I love that Fox wanted to tackle something as complex as RENT.
The set, direction, art and costumes are all phenomenally done.
The band is GREAT.
But the casting of this musical...I just don't understand using "up and comers" who CANNOT sing over established stage vets who could rock the house down.
Collins was amazing. Mark was great. Other than that...it's a hard pass from me on the cast. Valentina was AWFUL. Jesus. I get that she's "hot" right now, but she should not sing on stage. Can we get someone like Todrick? A guy who can pull off drag AND actually sing and dance.
This was a valiant attempt at doing something strong and provoking, but it fell tragically flat
47 Reviews
Live Audience Big Distraction
jgboston28 January 2019
The live audience drowns out sections of the production. The were even moments that the camera focused on the audience which stops the storytelling cold. And it felt like theater in the round which I always find distracting. Other than that it was nicely done with some great performances.
Not spectacular but not bad
misterowl7028 January 2019
So sad Jonathan Larson isn't around to give his input into the productions that followed his magnificent Broadway premiere but I think he still would be humbled to know that his play continues to resonate with so many people over 20 years later.
Overall, not bad being mostly the taped dress rehearsal. Sets were a bit of a jumble but the acting and singing decent enough to keep our interest until that final tearjerking live reunion with the original Broadway cast which really made this memorable.
It Works Pretty Well
Hitchcoc28 January 2019
These TV musicals are always a little sketchy. I'm not a "Renthead" so I don't have much to go on. I saw the Broadway traveling company a few years ago and was quite captivated. Here, I felt the pacing was a bit slow. It is performed on an enormous stage, with the audience sitting in rectangular cells. This is a really touching story of the AIDS epidemic. It is about a sort of artists colony in a rental building. Many of the people there are HIV positive at a time when most would die from it. Others are drug users. Some are gay. They are all trying to survive. It is mixture of the angst that such a society would deal with, watching their young friends die off or lose their dreams. There is a nice moment at the end.
Could've been, should've been...
boston2lalaland28 January 2019
I've seen Rent on stage numerous times. I've had grace to see Rent on Broadway, off Broadway, in many small and large theaters, with both small and large budgets. I've watched the film version & prior TV presentation. Rent is, obviously, a favorite of mine. This 'Live' presentation has a cast with much proven talent. Some of the crew are familiar for their ace work. I had high hopes. This was such a disappointment & waste of amazing material & many fine efforts. It was hard to follow the staging, seemingly due to combination of jerky flow of sets to lack of cohesive direction of camera work. The quality of the choreography varied from professional to grammar school rehearsal. The greatest issue were the absurd cuts for commercial. That may be the root cause of why so much else, the staging, camera work, choreography, was choppy. Would seem possible Fox placed focus on commercials. Yes, with commercial TV one does expect breaks, but some rational scheduling of them should have been done. As it was, the flow of the music, dance and vocals was repeatedly lost. The powerful human emotion inherent in Rent kept on being broken time and again. A shame. For the performers and crew who did their all, I'd give a 8/10. For how Fox chose to mismanage and cheapen those efforts and, truly, disrespect Jonathan Larson's Rent, I'd give 2/10. A shame.
A bunt when I wanted a Home Run
ingusmoen30 January 2019
What do you get when you take Rent and put it on TV during prime time?
All the actors had their volumes cut. Many of them seemed to be out of their range.
Where Rent thrived on grit, this performance strove for pocket lint.
The last three minutes with the original cast was not enough to save this. I'm sad, now.
Didn't leave me frozen, but doesn't burn
TheLittleSongbird17 July 2019
'Rent' may not be one of my all-time favourite musicals, speaking as a fan of musicals, but it has great songs and a lot of emotional power with sensitive and powerful themes. There is much worthy of admiration. The 2005 film is definitely worth a look, a solid adaptation (though not as good as on stage) and although imperfect it also is a worthy film on its own. Between that and this, there is no doubt really which is the better 'Rent' of the two.
