RENT in Philly — Page 5

I went on Friday night....crazy audience [loads of late comers ] but It was an amazing night.
Toby Blackwell was on as a SWING for Mr. Jefferson...interesting but okay.
The cast was utterly amazing, and the whole performance was great.
There was a few sound glitches, and the motorcycle sound was very early [like beginning of song early] during Christmas Bells, and then it went again on time.

I waited at the CRAZY stage door



I waited for about 30 minutes for the crowd to die down [anthony was out singing stuff] but the rest of the cast never came out and I eventually left cause he went in and their car left and I thought they left the building, but everyone stayed.
It was crazy. Adam never came out. Does the rest of the cast normally come out the stage door with Adam and Anthony craziness??

Great, fun night!
I want to hear other stories! :)

I miss living in Philly.
Florida sucks.

Although I always wondered why most shows that toured there went to The Academy. I found that most shows were swallowed in there. I remember seeing the last non-equity tour of Rent at the Merriam and thought it fit there quite nicely.

---

I was there for the matinee on Saturday and there was someone taking pictures through out the whole show. It was the most annoying thing. I never saw anyone ask him or her to stop.

The whole cast came out?? When? Where did they go?! haha

A girl was on her phone video taping the whole show about two rows in front of me and she got up until Without You and house management came and told her off....then the ushers started swarming in
so distracting
then the pictures started which no one got caught ....>!

I'm always suprised why tours don't stop at the Forrest more...but apparently it's due to the loading & unloading slowly. It's a beautiful theatre, practically across from the Walnut, and there's not really a bad seat in there (but still big enough for a tour). The Academy is so beautiful, .. but not really a great place to see a show.

That's what I always wonder too! And yeah, the last thing I saw at the Merriam was Chicago a few years ago. I haven't heard of much coming through there anymore, which is a shame since it's such a beautiful space. I know UArts uses it along with the Arts Bank.

---

Just adding to this topic, seriously. I figured there was no need to make a separate thread on the show coming to Jersey, as it is exactly the same.

Anyway, I liked it. I just got annoyed because of course I end up with the audience cheering and clapping at inappropriate moments. For me, act 2 should have been silent, but it wasn't. The ending got ruined because everyone started cheering the second Angel came back on stage during the finale. I feel like I need to go watch the movie now to get the depressed feeling that I get every time I watch it.

And, I really thought people were going to get really upset because originally in the program, there was a slip of paper saying that Cary Shields was going on for Roger instead of Adam Pascal. Fortunately, Adam did go on. I figured if he didn't go on, he was probably still sick from last week.

I have to say, Lexi Lawson stole the show for me. She was just a riot as Mimi. I also enjoyed Justin Johnston and Nicolette Hart, along with Adam and Anthony.

And, personally, this was the first time I have ever seen Rent live, but I thought the NJPAC was way too large for it. It just seems like one of those shows that works better a little more intimate, and the NJPAC is definitely not. And I did end up getting moved to the last 3 rows of the 3rd tier because nobody was buying tickets for the 4th tier. I'm just glad that the rows are not on the same level, or I think I would have been mad, since I had row A originally.

---