Agreed about her being an amazing Maureen, but when I saw her Mimi, she came pretty damn close to reinventing the character... let me pull up that part of my review...
Starting with Caren Lyn as Mimi. What a huge, unrelenting performance. To begin with, she's physically gorgeous, and how sassy to have a Mimi that has almost as many tattoos as Cary. But there's so much there, and it all begins with, appropriately, her eyes. Caren does these crazy things with her face that make Mimi so believable as a very young, rather troubled girl with this thick streak of vulnerable sexuality. When you add this to the fact that Caren's vocals are so strong and versatile (she can go from a belt to a whisper in two juxtaposing phrases), she is really a far superior Mimi to most anyone who comes near the part. Caren's OT is brimming with energy; she's got wild eyes and about a pound of glitter in her hair. She's not the most outrageous dancer ever, but I didn't even notice, because she went out so many riffs that I spent the whole song trying to catch up. I've always thought that while OT is certainly Mim's showcase, she should have the goal from that first drum beat until the last note of getting into Roger's apartment, and that's exactly what Caren does. And once she gets in... Caren and Cary are a wonderful vocal match as well as a very emotional acting pair. They seem to fit into each other, and the fact that Caren acts a very young Mimi plays well into Cary's very flirty, rocker boy persona. Really encanting to watch.
JOHN LITHGOW
I just realized, your last name is Butz! Both "Norbert" AND "Butz" are in your name! You must have gotten picked on a lot as a child!
Sounds like a hell of a performance.
