hostility much?

[italianpride888]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 1:05am

I have been wondering why everyone is so hostile now towards RENT? I am not a "renthead" so don't kill me for this. It was a very good show that went past it's prime. I can understand people being annoyed that the show has been beaten to death on here, but geeze. We all need to remember at the end of the day, it's just a musical. I think closing it was the right decision though.

How many of you 100% positively despise the show as it is?

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 1:09am

Updated On: 5/1/09 at 01:09 AM

[italianpride888]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 1:12am

Any particular reason?

[killertofu333]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 1:15am

I liked RENT, thought it was a good show but like you said it did go past its prime. I always find it amusing when people put things or performers high on a pedestal then take joy in smashing it to pieces.

It reminds of Norah Jones 4 years ago, everyone said "OMG she's amazing her voice is so fresh," but by the time the novelty had worn off some former fans started to call her "Norah Yawn."

Everyone's got gripes and apparently they've got a lot of griping to do about RENT.

If there's so much hostility toward RENT now, I wonder what some folks are gonna say about Xanadu and [TOS] come October 13th.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 1:16am

Updated On: 5/1/09 at 01:16 AM

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 1:17am

LOL LePetite!! So funny.

I never liked RENT, I never thought RENT was groundbreaking or revolutionary, and I think it deserves the bashing.

So I guess I do despise it...

[italianpride888]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 1:21am

LOL! Petite, I didnt even see the last part of your first post. nice! Definitely a guy..

And TDH, more power to you!

[Weez]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 4:47am

Well, I really like 'Rent'. I think it's like 'Wicked' and 'Spring Awakening'; the people who are disdainful are quite mouthy about it, and each show has its own set of REALLY ANNOYING fans, and pretty much everyone is disdainful about those. So generally, it comes across as no one on here really liking those shows. But if you put up an opinion poll with no debate, discussion, or argument, people would probably quite merrily come crawling out to say "actually, I really do like these shows".

[Urban]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 7:04am

Personal opinion ONLY:

I think while the central message of the musical 'No day but today' is beautiful and it genuinely has a couple of stand out songs ('Tango: Maureen' & 'La Vie Boheme'), on the whole I find the musical second-rate at best that only ran 12 years because of the unfortunate and untimely death of Jonathon Larson. Had he not died, the show properly would've done respectively and closes after a respected run in the late 90s and Larson himself would've gone onto bigger and greater things.

Also some of the latter-day fans are highly annoying. I admit that (for the sake of argument, these ones that jumped on board the last couple of years - you know who I am referring too). Older fans tend to be pretty nice people though.
Updated On: 9/22/08 at 07:04 AM

[whatever2]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 9:20am

if i had to guess, i would say that a lot of the animus actually derives from the inanity and nonsense with which the rentheads clutter this board ...

there is, for example, currently a separate thread not toofar from this one discussing the critical question of whether one has, will, or should ever open one's closing night rent playbill ...

really.

i think it's tough to separate the wheat from the chaff when people express their frustration over such blather -- do the haters hate the show or the vacuity???

i loved rent when it opened. at the time, i thought there were groundbreaking aspects to it. it certainly was a fresh new american musical after a protracted spate of moribund tuners and milquetoast revivals ... it shifted ever-so-slightly the paradigm in its day. sure, it got long in the tooth, but i do still listen to the soundtrack on occasion.

[winston89]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 9:29am

Urban, I disagree that the only reason Rent ran as long as it did was due to the death of Larson. I could maybe somewhat see that argument holding water if it was in the early years of Rent. But, there have been a ton of fans in recent years both before and after the movie came out that liked the show but had no clue who the hell Jonathan Larson was.

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 9:34am

killertofu333 - I LOVE your avitar!!!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 9:42am

italianpride888, just because you're a guy doesn't mean you can't be a princess.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 9:57am

For what very little it's worth, I saw the show during the first month. I didn't care for it then, I didn't like the movie, and repeated listenings of the CD have done nothing to change my opinion. But I don't feel I have to apologize for not liking it -- for the record, I didn't like Wicked and I didn't like Avenue Q. However, I did like The Producers, The Full Monty, Caroline or Change, Grey Gardens, Xanadu, Urinetown and Spring Awakening (particularly when it played Off Broadway). My point in this is that I'm not stuck in nostalgia for the old days (and I LOVE many of the shows from that era) and don't think my distaste for certain shows is an indicator of not being "with it." Just my thoughts on the matter, that's all.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 10:55am

I think it is a pretty brilliant show. SInce the cast recording was released I have listened to it often. I was not crazy about the movie and still wish Spike Lee would have directed it. I do own it though. I have only seen the show live once. The 1st national tour. I am seeing the film of the "final" performance this Wednesday and will most likely see the tour when it comes through Denver next June. Am I obsessed with the show? No. But it is, in my opinion, an excellent show.

[AlgonquinProd2]

Posted: 9/22/08 at 11:00am

To be fair, try and find a musical or show which DOESN'T provoke hostility from one section or another? 'title of show' got some tremendously hostile posts, so did "Spring Awakening", "Gypsy", "Wicked", "Tale of Two Cities", "Xanadu", "Grey Gardens", etc. I wouldn't worry too much about it. For those who love "Rent", the longevity, awards and reviews all support the belief that it is a classic Broadway show. For those who don't, no amount of arguing will persuade them, so just let it go.