Latebreaking RENT FILM CASTING NEWS — Page 11

I'm mostly looking forward to the release of a new RENT soundtrack that way the newbies will finally refer to a musical soundtrack that I won't have to go, "IT'S CALLED A CAST RECORDING, ASS!"

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Did I really get on your ass about it? I probably did. HUZZAH!

You're welcome, Spider. The pleasure has been reciprocated with your photos of Miss CZJ, although I don't appreciate your current avatar of her without her makeup.

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that's right! I totally forgot that there would be a "new" recording.

Generally, movie recordings sound different from their stage counterparts. Generally, because some parts of a broadway score won't transfer to the screen completely so they have to modify it. With RENT, even though it is set in the early 90's, they will more than likely (and I hope so) add more of a "today's" rock feel to it. The general movie audience is not the same as a theatre audience. With theatre, the audience understands that the music is set in a certain time frame and accepts it. With the general movie going audience, if the music sounds even the slightest outdated, they will lose interest. Does that make sense?

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This is just speculation of course. I don't "know" if they are updating, I am just saying what I think. If they do change a few things, I don't think Anthony and others will let them ruin it. It is their baby. They are the ones that created these characters. It will probably just be minor things if any.

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But how much influence do the cast members really have with this?

The producers might and hopefully will stop anything that goes too far- I think that the broadway producers are involved.

Hi all --

First of all, thanks for responding so warmly to my posting. I really hoped it would help...

Secondly, as to the recording, I don't know yet if there are plans to release a new album, but I would love for that to happen. I think all of our voices have matured and improved, and Tim Weil is still the musical director (another proof that Chris wants to maintain a continuity to the show) so nothing will be bastardized. But I think the sound would be even edgier in places, in a good way. This might be a surprise to some of you, but we in the cast aren't thrilled with the way the OBCR came out -- we feel the mix is a bit soft relative to what the sound we created onstage was like. I would personally love the guitars in the movie to be crunchier, for the drums to have more thunder, and for there generally to be less of a sheen to the whole thing.

We shall see...

Again, thanks for your support. And to the skeptics, I say: feel free to remain skeptical. Just try, if you can, to also remain open-minded...

Take care --

Anthony

Thanks Anthony.

Glad to hear that Tim is on board. I'd love to hear more of a rockish sound to the show.

Personally, I am open minded, but skeptical. I am VERY much of the thought that a bad film of Rent would be a distaster and it MUST be done properly... tehs how has lots of nice memories for me from it's early days, but over the last few years, that has been lost. I want a film that captures what the show once was.

Updated On: 10/29/04 at 03:35 PM

I'm also one of the cautiously optimistic skeptics, but honestly Anthony, I'm glad that people are onboard who will treat this movie like their baby. How much creative control do you anticipate that the cast will have on the final product? Has Chris Columbus seemed open to your input?

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Thanks for answering our questions, Anthony!

I'd love to see a new recording...Are the songs that were added back in from NYTW still there? I would love to see "Open Road" in the movie...it's such a gorgeous song.

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Atleast the people who are being "selfish" are honest about it, and are not trying to cover up their motives with stupid reasons!

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It remains to be seen how open Chris will be to our input, but so far every indication I have points to his being very open indeed -- he asked me lots of questions in our meeting, and as I said, he's hired Tim Weil to md, it looks likely that he will hire Marlies to choreograph, and he's had extensive conversations with the Larson family. And unless he's changed tremendously since we did Adventures in Babysitting together, my experience of working with him tells me he is one of the most collaborative directors I've ever known. Adventures in Babysitting is filled with bits of business and lines of dialogue that the cast members came up with.

As for old songs being in the show, at this point, the only songs in the script are those that are in the current production. And some of those songs are cut or turned into dialogue. But again, I feel these changes are important in a cinematic context.

And I agree vehemently with this statement: "I am VERY much of the thought that a bad film of Rent would be a distaster and it MUST be done properly..." Rest assured we will do our best to do it properly.

Thanks again for your support and kind words...

Anthony

Updated On: 10/29/04 at 04:05 PM