RENT Live on Fox- Page 18

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 3:14pm

JoseLee_ said: "Shut the hell up. We literally wasted our entire day. 12pm to 4pm ... 4 hours WAITING to go into the studio in the hot LA sun. THEN standing for the complete 3 hours for basically a sing-along. Why wouldnt we be mad? If it wasnt going to be live or see ANYTHING like as planned we couldve been told at the beginning and just left. We were trapped there. And we just had suggestions like "do everything LIVE but for Rodger's seens THAT can be pre recorded.".. the whole thing was a waste of time. I can care less than he broke his foot. I dont care at all. I dont know him. You dont know him either. Imagine wasting 8 hours of your life and STANDING the whole time. 12pm to 8pm."

Well, some would say you had a unique opportunity.  You will have a story to tell for decades.  Only you few got to see the actual "live" form of Rent Live.  You got to see (most) of the OBC perform.  It was not what you expected - but so few things are.  Indeed, there were a few million of us who didn't get to see the live show we were expecting.  Maybe you should write to Fox and Mr. Platt - they might be more sympathetic than those of us who didn't get to see the show we were expected AND didn't get to see the live "concert" you did.  

 

[ChildofEarth]

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

AFTER EIGHT IVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 3:19pm

Holy crap, this is one missed opportunity. Creatives need to perceptively see in advance when something isn’t working and make immediate changes.

Watching this now and that live audience breaks all focus and ruins what is about to be a moment. The moment an actor twitches, they start screaming and it just takes you out of a scene. This could have been executed beautifully with that set and without a live audience. Also, the moments they go hand-held are just sloppy.

Valentina as Angel shouldn’t have happened. It’s obvious he’s not a singer so his vocal weakness sours his performance, especially when he attempts to riff, which he obviously can’t.

Overall, there is no direction happening and the actors are just “performing” scenes and not connecting. Each song is treated independently instead letting them connect to the story. Vanessa’s “Over the Moon” is on now and about to press “delete” and enjoy the rest of my day.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 3:25pm

Can people stop ripping apart and over criticizing a dress rehearsal? so disppointing to watch the community tear down what clearly wasnt an optimal situation. 

[Luscious]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 3:36pm

"Can people stop ripping apart and over criticizing a dress rehearsal?"

Even though it was a dress rehearsal, they were performing for a live audience and they knew it was being recorded for possible use. They should have given it their all. Sadly, I think they did, and that's all they had to give. It was a colossal mess on every level from beginning to end.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 3:36pm

Babe_Williams said: "Im just not sure that Rent is the kind of show that families are going to tune in to watchJCS and Greasethose are palatable shows to families with kids. Rent is definitely for teens and up and competed with other shows. Plus, True Detective, Victoria and many other shows were playing at the same time slot. Wrong time of year and wrong show IMO. And Rent feels very dated to me."

 

RENT is not a family show and my nieces and nephews all in their teens 13-18 hated it and said the acting and singing is terrible.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 3:40pm

brian1973 said: "One of the most annoying things about this broadcast was the dreadful audience whooping and screaming at everything

........, E V E R Y T H I N G."

 

 

YES indeed....THIS ^ Has to STOP for future LIVE productions. It just ruins the watching experience.

So, why are they told to act this way during the LIVE show? Thoughts?

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 3:53pm

JoseLee_ said: "CarlosAlberto said: "JoseLee_ said: "DottieD'Luscia said: "@JoseLee, as an audience member, when did they let you know that things wouldn't be going on as originally planned?"

The producer Marc Platt and director Michael Groeff told us 5 minutes before the live show. Which was 5pm for us here in LA. Then they made the cast go around shaking our hands around the whole stage. The hype guy was like "don't worry act 10 WILL BE LIVE"... lol it was such a joke. The cast was trying so hard to make us feel better by talking to us in the pit and taking selfies with us and shaking our hands everytime they passed by someone from the audience. It felt very fake. They just sang *some songs. Not every song. Literally at some points they were watching the "live" show WITH us. We were all so mad. If they were going to show the dress rehearsal to America...they could've done the show just for us since they apparently rehearsed for 2 MONTHS. I bet they all hate that Rodger guy. I know we all did."

You sound very immature. I understand why you were disappointed and I agree that NBC and the producers should have handled this differently but to be angry at Brennin who broke his foot is absolutely ridiculous. He BROKE HIS FOOT! He didn't break it on purpose, it was an accident. Be a human being and not some self entitled theater twit and show him some compassion and some empathy.

We literally wasted our entire day. 12pm to 4pm ... 4 hours WAITING to go into the studio in the hot LA sun. THEN standing for the complete 3 hours for basically a sing-along. Why wouldnt we be mad? If it wasnt going to be live or see ANYTHING like as planned we couldve been told at the beginning and just left. We were trapped there. And we just had suggestions like "do everything LIVE but for Rodger's seens THAT can be pre recorded.".. the whole thing was a waste of time. I can care less than he broke his foot. I dont care at all. I dont know him. You dont know him either. Imagine wasting 8 hours of your life and STANDING the whole time. 12pm to 8pm.

