted: 6/2/08 at 5:16pm
Special Guest :
NYCBoy2
wheelsinmotion
a tribute to one of my favorite musical of the 90's...
E42
Rent
Long-Running Musical
Nederlander Theater
6/1 2 pm matinee
2 hours and 30 minutes (with 1 intermission)
Tix Price: $55.00 (MEZZ CNTR)
INTRO: I only saw RENT twice.. first- almost 12 yrs ago and yesterday. I guess you might say... I saw the begining and the end of this show. Yesterday was supposed to be the last day~ that's why I saw two posters from here, who liked me bought tickets for the last day...NYCBOY2 (Marcus) and wheelsinmotion (Brandon) who coincidently...are also 10 yrs younger than me...so basically there were two generations of Rent fans there- the old timers like me and the new Renthead.
Rent is probably one of my favorite show in the 90's. When it first opened. It really made an impact on me. Ive listened to the OBCR probably a hundred times in the 90's. I never really had a chance to revisit the show, but I just can't let the show go without seeing it for the last time.
Things I LIKE about the show
1. The Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson- Ever since I first saw the show almost 12 yrs ago.. I always love the material.
2. Will Chase- as Roger : I thought Will Roger is the only one in the main cast that really made the role his own. He is probably born to play Roger. He really is perfect for this role. He's just had a perfect voice as Roger and his rendition of Glory to die for. Ive only seen 2 Rogers- Adam Pascal & Will Chase -and both are good and different from one another. He is sporting a blonde spiky hair that looks like Spiky in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
3. Ensemble like Jay Wilkinson as Gordon & Mr. Grey , Andrea Gross as Alexi , Maia Nkenge Wilson as Mrs. Jefferson, bag lady and vocalist in Season Of Love- I thought this are only to ones that really stood up with me.
Things I DID NOT LIKE about the show
Most of things that I did not like are the actors:
1. Eden Espinosa- I am actually a big fan of Eden. I love her in Brooklyn and Wicked (LA) I admire her vocal prowess, though I will say.. I was very disappointed with her bec. I felt like she is not playing Maureen at all.. she is playing Idina Menzel playing Maureen.. let me borrow yankeefan's phrase that he used in his Sunday in the Park
review...if you close youre eyes..you can even imagine hearing Idina Menzel singing..and I mean that not in a good way. I really feel that she is not Maureen, but she is playing Idina, even her mannerism and facial reaction is down right Idina. I was very disappointed...I was hoping she will do Maureen her own way, the only thing that not identical to Idina was her costume in the Over the Moon. They gave her a new costume~ at least that was a change!
2. Mostly the remaining cast : I will say.. I was soo underwhelmed...I felt like everyone was playing the actors from the Original Cast. For me-they failed to make the role their own, also sometimes when they sing- it feels like they are competing with one another..I know this is supposed to be a Rock Opera, but something is missing in their performances..it looks like they were just there to sing or belt out the songs...I really did not see the characters.
a. Tamyra Gray- beautiful voice, great body but unfortunately not a good dancer. Her "Out Tonight" number was soo robotic and she was so stiff! I would given her a good review bec. of her beautiful voice, but the dancing part and acting- I was disapointed. I felt like she was just there to sing- dont get me wrong, she sings beautifully..but I dont see Mimi in her!
Tamyra Gray as Mimi
b. Justin Jonson (as Angel) great falsetto voice, though he was not a good dancer neither. his "Today 4 U" did not really win me over, I thought it was flat.
c. Michael McElroy as Tom Collins- he is always running out of breathe while he was singing.
(e. Adam Kantor as Mark- this guy is almost in the MY LIKE LIST, though I felt that he really did not impressed me till Second Act during "What You Own Song" which is actually my favorite song in the musical... I will say he is not in my like list nor dislike, but I guess I mention something about him. He has a very good voice though and very nice in person! )
In Summary: I only seen Rent twice- the original cast and the last cast. I dont know what went wrong? I probably compared them to my first experience when I saw the show almost 12 years ago.. The funny thing is I can't even remember the 1st time I saw it, so when I saw the show..its almost a new musical for me~ What I saw yesterday was a bunch of people JUST singing the songs, I did not see the characters in them. The only one that really made his character his own was Will Chase..almost everyone was just there singing and trying to get this thing over. There were more energy in the audience than the stage. The audience were always yelling..."Awwwwwww!" everytime Tamyra Gray, Justin Johnson or Eden Espinosa shook their asses...it seems like the audience already knew what was going to happen, and there was almost a cue part that everyone HAS TO YELL- Awww!. I actually love the audience.. they are very energetic! though I was disapppointed with most of the cast.. I dont know if this is the 9th generation or 10th generation cast but it seems like the cast are just TIRED of doing the show! The show is not outdated, I feel like its still potent with its message, though the cast that I saw is making the show STALE. though even I'm 50/50.. I would still give this a LIKE IT review bec. of the material and Will Chase. Probably~ sometimes no matter how much you love a show...there is probably a time to let it go, until it get revived and get a new make over to make it FRESH again!
I took extra photos of the Nederlander Theater for those who want to remember ReNT!
There's Only Us .....There's Only This
Forget Regret Or Life Is Yours To Miss
No Other Road No Other Way
No Day But Today!
SCORE 3/2- I LIKE IT!
Nederlander Theater
The Last Cast of Rent:
The Back Wall of Autographs:
MERCHANDISE:
Going inside the theater:
The Playbill
Stage Door Photos
Merle Dandridge as Joane (the last Joane)
Rodney Hicks as Benny (the last Benny)
Maia Nkenge Wilsom
Adam Kantos as Mark (the last Mark)
with the last Mark of ReNT!
My Autographed Playbill
Updated On: 6/2/08 at 05:16 PM
