RENTing Insanity

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 1:26am

I also wanted to post a review of a recent performance of Rent that I attended... after I was practically MAULED by a nutjob Renthead who says that she is best friends with Diana deGarmo and that I, a thin white man with red hair, looks JUST like the black man playing Angel.....

I want to say that the state of the Nederlander.. and its tenant.. is awful.

I am constantly amazed at how badly the producers or Rent trashed the architecture of the building. NONE of the original detail will be left after RENT leave... their teil mosaics and other assorted "art" has obliterated anything beautiful underneath. SHAME SHAME. How simple would it be to build a false proscenium with tile mosaic detail instead of ruining a building?

I also noted that, in addition to an excessive playbill insert, EVERY wall has a "no video, photography, or sound recording" sing posted on it.. yet people where still doing it, and no usher made ANY move to stop them.... hell, the ushers are in no way distinguished from the audience, they are in plain street clothes and don't have so much as a name tag!

Now onto the show....

Destan Owens is a fair Collins, by no means great, and at times his voice pinches and goes nasally.

D'Monroe makes NO impression as Benny.

Justin Johnston is a well acted Angel. The way he blocks things he doesn't like with his feet is funny. he has a good falsetto and a fair low range, but they are in no way connected. His mid range doesn't exist and the break in his voice is more obvious that Donna Murphy missing a show.

The ensemble was lackluster. Only Kyle Post, a swing on as Gordon et al made an impression and was a treat to watch.

Someone needs to deflate Frenchie Davis and send her home. She has a beautiful voice, but she did sing anything remotely close to anything written during seasons of Love and she spends the entire show in her own world, ignorant of anything going. SAhe doesn't at all seem to occupy the same space as anyone else.

I am always appauled at how sloppy and amateurish Michael Greif's direction is. Why does this man have anything resembling a career?

Jamie Lee Kirchner was a VERY good Mimi. I loved LighT my cabdle and new that from then on, I was in for a treat in watching her. And I was. Another Day, Goodbye Love, Without You.... she nailed them all. Howvere, Mimi's "wow" moment HAS to be Out Tonight, and, frankly, it made want to stay IN tonight. She was so focused on bending her back as much as possible that her vocals suffered and lacked any danger or excitement.

I was VERY Pleasantly surprised to open my playbill and find Maggie Benjamin back as Maureen. Funny, well sung, well acted. Bravo. She is back and in fine form. Great to see her again.

I very much enjoyed Nicole Lewis as Joanna. No complaints at all. She REALLY sold the difficult to nail "We're Okay".

Tim Hower should be fired on the spot for his perfomance as Roger. Awful. Just plain AWFUL. He found several good MOMENTS. But they didn't salvage anything. One Song Glory.. Your Eyes.. every one of his songs was painful. You can tell that he has a more classic voice and was trying to force a rock sound.. and it didn't work.. and occasionally he would slip into proper voice... he tried to play what he thinks a 'rocker' is and it was COMPLETELY disingenuous. He actually was giggling at him when Mimi "dies". he was that over the top. Absolutely attrocious.

CHRISTOPHER J. HANKE AS MARK COHENM. Wow. Simply WOW. Thsi only confirms that Chris is a VASTLY under appreciated and under utilized perfmer. he had it from second ONE until the very end. he found the layers. He played them. He was well sung. He had hysterically funny but geneuine moments all throughout.. raising his fists in triumph when Maureen calls Joanne 'pookie'... using the camera as a gun to shoot himself when Roger plays guiter in La Vie Boheme... No gripes in any way. I will return just to see him again... hopefully from the front next time!

One thing that bothered me.. the battery packs on some of the mics... Jamie Lee Kirchner spent half the show hiking up thats trap around her lower chest that held her mic in place.. in act one, maggie benjamin's mic was in a flesh colored pouch attached to her lower back and it kapt sagging and flying all around and flapping with every move. Very distracting....

