RENT in MN 8/8/06
RENT in MN 8/8/06
Stand-by Joined: 5/17/06
RENT in MN 8/8/06#0
Posted: 8/9/06 at 9:15am
The current tour of RENT opened at the Ordway in St. Paul last night. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe RENT has played here every season since it began touring. It was the #2 stop after Boston. I've seen every cast that's been thru here as well as once on Broadway in '99 and I try to stay up on the show as much as possible. Some would say I know my RENT.
The show, overall, was decent, at best. Nothing spectacular. Nothing extraordinary. Just ok. To anyone seeing it for the first time, it’s a great introduction. However, this isn’t my first time and I have seen extraordinary and I have seen spectacular. The first few companies thru town included stellar performances by just about everyone. (Luther Creek, Manly Pope, Simone, Saycon S., Kamilah Martin, Matt Caplan, CC Brown, Shaun Earl, Christian Anderson, etc, etc, etc) This was not the case last night.
A word of warning: if you have plans to duplicate what you see, (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) DON’T – I witnessed SEVERAL recording devices confiscated from individuals. Not just by Ordway ushers but by RENT personal.
Now to the performances…
ASWAD (Mr. Jefferson; u/s Collins, Benny)
This is one of the best SOL 2 soloists I’ve seen in a while. He also did some great stuff in the ensemble as Mr. Jefferson. Fun!
ALTAMIECE CAROLYN BALLARD (Mrs. Jefferson; u/s Joanne)
Good stuff from Ms. Ballard also. She has great eyes that read from miles away. Fun to watch. If she was my first SOL soloist I’d be all over it. She has some great runs, but I’m biased and have seen others blow the roof off the joint. I do think that she’s better than Frenchy Davis, for sure.
Ok, here’s where it gets tricky. I don’t know who we saw as Maureen. Tracy McDowell was out and they didn’t have program inserts. I had to hunt around the big lobby for the company board and I can’t remember what name was listed. So, if anyone knows who played Maureen on 8/8… My guess is that Sheila Coyle was on as Maureen and Jenna Noel was on as Alexi. (and after looking at the pictures on the website, I am 99.9% sure that was the case.
Shelia Coyle as Maureen – I’m sure she is a great Alexi and she is super talented at cooking or crafts, (scrap booking) or maybe even entertaining at dinner parties, but a great Maureen she is not. She had a few issues with lines and lyrics, which people will say that since she is an understudy and that because this isn’t her normal track, she should be given some slack. … Nope – you are on a Broadway tour of a hit show. Know your stuff! People know this show and aren’t paying $5 to see your play in the backyard. Beyond the lines, I feared for her voice. She seemed to be straining and it was hard to listen to. If I could sit thru it again, I’d be interested to see Tracy McDowell in the role.
Jenna Noel – VERY fun bits as Alexi!
ARIANDA FERNANDEZ (Mimi) – I went back and forth on Arianda soooo many times. Her Out Tonight started out SOOOO strong and it all went down hill after the glitter. Here we have another case of strain and stress along with the inability to move AND sing at times. BUT she had some amazing moments too! While not my favorite, her Without You, was very moving. (It would have been better if Maureen over on stage right would have sat still… HI – you are not the focus, here!!) And she’s a petite woman who was very cat like, but she was almost too short next to Bryce who seems tall.
CHANTE CARMEL FRIERSON (Joanne)
I enjoyed her, she was the stronger half of Take Me Or Leave Me, which is one of my favorite songs.
MICHAEL IFILL (Benny)
I don’t think we had a Benny last night. Forgettable.
WARREN G. NOLAN, JR. (Collins)
Powerhouse! Great voice – nice emotion! Broadway worthy. Which makes me wonder, has anyone ever gone from the noneq company to Bway? I vaguely remember a Mimi going to Bway…
ANO OKERA (Angel)
Another powerhouse! Good times! He had bits of Shaun Earl, which always makes me happy and he tossed in a bunch of stuff I’d never seen before. Loved the attitude levels! And wow, can he toss a bucket! I never noticed an Angel toss a bucket so much before.
