Jeremy Kushnier to Play Roger in B'way's Rent- Page 2

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/13/03 at 10:42pm

And even if he was gay, I doubt he gave you a sexy look!

[BillFinn]

Posted: 11/13/03 at 10:50pm

Derric, I was joking. Chill bud. And I was just curious to see if anyone knew Jeremy's sexuality. I've heard rumors before but wanted to know if they're true. So sorry if I offended you Jade. I apologize profusely.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/13/03 at 10:52pm

And I was joking, also!

[localonecrew]

Posted: 11/13/03 at 11:45pm

if you think anyone is in that show based on talent then you have no clue. they hire the cheapest kids they can find and make sure that the majority of them dont have agents. Caplan is there cause he works cheap. end of story. why do you think karmine is back as a swing instead of still playing mimi? cause she wanted a raise. the original music director, tim weil, and al larson wont even go to the show anymore cause they think its a disagrace. i could tell you things about how inept this current and recent casts of rent have been that would make your head spin! Updated On: 11/13/03 at 11:45 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 12:56am

EXACTLY!

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 1:10am

But it's not like any of that is a secret to anyone who follows the show. They work for cheap. A number of them are young. A number of them (Matt Caplan included) don't know any better because they've never done anything else. Whether or not that decreases the talent within the cast is arguable, but personally, I think that Matt Caplan acts and sings circles around Trey Ellet, so if they hired him because he's cheap, they got a better performer out of the deal too. Same with a lot of the more recent cast members. I guess that's a matter of opinion. As for making my head spin, the way they deal with situations over there already does. I can only imagine, but I certainly don't doubt.

But hey, what do I know. I still go the show and thinks it's good.

[StraightToHeaven]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 7:15am

Girlfirend- I could not agree with you more. I think it's rediculous to say that no one in that cast is there for talent. I think that aton of people in that cast are amazingly talented. I went to see it not so long ago and I thought it was great and the people I went with shared the same opinion.
To each their own I guess...

[sheekala]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 8:42am

Oy, it's time for Rent to evicted!

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 9:30am

"Oy, it's time for Rent to evicted! "


oh boy, here we go again!!! can RENT lovers and non-RENT lovers ever get along? =( WHEN did this show become so horribly underrated? It is terribly unfair to call anyone in that cast untalented...I feel some of the BEST talent on Broadway is on that stage, and who cares how much they work for? Its not our business. They sing and dance their asses off every night, and thats enough for me.
I also think its pretty snotty to say Al Larson doesnt go to the show anymore because "its a disgrace" Have you taked to the man personally? Did he express his opinions to you? If not, then don't make assumptions like that!
For the record, I like Matt AND Jeremy, AND Joshy!! Updated On: 11/14/03 at 09:30 AM

[sheekala]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 9:41am

Sorry, Princess, I was being harsh..I just didn't find the cast had any special magic during my last visit, but I respect your passion for the show. Lord knows I still love The Producers and at the moment with Fred Applegate headlining it bites the big one.

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 10:13am

apology accepted! =D im sure there are "off" nights for any cast, and you just probably happened to catch one of those off performances. When a show has played over 3,000 times like RENT, i guess not each performance can have the same "magic", huh?
Well, im glad we can respect each others opinions at least. I just tend to get very defensive of my favortie show, in case you hadn't noticed! LOL
And I forgive you for *still* loving the Producers =P

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 10:32am

Just in case anyone is interested, Jeremy is starting tonight, according to Ryan's blog (http://www.ryanlink.com). Updated On: 11/14/03 at 10:32 AM

[sheekala]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 10:35am

See? We're a modern stone age family! You know Mimi, I do find some of the music so moving, and I remember seeing one of the first performances so I'm biased regarding the later casts.

[localonecrew]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 1:53pm

quote -"I also think its pretty snotty to say Al Larson doesnt go to the show anymore because "its a disgrace" Have you taked to the man personally? Did he express his opinions to you?"

yes to both. he and tim weil have told me, in person, to my face, over dinner that they think that the producers have allowed the show to become a "disgrace". Al at one point was going to shut it down but decided not to because of the money the larson foundation still receives for it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 2:53pm

Oh, well, sure. But how do you know that's how they really FEEL??? (kidding)

What I saw in the end stages of The Benny Tour (when I suffered through Jeremy Kushnier's horrendous Roger among many horrendous portrayals) was, in fact, an outrage. The only time in my life when I have actually booed during curtain calls. The cast held their little hands up for the conductor who played every song half a beat too slow, and I booed. It was awful. Since she did a horrible job there was no reason to not let her know. I didn't clap for the cast, I mean they looked like a bunch of zombies waiting to get the whole thing over with.

