Cast: Adam Kantor (Mark), Will Chase (Roger), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Mimi), Eden Espinosa (Maureen), Tracie Thoms (Joanne), Michael McElroy (Tom Collins), Rodney Hicks (Benny)
For info on purchasing tickets to Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday's performances, check out The Hot Ticket's Rent page. Unfortunately, it is only for shows at each theatre.
If you enjoyed seeing Rent live or the movie, I highly recommend this compilation of the last performance of Rent on Broadway and earlier performances with the same cast. If you haven't seen Rent yet, wait for the tour next year with Anthony Rapp & Adam Pascal (the original Mark & Roger). They were amazing on Broadway next year and I will (of course) see them again when they're in LA. Of course, if you're not close enough to an area where touring productions perform and cannot get to a city where you could see Rent this is a pretty good substitute.
They filmed a couple nights to make sure they could get every angle and that everything would be perfect. They did an amazing job with this production and the cast is wonderful! Adam Kantor, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Eden Espinosa, and Tracie Thoms were particularly good. Will Chase is probably my 2nd or 3rd least favorite Roger that I've seen, but he still does a very good job.
The only problem with this production were the sound and video not being in sync (by Seasons of Love it was so bad that it was off by a beat). This made it frustrating any time characters were clapping, banging drums or tables, and any time there was a close-up of someone singing. It was like watching a dubbed movie. Though I've heard this is much less likely in a digital theatre, it's the only time I've experienced this problem in a movie. The management told us afterwards that we should have told them right away, but who's going to leave a movie when it's the ONLY night you're able to see it? Unfortunately, the producers of Rent Filmed Live on Broadway did not check with my schedule before selecting their dates, so I didn't have a lot of options.
The other problem had nothing to do with the movie itself. I have never been in a movie theatre and heard so much talking. I wanted to strangle the couple diagonally behind me, who FINALLY stopped talking. The woman who was singing along was exceptionally annoying, too. If I pay $20 for a movie ticket (more than double the normal price of a movie ticket), I paid to see the movie. I do not want to hear people talking or singing along. If she were good enough for me to pay to hear her sing, she would be on Broadway. And even if she were good enough to hear her sing on Broadway, she should not be singing along with the movie. It's rude.
In spite of the issues with the film, I loved it and I REALLY hope it comes out on Blu-ray, since I know that neither of the issues with the live film would be an issue on Blu-ray. The sync would be perfect and there would be no talking. :-) The Hot Ticket hasn't released the other movies they released in theatres this way, but I'm hoping Sony understands (from the 2005 movie and DVD sales) that the market for Rent is pretty big and that most "Rent-heads" will purchase the DVD if they make it available.
Grade: A+
Labels: 2008, drama, movie, musical, New York, Rent, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams