RENT Live on Fox- Page 16

[LuPita2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 2:38am

I linked Brandon's version above.  It's been out for hours.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 2:57am

wow they are posting alot of the concert renditions from tonight on the twitter account.

[binau]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 3:18am

I think I might just skip the fiasco that is the broadcast and listen to the studio cast recording. Based on I'll Cover You (reprise), this might be an interesting experience. We don't really have a high quality complete studio recording of the show since the OBC, as far as I know...the OBC sounds a little long in the tooth to me these days in terms of quality. 

[notalwaysontime]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 4:39am

watching all the fox and audience clips of what was actually performed tonight really made me wish they just aired it as it was performed, because I instantly felt like it was more in line with the spirit of rent than what we saw actually aired. when you take the history of the show into account, it would have actually been poetic to have this live show follow in the original's foot steps of doing a quasi concert performance. all the video clips on twitter feel so raw and pure, and they have so much more heart (like the one i saw of the drug dealer telling roger not to take his clients, and then jordan got up and pushed him away, acting out rogers part and lip syncing to brennin while he sat in the wheelchair and sang it.) there was just something so real and honest about those clips.

Updated On: 1/28/19 at 04:39 AM

[bk]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:27am

Just to clarify a few things for those who obviously don't know how these live TV things work:  Do you have ANY idea how long they rehearse these things?  Yes or no?  Do you think they've never run this with cameras prior to the final dress, which they all know is going to be taped and used for any terrible screw-ups?  They rehearse the camera blocking for a long time.  The whole point of the dress rehearsal is to have a good version as a back-up for anything that needs to be plugged in.  Obviously no one had any idea of what would happen here, but this nonsense that the cast was holding back because it was a dress rehearsal is ridiculous.  They were playing in front of 1100 people - they were doing what they were directed to do (or what no one told them to do - who knows what this director did or did not do with the actors).  Finally, the person who said they were at the taping and kept hyping this in the early part of this thread and then completely disappeared - one wonders how said person came to be there, one wonders at the need of the people in charge to pump up and hype the audience in a completely artificial way that actually hurts their show.  No different than what they do with the audiences on Idol or America's Got Talent - it's all about the audience, it's all artificial because they're doing what they were instructed to do times a million percent.  

[TheaterGeek]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 7:36am

So I just watched the second half of Rent Live. Not sure if it was because I had headphones in and was watching up close on the phone, or that it got better, but I really loved it. Jordan (Mark) Brennin (Roger), Tinashe (Mimi) Brandon (Collins) and Vanessa (Maureen) were the standouts for me throughout the whole 3 hours. Kiersey (Joanne) really came into her own in the second act. Even Valentina managed to affect me with Angels death. Brandons Ill Cover You reprise/funeral was haunting, beautifully sung/acted and powerful. Brennin/Jordan were great in What You Own and Brennin also killed Your Eyes. Maybe I need to watch the first act the same way. All in all it is an important piece of work that I was fortunate to witness more times than I can count. So thanks to ALL of the actors/crew for the hard work put into making us escape for 3 hours!

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 7:48am

Damn you producers! Ya should of aired the concert live. 10000 times better

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 8:00am

Another change that stood out to me was the removal of any reference to Angel as he/him. At the funeral, they also changed the line about the tourists never seeing a drag queen to never seeing "a person like her." And of course the spoken dialogue between Angel and Collins about her me outfit.

I listened to part of the Sirius XM Road to RENT Live special, and they addressed the difference in audiences between 1996 and 2019 and how Angel was perceived. Valentina labeled Angel as non-binary and said audiences in 1996 would not have understood/been as open to that then.

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 8:44am

I think Rent is a cursed show.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 8:49am

The one and only time I saw the original production was in January 1997 with the original cast.  Definitely not a favorite show of mine, but I enjoyed last night's telecast.  Yes, the taping could have used a bit more adrenalin, I thought both Jordan Fisher and Brandon Victor Dixon were wonderful.  There is definitely a lesson to be learned here in that understudies should have been hired and rehearsed.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 9:15am

Someone on Facebook was wondering whether Angel would have been able to afford quite that much plastic surgery.

[natashalost]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 9:20am

I actually enjoyed last nights show.

I cant say enough about Jordan Fisher and Brandon Victor Dixons performances. They were both absolutely brilliant in every way.

I cant believe how much I enjoyed watching Tinashe perform. When they first announced her casting I was so disappointed but she actually gave a great performance. I loved her Out Tonight

I was pleasantly surprised with both Brennin Hunt and Mario. I wasnt really familiar with their work beforehand but both performances I enjoyed very, very much.

I wish Kiersey Clemons had done a little more. I found her performance to be lackluster.

Disappointed with Vanessa Hudgens performance. I think she did the best she could but this just isnt her role.

[MyLife]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 9:22am

Roscoe said: "Someone on Facebook was wondering whether Angel would have been able to afford quite that much plastic surgery."

