RENT tour: Is it worth it?- Page 2

[Taryn]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 1:55am

I was sorely disappointed by the tour. Pretty much everybody's a great singer, but the acting is severely lacking and they were having a bunch of sound problems the night I saw it (a few weeks ago). It was sad to see a good piece of theatre get a treatment like that. Everybody seemed much more concerned with how great their voices were than really performing a true theatrical experience. I paid about $28 for my ticket in the back of the mezzanine and I would NOT spend that much again. I was BORED.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 3:26am

I thought the cast was off-balanced. Some of them were great singers, but horrible actors, and some of them were great actors but horrible singers, and some of them just flat-out sucked (Roger, Angel...etc.). Is it worth it? Yes. I'd go see it, but then again, I just love the show in general. I think even at its worth, it's still better than most of the crap that plays nowadays.

[christine_c]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 4:20am

This is just the thread I needed to see! I want to try to get tickets for this Saturday in Baltimore...

Also, I don't think twenty is that much for a ticket. If it's that bad, just pay twenty so you have reason to bitch about the cast. :)

[RevolutionaryCostume]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 12:20pm

Are you talking about the tour with Ariwhateverthef*** Fernandez as Mimi?

Bad. . just bad.

~Jacob.

[j'aime_le_theatre]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 12:28pm

I saw the tour in Indianapolis last month and was a bit dissapointed. I had seen the show first about 6 years ago and was amazed by that cast...I believe Maggie Bejamin was Maureen...Anyway, this tour is fun, with some great energy and really great voices...but something is lacking. I can't quite put my finger on it but something was missing for me. Not to mention the mic levels and the pit levels were totally off balance so I lost A LOT of the story beause I couldn't hear them over the music... BUT I went with 3 people who hadn't seen the show before and they loved it. So I guess for $20, yes go. But if you have already seen a great cast, you may be dissapointed..:/

Updated On: 11/30/06 at 12:28 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 1:27pm

RevolutionaryCostume, Arianda Fernandez isn't on the US tour anymore. She's now doing Rent in Japan.
http://www.compulsivebowlers.org/boards/viewtopic.php?t=5331

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 1:45pm

hermionejuliet, first of all, lotto IS a type of rush. Line is the "first come, first serve" scenario you were describing and is NOT the standard when it comes to the Rent tour. Only a few city stops actually have that policy.

"Is it worth $20?" is a ridiculous question. People spend $9 just to see a movie every weekend without questioning it. If you're on a theatre message board in the first place, then of course it's probably worth $20 to see a show live from the front row.

Updated On: 11/30/06 at 01:45 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 1:51pm

Yeah, it's pretty captivating to sit that close to everything. Especially if you're wanting to go into theater, it's interesting to see all the behind the scenes stuff that goes on in the wings. Also, you can see the actors faces better and watch their acting technique more closely.

The thing that lacked in this tour is that I don't think any of them really understand the weight of the situation. Yes, there's Aids, and there is death, but there's also the question of individuality and non-conformity, and also lonliness. I thought a lot of the cast just threw away too many lines. They would either end a line by trailing off to were no one could understand them, or they would say it too quick and with no enunciation. It's obvious they're not quite professionals yet.

[SmeagolxIsxSexy]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 5:09pm

I called the box office and they said there are no rush tickets for the performance tonight.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 5:16pm

Tf that's the case, I think they're violating their contract.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 6:04pm

What pissed me off is that they were out of student tickets the second time i went, and when I got into the theater, after paying only $26, I saw the entire front row full of adults! what's up with that.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 6:26pm

They're not student tickets, they're rush tickets.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 11/30/06 at 6:31pm

Orangeskittles,

I apologize for apparently using the wrong terminology, but I do beleive I got my point across. I frequent several Rent boards, and generally rush implies the rush line while lotto is called... lotto.

I'm not quite sure that you are right that the rush LINE is not the standard. I've seen the tour several times, in several venues, over several years, and they have all had a line. Of course, this excludes the Broadway production which at one point did have a line . I've also read about other current tour stops which have had lines.

However, I do know that they ARE violating their contract if they do not sell the first two rows for $20 in some manner.

As for the cast, I agree that it was unbalanced, but I don't feel that there were horrible singers or actors. Obviously, each castmember had their strengths. It is FAR better than the last leg of the tour.

[javertim]

Posted: 12/2/06 at 10:27am

I just saw the tour last night in Baltimore. For what it's worth, I think they're the strongest touring cast that I have seen since the Bennies shortly before they closed back in 2001. I mean, I really liked the Dan/Andy leg of the tour, but there were some weak links here and there. I don't think there is a weak link in this cast. Even those who are "inferior" to the rest of the cast are still doing a good job with their parts. Additionally, there are several standout performances in this cast ... And I have seen Rent many, many times. The only thing that even slightly bothered me is that some of the lines seemed to be swallowed from time to time. A few cast members need to work on their diction/annunciation.

So, yeah, if it comes to a city or town near you, GO! Get rush seats and you will not be disappointed.