I too saw the OBC right at the beginning and opening night of the Angel Tour, so I know from good performances of RENT, and I am not sure it's even possible at this point for such a thing to exist.

Local, any idea what Tim and Al think of the non-Eq tour?

[localonecrew]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 3:02pm

naw.i know that neither one is very involved with the touring companies. tim not at all anymore.

[Princess MimiChica]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 5:52pm

"yes to both. he and tim weil have told me, in person, to my face, over dinner that they think that the producers have allowed the show to become a "disgrace". Al at one point was going to shut it down but decided not to because of the money the larson foundation still receives for it"

Ok, thats all I needed to know. I don't know how you met With A land Tim but i'll assume you're telling the truth =D
Honestly, it's sad Al feels that way, but I really don't understand what is so "disgraceful". The show is still reaching people and sending out an important message, and thats what matters.

Nemo, I don't know anyone who saw the OBC that still thinks the current cast does a good job. I don't think thats really fair, though. The OBC was something so unique because of what they went through together as a cast, of course it's not going to be the same when new people take over. Why can't people just see the talent the cast has now, instead of continuing to compare them to something that they can't recreate? I hope that makes sense, im really tired. Anyway, im extreamly jeaouse of people wh osaw the OBC but in a way im glad i didn't because seeing them just seemed to make people bitter against any other cast member and ruins the joy of the actual show, no mater who does it. Ok, im getting of my soapbox now!

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 6:34pm

I feel like the only person in the world who really disliked Kobak's Roger and really loved Kushnier's Roger. At least the latter had some resemblance of a pulse during his performance.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 6:41pm

a.) Joe Machota shoulda had teh Bway role in Footloose
b.) I saw Kush as Roger and I wanted to slam the guitar over his head during "Glory"

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 7:12pm

The Larsons are at least a little involved with the non-eq tours, as they already met with the most recent cast and have been seen at performances during the last leg.

I think a lot of it does have to do with the fact that so many of these people have been in the show for so long. The non-eq tours, while not technically as good as the Broadway cast (though they tend to increase in quality tremendously throughout their run) have so much more spark and energy because it's still new to them. The Broadway cast, not so much, though I personally would say it's far from a disgrace. The creators, obviously, know better than me. But I guess part of their reason for not pulling it is that most audiences do not. But they really do need to get some newblood going in there. That would definitely make a difference in the Broadway production.

And to whoever said Kobak's Roger didn't have a pulse... are you sure you're talking about the same guy I'm thinking of? Have you seen the man's "Goodbye Love"? Updated On: 11/14/03 at 07:12 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 7:17pm

I know!! I thought Kobak was gonna blow a blood vessle during the angry section of Goodbye Love....

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 8:56pm

"And to whoever said Kobak's Roger didn't have a pulse... are you sure you're talking about the same guy I'm thinking of? Have you seen the man's "Goodbye Love"? "

Yes and yes. Kobak was the blandest performer on stage that day (apart from the guy playing Collins). Sure, he's hot and has a decent voice, but he was just going through the motions. Two of my friends who had also seen Rent before agreed with me. He was just boring.

I still would've liked to have seen him again later, though -- I'd like to think it was just an off day. I considered rushing to see his last show on the Benny tour, but wasn't able to.

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 9:23pm

I'd be willing to bet it was an off day. I'm usually all up for the personal opinion and interpretation thing, but I've never seen that guy do anything without emotion. Plus he has one of the most complete and deep understandings of Roger I've ever experienced. If you ever get a chance to see him again (and the way things tend to go, I'm sure he'll be back), you should look into taking it!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 11:21pm

But MimiChica, what I was trying to convey is I did not hold Non-Original-Broadway-Castness against subsequent casts. I loved the original cast. But I mentioned seeing opening night of the Angel Tour and except for Sean Keller and Queen Esther, they were great. I saw that cast five and a half times in its first six months. A while later I saw The Benny Tour when it first took to the road and it was pretty good. Not fantastic, but good. Then a couple years later I saw it in the last city on its tour before it was put out of its misery. And it was a very clear indication of what it was going to continue to do.

I am surprised that the show never seemed to inspire more than repeated viewings over all this time. Why didn't it inspire an entire generation of young fans to go out and create instead of being satisfied with watching an endless stream of xerox copies trying to re-create. At the very least, why not let it go instead of seeing them wring every last cent out of the property until the whole world is sick of what they have allowed it to become? The sooner it gets released to regionals and then amateur rights, the sooner a young and up and coming generation can sink their teeth into it.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 11/14/03 at 11:52pm

Christina Fadale (Maureen) is a dead ringer for Sarah Jessica.