Depends on how many dogs she kills.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 9:41am

It was nice to see the show done as they intended. Afterlooking at the clips from the concert they did while we were watching the recording I thought that Fox may have missed an opportunity.

I thought back to when Larson passed away and the original cast did the performance concert style that night. Along with the quotes used in this production from Larson, I think it would have been fine/fitting to have broadcast them live last night. No, it wasn't a death, but the injury impacted the broadcast. And I think this music, especially for fans of the show, is enough without being done fully staged.

Not sure how they could have done things on such short notice logistically but there are some songs that they could have done as originally staged and the rest concert style.

Fox should make this concert available as it appeared they were filming it.

Just my random thoughts.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 9:43am

Even Angel can't kill that many akitas.

[hollebolle]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 9:48am

herewegoabc said: "Another change that stood out to me was the removal of any reference to Angel as he/him."

At the funeral, Mark says "he" and then corrects himself. 

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 9:56am

Right, but in the original show, there are other references to Angel as he ("His death was in vain" stands out to me) that were completely changed to she/her for the show last night.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 9:59am

And Collins still sings  "I can't believe he's gone" in reference to Angel. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 10:11am

notalwaysontime said: "watching all the fox and audience clips of what was actually performed tonight really made me wish they just aired it as it was performed, because I instantly felt like it was more in line with the spirit of rent than what we saw actually aired. when you take the history of the show into account, it would have actually been poetic to have this live show follow in the original's foot steps of doing a quasi concert performance. all the video clips on twitter feel so raw and pure, and they have so much more heart (like the one i saw of the drug dealer telling roger not to take his clients, and then jordan got up and pushed him away, acting out rogers part and lip syncing to brennin while he sat in the wheelchair and sang it.) there was just something so real and honest about those clips."

 

(One helluva run-on sentence--without a period, no less!)

 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 10:36am

Dollypop, I don't see any run-on sentences in the text you quoted. All I see is a lack of capital letters to start each new sentence. I'm just curious what that has to do with Rent Live though?

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 10:40am

bk said: "Just to clarify a few things for those who obviously don't know how these live TV things work: Do you have ANY idea how long they rehearse these things? Yes or no? Do you think they've never run this with cameras prior to the final dress, which they all know is going to be taped and used for any terrible screw-ups? They rehearse the camera blocking for a long time. The whole point of the dress rehearsal is to have a good version as a back-up for anything that needs to be plugged in. Obviously no one had any idea of what would happen here, but this nonsense that the cast was holding back because it was a dress rehearsal is ridiculous. They were playing in front of 1100 people - they were doing what they were directed to do (or what no one told them to do - who knows what this director did or did not do with the actors). Finally, the person who said they were at the taping and kept hyping this in the early part of this thread and then completely disappeared - one wonders how said person came to be there, one wonders at the need of the people in charge to pump up and hype the audience in a completely artificial way that actually hurts their show. No different than what they do with the audiences on Idol or America's Got Talent - it's all about the audience, it's all artificial because they're doing what they were instructed to do times a million percent."

 

Yes the actors knew it could be used if something went wrong, but still it would be assumed by actors that it would be used as filler. Actors would also likely be aware of which scenes that they would be more likely to need to prerecord. Never before have they actually had to use the 7/8 of the dress rehearsal instead of the live performance. You could clearly see Jordan Fischer was breaking character at points, but not because he was in the moment, but rather due to him being more taken in by the performances then the story. For example in "Today for You" he was just beaming from ear to ear when Angel opened her mouth, and was dancing along as soon as the song started instead of being brought into the song by Angel. Kiersey Clemons also seemed to be half singing, which was very noticeable in Take Me or Leave Me. Lastly for a show whose score is known for its riffs, they were very much absent from the broadcast, and the cast seemed very much to be singing the score as written instead of adding some style. I would expect this in a dress rehearsal, as they are finalizing the sound levels and finalizing arrangements, but when it's the live performance I expect an actor add the flourishes. I noticed this a ton with Brennin Hunt's Roger, which I liked but he just didn't add any flare to the vocals.

Put me in the group that would of liked to of just seen the show performed as a live concert. 

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 10:55am

"USA Today - did. not. like. it. Lousy and Not Live"

I totally agree with that review.

Updated On: 1/28/19 at 10:55 AM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 10:58am

MyLife said: "Roscoe said: "Someone on Facebook was wondering whether Angel would have been able to afford quite that much plastic surgery."

Depends on how many dogs she kills."

 

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 11:04am

It will be interesting to see the ratings - and how they changed during the show.  Was there a huge drop-off when people realized/were informed the show was not live?  Did the lackluster (imo) first half of the first act cause people to change the channel/turn it off?  Did people tune back in at the end when the promised "live" section would happen and the promised appearance of the OBC?

 

[darreyl102]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 11:19am

We're Angel's vocallys during CONTACT lipsyched? It looked like Valentina's mouth wasn't moving in synch with the words during her "Take Me"s