Rent Tour (Chicago) Oh My!

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 4/6/06 at 10:48pm

Kary Walker - There is an actor's union in Chicago - find it!

Today's show - not good.

AEA

Posted: 4/6/06 at 10:55pm

Could you perhaps elaborate on "not good"? What made it so poor?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/6/06 at 10:57pm

How not good was it?

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 4/6/06 at 11:05pm

It was not horrible. I love the show and the music. But, American Idol has taken over the Rent tour. Ok, you can sing? Fine, your hired! Oh, and we will give you a mic and make sure that you yell.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 4/6/06 at 11:43pm

So this is the same cast that is coming to LA?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/6/06 at 11:50pm

There's only one Rent tour, so barring any cast changes until LA, then yes.

[DancNdaMoonlite]

Posted: 4/6/06 at 11:57pm

Wait. Rent is coming to LA??

*runs to look at Rent tour site*

It's not on the site. How do you guys know that its coming? Dates? Updated On: 4/6/06 at 11:57 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:13am

Pantages, this July.

http://broadwayla.org/subscription/index.asp

[DancNdaMoonlite]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:31am

I'm really excited. That's 5 minutes from my house.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:39am

Beware: This is a NON EQUITY tour.

[Kungaloosh1937]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:47am

Eh, the non-Equity RENT tours have usually been quite good in the past. Regularly better than the current Broadway casts at the time.

[knows_too_much]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:50am

Some of the non-equity casts of RENT have been the best.... others have made me want to stick ice picks in my ears.... but I can say the same about Broadway replacment casts, so make of that what you will???????

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 12:54am

I saw a non-equity cast of RENT, and it was so bad. The "actors" I use the term loosely, tried too hard to sound like the OBC and they failed. They seemed like the first part of the show was under-rehearsed and then the finally came into their own during the last part of the second act, when they started singing with their own voices. It was terrible, had I known it was a non-equity tour before I went, I wouldn't have gone.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 1:14am

I saw a non-equity cast two years ago, and most of the cast was excellent, and why wouldn't they be? They come from the same talant pool as the broadway cast. Some of our Broadway actors are not equity until after they get cast in an equity production, then become equity, but only for the duration of their contract with that show. What it comes down to, is Rent uses young talant, and sometimes its better than others, it doesn't matter whether or not they have enough points to be in the union yet or not, just how talanted the given cast is.

[MrBundles]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 2:55am

I saw it the last day in Vegas. I enjoyed myself, but the cast does not even come close to the amount of talent on Broadway (which of course makes sense), but they seem to not know the show very well. Yeah..."what's her name? Joanne!" was not in the show. The actor playing Benny completely skipped and that was left out. Also, I know a friend who saw it the night before and said the cast fumbled over lines and skipped a bunch of others.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 3:01am

Some of our Broadway actors are not equity until after they get cast in an equity production, then become equity, but only for the duration of their contract with that show.

I don't understand this statement at all? Why would they not be Equity once their Equity contract is up for that show? They still paid their membership initiation fees and dues. They don't kick them out of the Union if they are not in a show.

[tourboi]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 3:20am

"Yeah..."what's her name? Joanne!" was not in the show. The actor playing Benny completely skipped and that was left out. Also, I know a friend who saw it the night before and said the cast fumbled over lines and skipped a bunch of others."

For starters...it was an understudy, and his FIRST time playing the part. A mistake is hardly unforgivable.

[MrBundles]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 8:20am

Mimi was the only understudy on when I saw the show.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 8:30am

aw- It's too bad the show is not living up to standards. Thank you for the notice though. A large part of the magic of this show is the energy and talent of the cast. (As is every show actually)

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 2:30pm

Still haunted one day later!

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 2:32pm

Damn, and we were so excited to see it! I can't bear to tell my friends...because I charged all our tickets on my card! There goes $68 apiece. Well, hopefully since we're seeing it on the final night here in Chicago, they'll have tweaked a few things by then.

Btw--isn't a flawed show such as this seems to be at this point to blame on the DIRECTOR? Who's responsible for this tour and why does it apparently suck??

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 3:35pm

LP, if this is your first time, or you have not seen a Broadway production, you might fing it perfectly fine. It also be my age and expections. I hope that you enjoy it. I did not hate it, I just could not believe some of the sub-par acting and singing. The ensemble is impressive and I liked Benny, Joanne and Maureen. Also, the drug dealer is very good!!!!!

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 3:59pm

Hi Brd--

No, I've been a theatre-goer since childhood and saw the Broadway production of RENT about 7-8 years ago. I'm somewhat forgiving with certain entertainment, as it is supposed to be all in fun. But it does cost money, and over time I found I do have my limits (I saw a production of "Grease" featuring Cindy Williams in Vegas about 6 years ago at the MGM Grand, and I swear to you, my old high school did, and does, better productions than this 'professional' production! I was sad for Cindy, but also was so disgusted I wrote the hotel an angry letter for a refund on the tickets and they sent us a check)! Depending on the mic/sound mishaps, I may not be too happy with this production next weekend. So we'll see. But thanks for the response.

I still wonder why no one bashes the director in bad situations like the ones you described.

Posted: 4/7/06 at 4:07pm

I was shocked to see the review in the paper this morning (poor) for this tour. Non_equity? At THOSE prices? As part of "Broadway in Chicago?" Let me count the ways that is so so wrong. Yes yes, you can get lucky and see a great non-equity cast here and there, but...When you are advertising a "Broadway" show, I think that indicates an "equity" show as every single Broadway show is produced under an equity contract, no? And a Non-equity tour to me indicates there will be more problems with sound, lights, under-rehearsed understudies and the like, because if they are not paying Equity wages they are probably skimping elsewhere, too.

And it seems to be more and more common. Has Broadway in Chicago done this before? I'd assumed that all their shows had to be Equity.

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 4/7/06 at 4:30pm

I thought I heard somewhere that this was a non-eq tour. I believe "Broadway in Chicago" is the name by which the combined theatres in Chicago are able to market shows, but I have no idea if they're restricted to putting up eq shows only. In any case, the shows that come to Chicago always have been first-rate and don't recall seeing a show which has, or hearing about such technical difficulties, as this round of "RENT" is having, which is unfortunate for them. Guess I'll see for myself soon enough.