Pashacar said: "Valentina3 said: "How ironic is that Rent of all things is so highly commercialized? I saw a picture the other day of it being advertised on Saks Fifth. I mean... what the actual..."
Totally agree -- was just commenting on that with my friend. We discussed how, ina way, the 2019 RENT reflects the highly commercialized and polished NYC of 2019, compared to the grittier, more real NYC of the 90s matched more bythe original production."
That's not true at all. In 1996, Bloomingdale's had a clothing line inspired by (and endorsed by) the original Broadway production of RENT. In 1999, the Canadian cast of RENT were featured on the cover of a flyer for The Bay, one of Canada's largest department stores. The Bay's parent company, Hudson's Bay Company, now owns Saks Fifth Avenue. So in actuality, absolutely nothing has changed. RENT has always claimed to be gritty while being very commercialized. I love RENT, but let's not pretend it's not in the same business as any other show.