tick, tick...BOOM! and RENT

[freeadmission]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:38am

For some reason, I find it hard to like these shows. Granted, I haven't ACTUALLY seen them, but I've heard the music and just can't get into it. I like a couple of songs like "Why?", "La Vie Boheme", and "Finale B", but for some reason I just don't love the shows as a whole.

I feel like an outsider becuase it seems every theatre-lover and thier dog adores these shows and I dont. Am I the only one? Anyone have any ideas WHY I don't like them? I can't figure it out.

[katygrace84]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:49am

No worries. We like what we like and Larson's work just doesn't speak to you like it does to some people. I used to be that way with certain shows and composers. I, perosnally, love RENT. But I can totally understand how some people wouldn't. Is it maybe the whole rock opera thing? Maybe you're more of a traditionalist when it comes to theater. Or maybe you like the escapist feeling of theater as opposed to the real-world themes in these works. Unfortunately you are probably going to get bombared by tons of teeny-bopper RENTheads calling you a short-sighted idiot. Hang it there. It doesn't make you any less of a theater geek like the rest of us. And it certainly doesn't make you any of the names they may hurl at you.

[AlixEG1]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:50am

My advice...go and see Rent in person. Maybe the reason you do not like the music that much is that you are not completely connected with the story. See the actors in person, and the love and passion that goes along with the songs. I have definitely found that I like many soundtracks so much more after I have seen the show because I can picture the characters singing along with the emotion that they were showing on stage. If you don't want to spend the money on a broadway ticket, wait and spend $10 to see the movie, maybe then the songs will mean a bit more to you.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:54am

"teeny-bopper"

I HATE that term. I think it is pretty inappropriate to refer to anyone as such. A friend of mine uses that term all the time, and he's 27. It is a dated term and its the same as calling an elderly person an old fogey. It's essentially an insult.

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:54am

i heard a couple clips from tick tick BOOM and i wasnt awed like other people, either. i can say i love RENT though. some people dont like it b/c of the content. some people (my dad for one) arent huge on rock operas. but no one will dislike you for it unless you openly bash and mock every single thing about it, which you havent.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:55am

Lucky for me I don't live in NY and I only have to spend $3 to see the movie.

I think I do tend to lean towards the more traditional musicals since my faves are My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and the like. But I like both escapist (Wicked) AND real-world stuff (The Last Five Years). Perhaps I'm just psycho. :-P

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:57am

youre not a psycho, you just have different tastes. me, im not as huge a fan of classics.

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:59am

"WHY" from "Tick" is one of the greatest pieces of musical songwriting I have ever heard - and as for RENT - well - give me that over Pacific Overtures - any-a-day!

[katygrace84]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:00pm

Sorry to have offended, Fosse. It was the first term I thought of that seemed to fit my experiences with some of my fellow RENTheads.

[peach]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:02pm

To each his own - no one should chastise you because you do or don't like something.

Personally, I am a rather huge fan of both, but then again, RENT opened on Broadway when I was in my early 20's, so it was kind of "my generation" type of thing. I loved it, but some of my friends and realtives didn't. To each his own.

Tick Tick Boom, another one I loved, but it is a little less "polished" than RENT. I actually know quite a few people who don't much care for it.

I personally don't much care for R&H musicals (and I've perfomed in a number of R&H shows, more than once!). When I tell people I'm not a fan of Carousel for instance, they look at me like I'm nuts. I appreciate it for good theatre, but I just don't like it. Oh well - to each his own!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:51pm

I think Tick, Tick... BOOM! is one of the most emotionally jarring pieces I've "experienced." I kick myself quite often for never having seen it, and Raúl Esparza's unreal performance, live. It's so resonant in so many ways. But honestly, as long as you're not into bashing those who DO love these shows, whatever floats your boat!

Updated On: 8/24/05 at 12:51 PM

[peach]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:58pm

Never got to see Esparza in the role...I would have liked to!

I actually saw Tick Tick Boom in the Boston run, in which Joey McIntyre played the role of Johnny. Joey Mc was quite good - actually very, very, very good in the role. I think "Why" is one of the beautiful, emotional songs, and I actually got weepy during the performance. Oy! Peach is getting soft!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:03pm

It always creeps me out when I hear people talk about how well Raúl was able to tap into what Jonathan was like, and how easily he emulated his personality and mannerisms; they never met.