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 1:31am

Someone needs to deflate Frenchie Davis and send her home. She has a beautiful voice, but she did sing anything remotely close to anything written during seasons of Love and she spends the entire show in her own world, ignorant of anything going. SAhe doesn't at all seem to occupy the same space as anyone else.

I definitely agree with you there. I think the more comfortable she got in the show, the more liberties she took with that solo. It's gotten to be too overblown.


I'm not a fan of Destan Owens. The only other Collins I saw was Mark Richard Ford, who was much better.

I'm glad to hear you liked Chris! I really want to catch him before he leaves.

Great review!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 1:34am

I apprecited Chris all the much more because I had seen Matt Caplan before him! Chris is a must see!

Frenchie did not take liberties... she rewrote it! It was even more suprising considering that the producer was in the audience. Too bad he wasn't passing out a few pinks lips.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 1:36am

For years I've read your reviews (except when you were on your self imposed exile after humiliating yourself on the boards) and it's pretty clear that if you find a guy sexually attractive, you rave about his peformance and then become a groupie/stalker. [Memo to Chris Hanke: HIDE!]

The other thing is, you go see a show that opened in 1996 and you see it God knows how many times and TEN YEARS LATER you're complaining about the work of the director?

Christ, that's pathetic.

Hope you enjoy your next visit to RENT and win the lottery so you can sit close to Christopher Hanke and take the seat away from those RENTheads you imply you're better than!

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 1:37am

Yikes. I haven't seen her in over a year, I can only IMAGINE what it sounds like by now.

I'm guessing you didn't like Matt Caplan? I saw him last sumemr and liked him. Granted, I had only seen drew Lachey before him, so I didn't have great comparison.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 1:38am

this show has been an embarrassment for several years and really needs to close or bring in someone with a creative vision to whip it back into shape. there have always been problems inherent in the material and presentation of it, but none of those problems have improved in the least as the show has just gotten older and less relevant to the current culture. it's already crossed the border and become a period piece, but it still being presented as if it was 1996. I'm no rent-basher, and I admit to having been a MAJOR Rent-head in high school. But the last few times I saw the show, it was clear that their priorities had strayed and they are happy to just mark it, turn the volume up, and rely on the continued business of the ever-affluent teenage girl market. If the show had been closed down in 2002 or so, it might have made a good revival in a few years with a smart director to make adjustments considering the cultural context of the piece. These are just my general opinions, I haven't seen it on broadway since 2003 but I doubt it's gotten any better. I will say that Tim Howar can't be as bad as some are claiming. He's married to musical theatre royalty, so he must be doing something right.

Updated On: 10/14/06 at 01:38 AM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 1:40am

I've complained about Grief lack of direction from day 1.

Hmmm.... there are VERY attractive performers who I think are God AWFUL onstage and unattractive perfomaers that I LOVE to watch. And for the record, the friend in attendance with me doesn't find Hanke attractive in the least and felt that he was the best thing about the show.

Now Namo, BUZZ OFF.


Caplan didn't bother doing the show. Caplan just goofed off.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 2:22am

I know some people like his performance, but seeing Matt Caplan on the tour was what first made me realize the poor state of the show. Previously I had only seen Anthony Rapp and Trey Ellett, both of whom had very good supporting casts. But once I saw Caplan up there with a non-Canadian Roger, I knew there was trouble.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 4:03am

I dont know that it should ever be considered too late to share an opinion about a currently running show on a message board dedicated to broadway...

I think Chris Hanke stood out because hes a new addition to the cast and all his moments served his character whereas others seemed to be entertaining *themselves* more than anything...

Tim Howar on the other hand was trying entirely too hard to come off as a metalhead or something and it wasnt working. Giving the horns and sticking your tongue out is NOT appropriate. His acting at times was a little overdone and his singing was hit or miss.

My biggest gripe of the show has always been the giant sculpture that I think fails to represent all three of the things its meant to: the original sculpture, christmas tree and steeple.