Considering that one, as indicated already, is actually good. Whereas, apart from some great things and moments, this "live" production doesn't really cut it and generally does not gel. It had all the ingredients to gel and be a harrowing, moving experience but it never properly gets there, by all means it's not terrible or irredeemable but it is very easy to see why people were disappointed. Have seen a fair share of these live musical productions made for television and haven't really been a fan of any of them, especially 'Peter Pan' namely because of the usually great Christopher Walken.
Will start with what was good. Brennin Hunt, giving the performance of the night (his vocals makes the jaw drop and the raw grit does wrench the gut), and Jordan Fisher are powerhouses in their roles. If the production did something well it was how it accommodated Hunt's injury. Brandon Victor Dixon is touching as Tom. The most unexpected good surprise was Vanessa Hudgeons, didn't have as big an opinion of her before but she is a revelation here, her voice has grown so much and she acts with a lot of feeling. The same can be said for Kiersey Clemons.
There are a few highlight numbers. "Over the Moon" is one of the few times where the production properly came to life. "I'll Cover You" reprise was the one that brought the lump to my throat the most and "Take Me or Leave Me" is the production's show-stopper in my mind. The costumes and sets are evocatively rendered and the orchestra sound great and perform 'Rent's' fine score and songs with plenty of spirit. The ending is very powerful.
A lot unfortunately doesn't work and don't really have much to add to what has already been said. The camera work is far too frenetic, as an epileptic some of it left me nauseous, and is often focused somewhere else (all the times irrelevant) other than where it should be. The sound quality is badly unbalanced, with the orchestra too loud frequently and some of the vocals sounded underpowered (i.e. Tinashe). Have also not come across a more irritating audience for anything in a long time, actually manages to be even worse than the audiences on the television talent show competitions. Too loud and at inappropriate times.
Have said that there were good renditions here, but the production would have been better if the pace calmed down and the choreography wasn't so erratic (with a mix of just right, too busy and under-energised). A few powerful and moving moments aside, there are some unnecessary and downright strange changes that kill the momentum of the drama and stops it from having enough emotional impact, 'Rent' shouldn't leave one cold but by tampering or toning down what was so resonant and daring about it the production felt bland and too safe. The nadir though, other than the irritating audience, is the walking disaster that is Valentina's Angel. Won't go into detail as to why because everything about the performance was wrong other than managing to look the part, will say though that the all over the place singing was especially painful.
Concluding, a very mixed bag. 5/10
Considering that one, as indicated already, is actually good. Whereas, apart from some great things and moments, this "live" production doesn't really cut it and generally does not gel. It had all the ingredients to gel and be a harrowing, moving experience but it never properly gets there, by all means it's not terrible or irredeemable but it is very easy to see why people were disappointed. Have seen a fair share of these live musical productions made for television and haven't really been a fan of any of them, especially 'Peter Pan' namely because of the usually great Christopher Walken.
Will start with what was good. Brennin Hunt, giving the performance of the night (his vocals makes the jaw drop and the raw grit does wrench the gut), and Jordan Fisher are powerhouses in their roles. If the production did something well it was how it accommodated Hunt's injury. Brandon Victor Dixon is touching as Tom. The most unexpected good surprise was Vanessa Hudgeons, didn't have as big an opinion of her before but she is a revelation here, her voice has grown so much and she acts with a lot of feeling. The same can be said for Kiersey Clemons.
There are a few highlight numbers. "Over the Moon" is one of the few times where the production properly came to life. "I'll Cover You" reprise was the one that brought the lump to my throat the most and "Take Me or Leave Me" is the production's show-stopper in my mind. The costumes and sets are evocatively rendered and the orchestra sound great and perform 'Rent's' fine score and songs with plenty of spirit. The ending is very powerful.