<<Edited by Carlos-Alberto's staff>>Freedom of speech no longer lives at BWW. <<Edited by Carlos-Alberto's staff>>
 

Updated On: 1/28/19 at 03:53 PM

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 4:01pm

This might be an unpopular opinion (I haven't read the entire thread), but I thought the show was fun as broadcast and enjoyed what we were given, which is notable because I've never really previously cared for the show as presented on stage long-form despite loving the music.

In terms of the cast, I thought they all did well and worked both individually and as a group, even though Vanessa Hudgens strikes me as being more of a Mimi than a Maureen.

If/when a Cast Recording comes out, I'll likely buy it, and it will probably become my "go-to" version of the show.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 4:05pm

DigificWriter said: "This might be an unpopular opinion (I haven't read the entire thread), but I thought the show was fun as broadcast and enjoyed what we were given, which is notable because I've never really previously cared for the show as presented on stage long-form despite loving the music.

In terms of the cast, I thought they all did well and worked both individually and as a group, even though Vanessa Hudgens strikes me as being more of a Mimi than a Maureen.

If/when a Cast Recording comes out, I'll likely buy it, and it will probably become my "go-to" version of the show."

 

HUH!? go-to version LOL ....over the original and...WHY!? The singing is terrible mostly throughout!

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 4:08pm

Ive heard a lot of people and even some friends sound off on others for being overly critical and not being supportive members of the community because they expressed negative opinions about this. The if you dont like it, shut up and dont watch, argument. But anyone doing this type of work knows or should know that art is subjective and when you put something up for public consumption, youre inviting criticism. I, for one, cant be content that at least a musical is being performed for a live television audience if I think said performance is badly done and giving the art form a bad name to those unfamiliar with it.

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 4:11pm

Robbie2 said: "DigificWriter said: "This might be an unpopular opinion (I haven't read the entire thread), but I thought the show was fun as broadcast and enjoyed what we were given, which is notable because I've never really previously cared for the show as presented on stage long-form despite loving the music.

In terms of the cast, I thought they all did well and worked both individually and as a group, even though Vanessa Hudgens strikes me as being more of a Mimi than a Maureen.

If/when a Cast Recording comes out, I'll likely buy it, and it will probably become my "go-to" version of the show."



HUH!? go-to version LOL ....over the original and...WHY!? The singing is terrible mostly throughout!"

As I said, I've never really previously liked the show as presented on stage long-form.

 

I also don't like the actress who originated the role of Mimi, which is one of the reasons I have heretofore much preferred the film cast recording.

[rg7759]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 4:22pm

Look how front and center Jonathan Larson was. I loved it. Of course we all wanted a live show, but that's no excuse to unleash every criticism you can come up with. You're bitter and sad.

[LuPita2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 4:52pm

They deserved horrible ratings for being morons without an understudy.

JoseLee, it's interesting, the media said he broke his foot immediately after a number off stage.  So, he was still there rehearsing.  He wasn't somewhere in LA in a mosh pit somewhere.  I don't think you can be mad for someone breaking a bone, it was not intentional.  The timing sucked but Fox could have just paid an understudy, there are thousands of good looking musicians that could have been Roger.  I'm truly sorry you had to wait and then stand for so long, it does sound miserable.

[LuPita2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 4:59pm

I found his interview in Variety.  

“When we finished ‘What You Own, when we climbed the ladders, Jordan Fisher who played Mark] and I had to run, all the way through that commercial break, downstage, across the scaffolding and down two flights of stairs to do our quick change for the finale,” Brennin said in an interview with Variety. “And we made it down one flight and we came around the next flight, and I was jumping off that last step to make a left, and my right foot just rolled over, and I snapped a bone in the arch of my foot.”

“And I immediately dropped and was in a lot of pain, and I knew it wasn’t good because even with my in-ear monitors I could hear it snap,” he added. “But I was just telling myself, ‘It’s not broken; it’s just a sprain; I’ll be back tomorrow! They can shoot me up with drugs or whatever, I’m doing it!’ Then I get to the ER and they do the CAT-Scan, and they said, ‘Well, it’s broken.’ That’s how it played out.”

Brennin said the doctors told him that if he tried to stand on his foot, he’d end up needing surgery, so his hope to continue with the show was shot down."

Updated On: 1/28/19 at 04:59 PM

[Niles Silvers]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:00pm

I heard Mr. Larson "borrowed" quite extensively from a novel by a noted lesbian author.  