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:06pm

I agree with AlixEG1 I think you should go see it or wait for the movie to come out. I love Tick, Tick..BOOM! even though i've never actually seen it, I have the cast recording. I didn't immediately love it, I had to listen to it a few times but I really adore most of the songs, and I hope some day I'll get to see it performed. As for RENT, I personally loved it, but I know my sister doesn't think its anything special.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:08pm

Come to think of it, TTB is the only CD that I can think of in recent memory of a show I'd never seen that I fell for instantly. I remember sitting in front of my stereo at home replaying 30/90 all night, when it finally came in the mail. It was that voice... I don't know that I'd ever heard someone sing with emotion the way he does before.

Updated On: 8/24/05 at 01:08 PM

[ally_kay_on_broadway]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:16pm

i disliked both recordings until i saw RENT- after that, i began to appreciate larsons message/music and i bought both of the shows recordings :P

[ashley0139]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:25pm

I love RENT, but it's taking time for Tick Tick Boom to grow on me. I can listen to 30/90 over and over, but the show as a whole isn't that great to me right now. It's just different opinions, and there's nothing wrong with that.

[TabooPhan1]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:21pm

"I think Tick, Tick... BOOM! is one of the most emotionally jarring pieces I've "experienced." I kick myself quite often for never having seen it, and Raúl Esparza's unreal performance live."

As do I, Emcee...As do I...

I personally love Tick...Tick...BOOM!, I actually like the music better than RENT, but that's just my opinion.

'"teeny-bopper"

I HATE that term. I think it is pretty inappropriate to refer to anyone as such.'

I'll second that :)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:23pm

I hate that term with everything that I am.

I'm not sure what it is that draws me to the Tick, Tick... BOOM! score. Well, I know what it is, but I can't find the right terms to express it, which is infinitely frustrating. I sort of want to say it's more... cohesive, because it's simpler, and there's just not as much going on - the lack of sung dialogue like RENT has makes each song more impactful, in some roundabout way.

(Did I make any sense?)

Updated On: 8/24/05 at 02:23 PM

[TabooPhan1]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:39pm

I just think that stylistically Tick was different from RENT, and I liked Tick better. The songs were just different and I feel more of a connection to the songs in Tick, don't know why :)

Yes, you made perfect sense to me, but that's not really saying much :)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:46pm

ha. Well, sense to one is better than sense to none.

I think that TTB is easier to draw a very personal connection to, whereas with RENT, it's easier to find attachment to the characters and their stories, because they're so beautifully developed. Both of them have very universal themes, but TTB's themes of not knowing where you're headed and feeling stuck, or being told you're not good enough, etc, bang everybody over the head at one point or another.

I think that the OCR version of See Her Smile is THE single most gorgeous thing I've ever heard.

Updated On: 8/24/05 at 02:46 PM

[xrent_headx]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:47pm

personally...RENT is my favourite musical i thibk if you do go and see it,it would appeal to you more...or maybe Larsons work just reach you as it does others.i enjoy the tick soundtrack but have never seen it ...

[LuvBroadwayHugs]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:53pm

TTB and Rent are two of my favorites. I'll go out on a limb and say I prefer TTB. Anyway. I always liked RENT's music because it was so different. It changed my life (sounds so...silly, but it's true) once I actually saw it. I really think Larson's work has to be seen to be understood. That's just me.

[peach]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:53pm

I found TTB so powerful in it's simplicity. With just three characters (well, three actors), you really connect with them. It's a bit of a downer really, but just wonderful. My favorite is "Why." Gets me in the gut every time...

I also love the more comedic numbers - "Sunday" is so close to Sondheim's original, it's scary...when they do it on stage, it's really quite funny. And "Therapy." That's hysterical (not to mention great fun to sing along in the car).

But RENT, by and far, is still my fave...

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:56pm

Oh God, I adore Therapy.

I also love the scene where Michael and Jon are in the car, and Jon says that the seats warm your ass. Raúl would bounce, grin, and go "it's F*CKIN' AWESOME!"

In light of many recent happenings, the TTB CD (well, both CD's, really) make me cry a lot more than they used to. I have the TTB poster (finally) - signed - waiting to go up on my wall. It's one of my absolute most treasured posessions.

Updated On: 8/24/05 at 02:56 PM