A lot unfortunately doesn't work and don't really have much to add to what has already been said. The camera work is far too frenetic, as an epileptic some of it left me nauseous, and is often focused somewhere else (all the times irrelevant) other than where it should be. The sound quality is badly unbalanced, with the orchestra too loud frequently and some of the vocals sounded underpowered (i.e. Tinashe). Have also not come across a more irritating audience for anything in a long time, actually manages to be even worse than the audiences on the television talent show competitions. Too loud and at inappropriate times.
Have said that there were good renditions here, but the production would have been better if the pace calmed down and the choreography wasn't so erratic (with a mix of just right, too busy and under-energised). A few powerful and moving moments aside, there are some unnecessary and downright strange changes that kill the momentum of the drama and stops it from having enough emotional impact, 'Rent' shouldn't leave one cold but by tampering or toning down what was so resonant and daring about it the production felt bland and too safe. The nadir though, other than the irritating audience, is the walking disaster that is Valentina's Angel. Won't go into detail as to why because everything about the performance was wrong other than managing to look the part, will say though that the all over the place singing was especially painful.
Concluding, a very mixed bag. 5/10
Good but WAY too many unneeded changes!
jeffdreamweaver7 March 2019
Diehard Renthead here, and was so looking forward to this! Was interested in seeing how FOX was going to handle the mature nature of this incredible show! The two standouts were Brennin Hunt and Tinashe (Roger and Mimi). Vanessa Hudgens did a great job but Valentina as Angel was just a hot terrible mess and an insult to the character! Except for the great Keala Settle, the rest of the cast seemed to be unknowns and way undertalented! For a show this big, you would think they would have gotten singers who could actually sing! (Gordon, etc). Why sing the song if you can't hit the notes, or sing them well even if you can hit the notes! The sound was terrible for half the show, with the crowd acting like fan girls at a One Direction concert and their screams overtaking the singing. You can actually go onto YouTube and see high school productions that has better singers and LESS changes! Overall I enjoyed the production but thought it was very poorly put together and didn't do the show itself, Justice.
At Least Angel Died and Got to Miss Part of It
leesmiley29 January 2019
As a confirmed #renthead who has seen the stage and film versions more times than I'm willing to admit, here are my thoughts:
-I know it's a lot to ask to find vocalists who can compare with the original cast, but Fox was obviously more concerned with hiring names teenagers would recognize than anyone with actual talent. Hudgens is fine, probably the best of the bunch, but she's no Idina. The rest of them have virtually no range and put no power into the performances.
-I kinda like the expanded staging, but the audience being in the middle of everything distracts from the story and turns it into just another concert.
-The censorship of certain lines and content is anathema to what the show is about. If Fox wasn't brave enough to do it as it was written, they shouldn't have done it. Larsen would have a fit knowing it was on Fox anyway.
-It feels like the director knew the vocals weren't up to par based on the comparative volume of the musical accompaniment. The instruments, particularly the piano, would sometimes drown out the vocals.
Overall, it was just meh. Not enough talent, not enough energy, not enough anything. I would expect something hyped this much would be much better. 3/10
Overall, it was just meh. Not enough talent, not enough energy, not enough anything. I would expect something hyped this much would be much better. 3/10
I actually loved it..
laurengrimes9329 January 2019
Considering what we watched was from their dress rehearsal and not the actual live performance they were expecting, I thought it was fantastic. I expected Jordan Fisher and Vanessa Hudgens to be amazing and they did not disappoint. Who I was most impressed with though was Tinashe.. I wasn't expecting that performance out of her. Overall I loved it.
Not the worst rendition
ebfdltharnett28 January 2019
Thought the cast was pretty strong. Angel wasn't the best, but not horrific. The live aspect made it very difficult to hear the singers. And changing the lyrics was a bit hard to swallow. The ending was great, loved seeing the original cast!! All in all it was pretty good.
