Mimi's Dancing in Out Tonight

[JoeGillis]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 10:46pm

I saw the touring cast of Rent recently, and I noticed that the choreography for Mimi while she is dancing on the bars was different particuarly when she pantomimes looking into a make up compact - has anyone else noticed this before? Sorry for the rant but shed some light as to who rocks up on the bars!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 10:47pm

Different from what, exactly? I've seen people do it before; some do, some don't.

[Marquise]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 10:50pm

The "looking into the compact" move has been part of that routine since the beginning. Daphne used to do it.

[JoeGillis]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 10:52pm

Thanks Marquise - I guess my question is - is there standard choreography for this number or is it pretty much do your own thing using these basic elements?

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 10:52pm

I don't think I've ever seen a Mimi who did NOT do the 'compact' thing.

[JoeGillis]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 10:53pm

Karmine did not do it, Yasmine did not do it, Dominque does not do it . . .

[Marquise]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 10:54pm

The choreography in RENT isn't "rigid" so I guess it's one of those moves that is either 'done' or 'not done' depending on the individual that's performing in the role.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 10:55pm

Joe, I've seen all three of those actors and have seen all of them do it.

[misto625]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 11:45pm

I must not have been paying attention because I don't remember Krystal Washington or Saycon Sengbloh doing it. Maybe they did.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 12:40am

I don't think I've ever seen a Mimi who did NOT do the 'compact' thing.

I'm pretty sure Sharon Leal didn't do it -- at least when I saw her on the Angel tour.

[Kringas]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 12:41am

I don't remember Marcy Harriell doing it, either.

[KelRel]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 12:49am

Krystal did it when I saw her.

[FabalaYero85]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 12:51am

the current Bway Mimi, Antonique does it.

It seems that it depends on what the actress prefers. I think its kind of cheesy

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 12:51am

There are some things that I've seen some Mimis do and others not, like the part where they hit their arm like they're finding a vein to shoot up or whatever.

[thejcm]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 3:38am

I think the only things that are set in stone as far as choreography for that song are the details on when to move on or off the bars. I would guess that anything else Mimi does is totally up to the actress.

Like from what I heard Simone had some fear of heights and didn't even get ON the bars.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 9:37am

jcm, the actors do not have the latitude that you think they do with things like this, especially at the Neder. So, no, it isn't "totally up to the actress".

Simone did get on the bars.

[All_For_Laura]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 9:40am

Yeah, I am pretty sure Simone did get on the bars.

I think it is all based on something or other with the theatre and the actor themselves.

[bwaylover86]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 10:12am

I saw RENT not too long ago with Karmine in for Antonique and maybe I was not paying that close attention but I do not remember her doing it- actually I don't rememeber the move really at all, maybe I haven't seen someone do it in a while- what part of the song does she usually do it?

I have seen (slight) variations during all of the numbers depending on the actor and perhaps their mood that day but nothing MAJOR.. I mean it could be that sometimes the actor gets so into the song that they forget / add little things, like the compact thing. I would say that RENT isn't the type of show you should walk in to expecting to see the same exact performance each time- the basics are there and will be similar but I don't think I have ever seen the exact same show twice unless MAYBE it was with the same actors.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 10:13am

wow, id sure hate to fall off the bars...



ouch

[Elphabuff2]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 12:33pm

Would someone explain what getting in for free has to do with the compact? Is it supposed to emphasize that she makes herself up in such a way that no one would dare to ask her to pay? Even so, I don't get the gesture in the context.

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 1:04pm

I thought it was mentioned somewhere on the board that Mimi's boots have a specially designed heel that "lock" onto the bars, making it safer than simply climbing up in any old shoes.

[thejcm]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 1:13pm

"I thought it was mentioned somewhere on the board that Mimi's boots have a specially designed heel that "lock" onto the bars, making it safer than simply climbing up in any old shoes."

Doesn't mean it hasn't happend. I know Karmine's done it once, but it was during the part where she has to lay on the bars for the "feline of avenue b" line. Luckily she fell towards the back of the stage.

"jcm, the actors do not have the latitude that you think they do with things like this, especially at the Neder. So, no, it isn't "totally up to the actress""

I really didn't mean it to come off like that, I had originally written about all the specific parts of the dance that I'd seen them all do and realized that it would look like I put far too much time into watching that dance (which is true), so I changed it, haha.

[Cenoern]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 2:12pm

Every Mimi I've ever seen (Dominique, Karmine, Krystal, Antonique) has done the compact. I've seen the choreography almost identically the same each time its performed, honestly - even down to the "christ mas da ay" cross.

[NJRae]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 6:00pm

I have only seen the show twice--both times with Karmine Alers--and she did not do that move. I just watched eight different videos of different people performing that song (Yassmin Alers, Krystal Washington, Dominique Roy, Karmine Alers, Melanie B, Daphne and one other who didn't have a name listed) and half of them did that move while the other half did not. I also noticed countless other differences in their dances. Some subtle, others not. My take is that there seem to be certain key moves that they have to hit and others that are optional. But even the moves that they all seem to do, they all do slightly different. I guess they really allow for interpretation!

[Sparklesss]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 6:38pm

Why in the movie do they say "new years day?" Is it because of the sequence of events is a tad different?