GatorNY, The reason why I say I am not proud of going to Rent so many times is this. That when theatre fans hear that I saw Rent as often as I did, they would assume that not only did I see it a bunch of times. But, that I MUST be a crazy fanboy. I can tell you I wasn't. Even though I went a bunch of times, the fanboy and fangirl attitude was and still is something that makes me want to vomit.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
Winston wants you to know that he used to be a RENThead but he's all right now.
You're right though, there's a reason we go back to things, and there's no reason to feel shame either. I may not be a massive RENThead anymore either, but I'm still happy and proud that my very first Broadway show was 'RENT'.
Chess (Music Circus & Other Places) 12 Times Les Miserables 5 times Cats 9 Times Chicago 5 Times Rent 5 Times
and countless shows two or three times....
Grand Hotel, Aspects of Love, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat, Blood Brothers, Evita, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George and 20-30 others when I worked for a theater and would see parts of them over and over... like my friend's version of Who Are You Now? from Funny Girl.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
I guess I'm one of those obsessive people who sees the same shows many times. I love seeing understudies and replacement casts. I had hoped one of the people who had seen RENT 150 times in the past year would have posted before me but I've seen it about 60 times since 2001.
I've only been seeing shows regularly for about 2 years and I try to see everything new I can but I love bringing people to shows that I have seen and loved. I have seen Spelling Bee, ACL, Passing Strange, ItH, Xanadu, Spring Awakening, Hairspray, Legally Blonde and Altar Boyz multiple times.
Wicked 14 times Joseph 5 times Spamalot, Avenue Q, Les Miserables, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Lord of the Rings 4 times And loads of others 3 times or less.
Do you all have to keep a tally once you get over ten times? It's hard for me to recall each time...I usually have to think of who I saw a particular show with or which theater or city I was in when I saw the show. After 5 or six times, it gets hard to remember, especially over 10 years or so like with RENT.
"The price of love is loss, but still we pay; We love anyway."
LES MIZ- 15 PHANTOM- 13 (Once in London, once on tour, the rest in NYC) INTO THE WOODS- 6 THE PRODUCERS- 5 MOVIN' OUT- 5 SPAMALOT- 3
Many shows twice
"TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES---
"THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS
I've seen RENT 173 Times- it will have be 174 on Closing night. Going to be rather emotional. RENT isnt what it used to be- that's for sure. The line was 1/2 the experience- which you certainly don't get from the lotto.
I've seen a few other shows a handfull of times- Hairspray 5 or 6 times, but the only thing that comes close to rent is the Off-Broadway production of Bare which I saw 14 times.
Gator: I've kept a scrapbook since July '06 so I can guarantee total accuracy with regards to everything I've seen since then. Amount of times seen, productions, cast, cost of ticket, everything. It's just everything I went to see beforehand that's sunk into the ether. Mostly productions of 'Blood Brothers' and 'Joseph' though, so I don't miss them too much. :3
Don't know about everyone else though. Maybe they blog it. I've often thought how useful my blog will one day be if I'm ever arrested and asked "where were you on the night of October 26th 2007?". "Gosh, officer, I was in the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, row E, seat 18, stalls. 'Henry V', and it was SMASHING. So whoever did that murder, wasn't me. "
Legally Blonde (6): 3 times on Broadway, 2 times on MTV, 1 time in San Francisco
Beauty & the Beast (5): 2 times at the Palace, 2 times in the Lunt Fontanne, 1 time at the Surflight in LBI
The Drowsy Chaperone (4): All on Broadway, with the last two in December. Saw every replacement/ original cast member EXCEPT Edward Hibbert
Hair (4): Worked backstage, but still saw every performance at our High School from the wings.
The Will Rogers Follies (4): Surflight Theatre, all in the same Week, with John Davidson
Gypsy (3): Once with Patti's Production, Twice with Bernadette's Production.
The Fantasticks (3): Our Youth Theatre produced the show with four different casts. El Gallo in one, watched all of the other performances.
Mary Poppins (3): All on Broadway, including First Preview, 200th Performance, and Frist Kid's Night on Broadway Performance
The Phantom of the Opera (3): All on Broadway, always sat in Row B of the Mezzanine.
Wicked (3): All on Broadway, once during previews
Young Frankenstein (3): All on Broadway, once during early previews. Seen EVERY replacement/ original cast member thus far. Sat on every level of the Theatre for either one or both acts (3 acts Orchestra, 1 act in Dress Circle, 2 acts in Balcony).
hairspray - 8 times the wedding singer - 4 times 42nd street - 4 times rent - 4 times gypsy (patti lupone revival) - 4 times cry-baby - 3 times the drowsy chaperone - 3 times thoroughly modern millie - 3 times (once on broadway, twice on tour)
I have seen Wicked 3 times, all in Chicago. The first time we missed the first ten minutes or so cause there was a freakin PARADE in the city, and we couldn't sit down until after The Wizard and I, so I went back a second time. The third time was because the Show Choir I choreograph for took a trip to see it, and I was asked to go. Since it was free, of course I went again.
Other than that, I don't generally see things more than once, tickets are pricey! Unless you count shows I've seen bootleg versions of...then...:O)