JED RESNICK (Mark)
I had trouble hearing him, partly him, partly the sound – My guess is they haven’t played a big barn like the Ordway on this leg of the tour in a while and there will be some sound kinks to work out. But yeah, back to Jed, he had wonderfully funny moments as Mark. I loved his “I’m Mark” at the beginning of Life Support. Very cute.
BEN ROSEBERRY (Steve; u/s Mark)
A beautiful Will I… Nice and clear and powerful. The lights during that number, were too low. It pretty much focused on him for the entire thing and stayed the same level. Which I thought it got brighter onstage when the others started to join in. Darn electricity in the East Village!
BRYCE RYNESS (Roger)
Top notch Roger. Played it a bit safe, but also worked it out in others. I think his One Song was pretty great, but I’m not sure because I had an ushers back in my face as she attempted to confiscate something from someone in front of me. He definitely had the Roger look going. And like I said, he is TALL! How tall is that guy? 19 feet? I could be wrong, but I think the made the proscenium at the Ordway bigger for him… Not sure.
Nah, he’s probably average, we were sitting rather close.
It was refreshing to see the stage show again, after the movie, which I enjoyed. There is just something about seeing it live. The opening number ALWAYS gets me ampt up and ready to go! It’s awesome!
So that’s my opinion, do with it what you will.
The house was packed last night and from what I hear, the entire run is almost sold out. There was a standing ovation, (which I feel is automatic these days and not always worthy) so audiences are loving it, aside from it's flaws, and while that makes me question peoples opinions, it also makes me happy because they enjoyed the material of the show. A show I will always hold near and dear.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/29/04
re: RENT in MN 8/8/06#1
Posted: 8/9/06 at 9:51am
Thanks for the review! Was the actress playing Maureen a blonde? If so, that was Jenna. If she was a redhead, then it was Sheila. The tour doesn't use playbill inserts for cast changes, you have to check the callboard in the lobby.
You didn't see Altamiece as the soloist. Her last show was in San Francisco on Sunday night. :)
I'm betting that it was the stage manager who was policing the people who were recording the show? She's known for that!
Transfers from non-Eq to Broadway:
Marcus Paul James (Mr. J)
Crystal Monee Hall (swing)
Ava Gaudet (Maureen)
as of Sept. 1, Jaime Lee Kirchner will be Mimi.
Glad to hear that the show is still selling well. That has been the case in every city.
Updated On: 8/9/06 at 09:51 AM
Broadway Star Joined: 10/23/05
re: RENT in MN 8/8/06#2
Posted: 8/9/06 at 9:55amI'm so jealous that you got to go to this. Me and a friend only had 2 days we could go, and by the time we got around to getting tickets, those nights were sold out.
re: RENT in MN 8/8/06#3
Posted: 8/9/06 at 9:56am
Thank you for this review of one of my all-time favorite shows 
Glad to hear it is at least solid and "decent" 
I will see this troupe here on Novemeber 6-7
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/29/04
re: RENT in MN 8/8/06#4
Posted: 8/9/06 at 10:09amEponine, many of this "troupe" will have changed by November. More casting news should be released in the next few weeks.
Leading Actor Joined: 3/30/04
re: RENT in MN 8/8/06#5
Posted: 8/9/06 at 10:25am
Actually, the last tour of RENT that went out did not come to the Ordway. That was the one with Talia Brinson as Mimi. I would have liked to see that cast.
From reading the reviews and hearing for myself, I have to say that I am really not looking forward to seeing this cast on Sunday. Seeing theater at all is a privilage I know but I've just been too spoiled on the first few casts that came through.
Like William T said, the days of Simone and Christian Anderson seem gone. Those casts blew the roof off the place...it seems every time it has come through it has gotten less and less strong cast members (in my opinion).
Oh well, it's been a few years since I have seen it so it will be nice to catch it again.
re: RENT in MN 8/8/06#6
Posted: 8/9/06 at 11:03am
Thank you, erinrebecca Good to know. You learn something new eveyday.
Stand-by Joined: 5/17/06
re: RENT in MN 8/8/06#7
Posted: 8/9/06 at 1:05pmOne other thing, I never noticed this before with any other company as much as last night but the stagehands were clearly visible on numerous occasions. Many of them in plain clothes, not the traditional all black, just standing there, watching the show. It was VERY distracting. They need a reminder - "If you can see the audience, they can see you too!!"
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