[kyle.]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 4:34am

I believe Maggie is only back for the weekend. Sounds very odd, I know, but that is what I heard. I could be completely wrong though, if anyone has the real story about how long she is back with the show I would love to hear it. She is a wonderful performer and needs to get cast in a new show ASAP. Glad she is back on stage where she belongs though!

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 7:57am

hey, when i saw RENT in March, i thought the entire cast was fantastic
i would really prefer to see them than the OBC (which i saw in the movie, and thought they were horrible)
maybe they were better live, but i still think that the current cast i saw was great

sorry to hear others dont think so...

[teh_pretty]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 9:06am

You have terrible grammar and spelling.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 9:07am

me or broadwayguy?

[teh_pretty]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 9:09am

broadwayguy.

As said before, Rent is ten years old. Get over it. No use whining over it now.

[joanna2]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 11:08am

Agreed! It's so distracting to read a review (or any post, or that matter) full of mistakes.
If you'd like to make a point, take the time to have it make sense.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 11:10am

ah, another day, another round of RENT bashing. *yawn* It's old and pathetic. To imply that the show is an "embaressment" is unbelievably pompous and condescending to the many people who immensly enjoy the current cast.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 12:24pm

I enjoyed reading this. Thank you

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 1:53pm

^ Eponine I'm just asking, why must you put a smiley face after every single post you make?

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 2:11pm

OK...I didn't want to say anything....but broadwayguy2, you need to edit that review and correct the many mistakes in your spelling. It is a bit distracting. Appauled?

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 2:14pm

If the producers were smart they would compleatly overhaul this whole show and find compleatly new talent that hasnt been doing the show FOREVER. That being said, it is becoming more and more apparent that the producers aren't smart and have become more concerned with the money aspect than the soul of the show. I know if I were Jonathan Larson I would be ashamed.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 2:44pm

uncageg, I intent to do that. I posted that LATE last night after a LONG day and was exhausted and have not had the time to do that. I just wanted to get them up. I am going edit later today.


*side note* can the PMs from nutjob Rentheads please stop... get a life.. geez.

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 2:54pm

The show will never close if people still go back over and over just to see how bad it is...hmph!

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 3:05pm

Becoz_i_knew_you21 - I put a smiley face after most of my posts because there are too many and negative things on this board and in the world... I'll try to stop *rolls eyes*

Updated On: 10/14/06 at 03:05 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 3:06pm

I confess. I thought Chris Hanke was the one saving grace of In My Life and I attended RENT to see what he could pull off there. No other real reason.

[kiwiiscool7]

Posted: 10/14/06 at 4:33pm

I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion of whatever, but I must disagree with you on this. I believe the show is fantastic now, and I hope it doesn't close in the near future. Sure, some cast members aren't great, but not everyone in any show on broadway or off is fantastic. You can't hate one show because you weren't happy with one cast member. I saw Phantom of the Opera again a year ago, and the Meg was horrible in my opinion, but I still loved the show.
I think the interior of the theater brings me into the story of the show. I think it's an interesting look and a great breath of air from your usual interior of theaters that look extremely fancy, and I feel out of place going in jeans.
I must agree that I'm not too fond of Frenchie, but I still enjoy the show. The last two times I saw RENT, she wasn't there.

Tim might not have the best voice ever, but I think he gives a lot of emotion to Roger and his chemistry with Christopher J. Hanke is great, and they look like they really have been friends for years.

I didn't like Jamie too much as Mimi. She seemed like she was TOO high, and her Another Day makes me cringe. I understand that she really wants to be with Roger, but there is a time during that song, where Mimi has to stop bouncing and stop smiling and relax. But then again, I saw Antonique Smith as Mimi, who I found to be the best Mimi.

Christopher J. Hanke makes the show, so I agree with you there. He's a great Mark and a great guy in general. He gives Mark so much more, and really makes the character real. I could go on and on about how great he is...so I think I should just stop here.

I'm sorry your very disappointed in the show...and these are just my opinions. I just wanted to add my two cents in on this.