One of my favorite types of sets are the ones like RENT has - it's one thing that changes very subtly throughout the show. Simple, yet effective and not-distracting. I think, also, it's REALLY important for the set to reflect the main ideas of the show, rather than to truly convey WHERE you are. For example, the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels sets are full of rich colors, but everything actually has kind of a fake look to it, because the show is about con artists. That said, the RENT set is very simple, and it looks kind of grungy and run down, and it reflects the conditions its characters are really living under. And, on stage, you can do things like that and force your audience to believe it, but use their imaginations, too. In film, you can't really do that - so, we'll finally get to see those places, and what it would've been like.
A work of art is an invitation to love.