Latebreaking RENT FILM CASTING NEWS — Page 4

I have to agree with RobbieJ. I'm not going to get my panties in a bunch over the cast of the Rent movie. Maybe its just me, but I get so engrossed in a story that the last thing I think of is "Gee, he looks to old to be in his 20s!" It never crosses my mind. Not in Rent, not in Grease, not in Beverly Hills 90210. People play younger on stage and in film ALL THE TIME. Hell, in Caroline, or Change, Anika Noni Rose's character was about 15-16 and she's 30 in real life. I think most of the original cast is capable of playing their part though its a wise decision to not have Daphne R-V play Mimi. She is the only one to me that looks ancient. When I saw her in Anna in the Tropics I couldn't get over that she was the same person I saw play Mimi years earlier. Baffling...

Just saw this on Playbill and am still in shock. I love all of the actors and would love to see them all together on the big screen but using the OBC in the film probably won't get across the original story about the tragically young Bohemians. Who knows!

Alix

Matt,
mark's Mom was played by Kristen Lee kelly

no problem! I LOVE Rent and the original broadway cast.. i just have issue with some of them being given WAY to much credit for little talent and I think that the quality of casting has gone WAY down... going from the likes of Simone, Shayna Steele, Michael McElroy, Jim Poulos, Sherie Renee Scott, and others to the current crop of drivel on that stage who get kicks out of playing around and having casual chat with band members during shows...

As a non-frequent poster, I feel driven to respond to this thread.
I saw the OBC too many times to count. I was 15 and the show really did change my life. They understand the show better then any of the (very talented) actors that came after then. Who knows if any of them would even be interested in returning to the show and revisiting their pasts but IF they did. I would be honored.

The bigger point is whether or not the show even resonates to today's audience. I do wonder...

ladies, ladies please. You are all pretty!

Can we all just agree that it will be a different performance all together no matter who is cast.
The OBC is not only older now but they have much more life experience, and less innocence.
New "unknowns" have probably heard the music a thousand times, and already have their own interp on things.
It not be the same, it will never be the same.

i spoke with adam this morning and he told me they are suposed to know something this week about weather or not he will be cast in the film version. he said he should know something by thursday and would let me know.

for those of you who doubt the integrity of my post, I really dont wanna hear about it.

and for those of you who dont think i should post info adam tells me, you will be happy to know he could care less!!

---

*SOME* people here just like to bitch and moan and pretend they are in the know to seem important, which they are not. Show of hands who here is in their 30's or 40's and is a struggling artist.

To think that only 20 somethings can play those parts is ridiculous.

---

Oh, and another FYI. Unless they change songs/cut dialogue this film will be rated R for language which is NEVER a good sign for a musical aimed at the youngins.

---

Broadway has always been about making money, this isn't anything new. And Rent surely isn't the first show to be made into a film, they've been doing it for years so I wouldn't say Broadway is heading in a bad direction. And for the record, with the exception of Chicago and arguably Moulin Rouge, how many recent movie musicals have been profitable?

Is somebody always going to whine about something? Naturally. But that doesn't "doom" the movie. If Columbus is strong enough and can manage to work without too much studio interference, and is his vision is a good one, people will like the movie.

Back in high school, a few of my friends, comic book lovers, were very, very freaked out about the X-Men movie. They whined about the choice of director, they whined about every casting choice except Patrick Stewart, they whined about the costumes...don't get me started. And then the movie came out, they went to see it, and -surprise!- they loved it. As did enough people to make it a blockbuster.

So...the moral of the story is, feel free to argue with what's happening but don't think you can change it. And don't think that any vision that isn't yours is automatically doomed to fail.

"But now the greed machine is turning its cogs, and the theatre execs who should know better are all too happy to serve up every musical they think can be made profitable on film."

You mean like the golden age of Hollywood musicals from the 30s to the 50s when musicals were a more common form of entertainment? Gee, what a HORRIBLE thought!

"Broadway has been coming in this direction for years, focusing less on quality and more on making money."

Quality is subjective and it would depend on who you ask. Actually, Broadway musicals are doing exactly what they have done for nearly 100 years - providing entertainment. It has just broadened in diversity as it has evolved.

"The closer Broadway gets to this silly tasteless mainstream, the less freedom any musical will have."

The silly tasteless mainstream is what created Broadway.

"The closer to the mainstream, the closer Broadway comes to simply dissolving into the monster of pop culture altogether."

Every era of Broadway musicals have been a reflection of pop culture including latest trends in music, art, and technological innovation.

"We all know that Broadway is in a slump right now"

No it's not. Chek out the late 80s and early 90s. THAT was a slump. Broadway is doing pretty well right now.

"And since there is ONLY ONE CHANCE to cast the movie, everyone is positive that their perception of the show should be the "definitive" perception shared by all. What happened to respecting personal opinions?"

It's just a discussion like any other with different points of view. I find it fascinating. I, too, hate the actor-bashing, but I love to hear different feelings on the subject as well as other choices for casting. This is not a PROBLEM, it is a CONVERSATION.

"You all are better than this. Obviously, however they cast the movie, huge amounts of people will be unhappy with it. If you're going to get excited for the movie, get used to dealing with not having things your way."

ARE YOU NEW? This is exactly what goes on with every new musical that opens on Broadway. Some people will be disappointed. Some people will not. This is hardly a revelation.

"Regardless of how well done a film might be, I just think it's too damn early and massively unfair to the current casts to create and immortalize on film the single defining performance of it. Might as well start replacing Broadway stages with screens."

Considering the state the Broadway production is currently in, now is the PERFECT time to release it. Perhaps they can show the producers exactly how much it has drifted from what it used to be. I don't think it is unfair at all and given the boost the film version of Chicago gave to the Broadway production, I don't think the casts are complaining. The film is different enough to make seeing the still-running stage version worthwhile, while at the same time, losing none of its intent or artistry as a musical. Chicago has proven that Hollywood can still respectfully honor Broadway within its own medium. I, for one, thank Hollywood for renewing interest in an art form that has, for the last 30-something years, been at odds with and lost when audiences started leaving the theatres for the multiplexes. Now, little by little, those multiplex audiences are starting to head to the theatre to see it live. That is to be commended.

---

Updated On: 10/26/04 at 03:23 PM