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:03pm

LOL at someone bitching and moaning about wasting their entire day for a taping. Clearly this is their first time ever being at one. Love tapings of TV shows (such as sitcoms) takes just as long if not longer.

You volunteered to go to a taping. SH*T happens. You didnt miss anything important like a presidential election. You had an experience that very few people did, and who knows if footage outside of a few tweets will ever be seen by the public.

The 5 Gs - Good God Get a Grip, Girl.

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:35pm

I’ve never seen the OBC, but I have seen the recorded version that’s on YouTube with the final cast and the current tour when it came through Pittsburgh back last April. The show last night was the third version I’ve seen, and I didn’t think it was horrible. I agree that the audience was distracting at times and it was difficult to hear the singing, but overall I really enjoyed the cast’s performances. The staging was incredible. I was moved several times to near tears, and thought there were far more positive aspects than negative.

This will be one of those recordings that will get better with time, and will have its own cult following. And those of us who are non-purists, were treated to a nice “updated” version of RENT.

Maybe too this was an introduction to the world of musicals to a lot of folks, and it’ll give them reason to support the arts and explore other offerings in their community, on tour, and on Broadway. 

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:36pm

If Patti can throw on an Isotoner and still keep on chugging, so can this Roger.

 

:)

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:43pm

Hell, they should have just called the current Roger on the non-equity tour.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:44pm

Years ago, I went to a taping of Designing Women.  It took them 6 hours to complete the one episode.  By midnight, everybody in the studio audience had left, leaving me there with Gerald Mcraney, Hal Holbrook, and two girls who were friends of one of the crew.  When the taping was finally over, the studio pages assumed I was friends with someone and they left me to exit the sound stage on my own.  I ended up getting locked in Warner Brothers Studio.  After all of that, I would do it again in a heartbeat.  The taping may not have gone as planned, but you have an experience that with time, you will eventually appreciate.

Updated On: 1/28/19 at 05:44 PM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:45pm

"It's safe to say that this was a total bust. Rent: Live will do one of two things: (a) kill the live tv musical genre or (b) have producers/networks re-think their strategy on how to present them (e.g.: understudies). "

I have no idea so I will ask, how much would have cost Fox to have understudies?

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 5:59pm

Robbie2 said: "brian1973 said: "One of the most annoying things about this broadcast was the dreadful audience whooping and screaming at everything

........, E V E R Y T H I N G."

 





YES indeed....THIS ^ Has to STOP for future LIVE productions. It just ruins the watching experience.

So, why are they told to act this way during the LIVE show? Thoughts?"

I think there has to be a happy medium somewhere. I enjoy an audience's enthusiasm (especially for a show like RENT, which could definitely turn more into a rock concert than a Broadway show at some points). However, the audience over powered the actors on more than one occasion last night, which was especially frustrating since it WASN'T live. It seems like they could have done something to balance that. 

I remember watching Sound of Music live and hating how awkward it was with no audience and just dead silence after the numbers. There has to be somewhere in between- a responsive audience that doesn't scream loudly enough to drown out the performers. 

Updated On: 1/28/19 at 05:59 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 6:02pm

While what was shown was a final run, everyone involved was aware it was being recorded and had the potential to be seen. Its routine procedure and done as a backup in the event that something happens, particularly so future re-airings or releases can be done. They forget to cut to someone in time during the live broadcast? Great! We have a backup, so the DVD release will be fine. 

This wasnt a final dress in the same way a Broadway show has a final dress.

Updated On: 1/28/19 at 06:02 PM

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 1/28/19 at 6:17pm

herewegoabc said: "Robbie2 said: "brian1973 said: "One of the most annoying things about this broadcast was the dreadful audience whooping and screaming at everything

........, E V E R Y T H I N G."







YES indeed....THIS ^ Has to STOP for future LIVE productions. It just ruins the watching experience.

So, why are they told to act this way during the LIVE show? Thoughts?"

I think there has to be a happy medium somewhere. I enjoy an audience's enthusiasm (especially for a show like RENT, which could definitely turn more into a rock concert than a Broadway show at some points). However, the audience over powered the actors on more than one occasion last night, which was especially frustrating since it WASN'T live. It seems like they could have done something to balance that.

I remember watching Sound of Music live and hating how awkward it was with no audience and just dead silence after the numbers. There has to be somewhere in between- a responsive audience that doesn't scream loudly enough to drown out the performers."

Agreed. I think an audience is essential to live theatre and these TV broadcasts are no exception. The dead-air after a rousing musical number or the silence that meets a well timed joke kills the energy and momentum of the whole piece (especially noticeable during NBC’s The Wiz). However, the audience shouldn’t be instructed to act like it’s the season finale of The Voice and scream any time someone holds a note for longer than half a beat. Like a multi-cam sitcom audience, the live audience should be there to guide the at-home audience through the appropriate cues and to feed the energy of the actors.