Not my taste, but lots of talent here
vchimpanzee29 January 2019
Without reading anything written about this since it aired, I will attempt to give my impressions. I saw a movie based on this musical which may have been different in that I recall the most familiar song being first (if I am remembering correctly). I remember almost nothing except that there were gay people and people with AIDS and people getting kicked out of their building. I did read a newspaper article before the Fox production aired.
So here's what I know. There is music for just about every taste here. I particularly liked the tango scene. And there were a few words or notes from Christmas songs several times when it was Christmas. Sadly, that was often followed by something unpleasant or offensive. I wish they had kept the religious holiday sacred. If they wanted to criticize the holiday, criticize the commercial celebration. But I get that they wanted to make the point that this is no way to observe Christmas, a time of year when the less fortunate should be treated better.
Not a lot of the music was my taste, but some of it was okay. I should also mention I don't have the high degree of acceptance for people who are different that this production would target, but I believe that it is wrong to mistreat them. Without regard for my preferences, the talent level of the singers, dancers and musicians was fantastic. Such high energy levels when the situation called for them, so much emotion when that was required.
I do question the attempts to try to sing everything when spoken dialogue would be better. That was one problem I had with "Jesus Christ Superstar". But eventually I realized there would be some lines spoken, and that worked better (this also happened with the other production).
And those sets! The start of this production made it look like a much smaller set would be used. In fact, this was done in a gigantic warehouse-type building. Those sets appeared and disappeared with such little effort. Or apparent effort. you know they worked hard to make it look easy.
And numerous groups of audience members all over the place. You have to wonder how they saw it all. Some action was behind some of them. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves. The camera focused once on just one girl with a great big smile.
And they got to participate a couple of times. It looked to me like they were holding flashlights with red lights. Another time they yelled "Boooo!" because that's what the situation called for, but I know they were enjoying what they were seeing. Actually, it may have been "Moooo!" because the girl was dressed like a cow and depicting a cow. And then there was the mosh pit. Were those really audience members? One of the cast landed on them and was passed around.
I lost track early of who was who and don't know who any of the actors were. Not really a problem, since the idea is the actors become the characters. I did read that the guy who was so fantastic as Judas in "Jesus Christ Superstar" was in this, and I had to guess who he was. He didn't have anything here to compare with that, but if I am correct, he did have one very emotional performance that was a highlight. Just not the highlight.
Two women were the standouts here, and one of them might actually have been a man. I don't even remember for certain which one it was, but one of the women was incredible as a singer. And so flexible as a dancer!
I wanted these characters to succeed in their lives. Naturally I was going to be disappointed in what happened to some of them. That's life. The villain, though, was not truly a villain, and you could feel some sympathy for him.
Not all of this production was sad. we got to laugh a number of times and that made it more enjoyable for me.
During one commercial break the cast explained to us that we were not seeing the show live, but that it was done on January 26, and that one cast member broke his leg. I couldn't tell you who or how it happened. Whatever happened, we naturally didn't see it in what aired. We were also told the finale would air live, with original cast members. And what a finale it was! One woman was amazing.
I don't think I have to say this is not warm and fuzzy family fare like some of the other live (or "live") productions on NBC and Fox. We were warned. Viewer discretion advised! But of course nothing that wouldn't normally air on network TV, at least without a V-chip rating that lets you know they mean business. But the writers had many important points to make, and these couldn't be made effectively without content that would shock, although more than 20 years later, and nearly 30 years after the time when production was set. it's not all that shocking any more.
And it was pretty obvious how many years ago this was set. I liked the giant cell phones. There was no Internet, or at least only geeks used it.
Sadly, I'm not sure tolerance is any higher, although AIDS seems to be more under control and not so much of a death sentence. But they did drive home the sadness of being a part of this world where relationships were quite risky. They did not shy away from the emotions.
This is a worthy effort.
So here's what I know. There is music for just about every taste here. I particularly liked the tango scene. And there were a few words or notes from Christmas songs several times when it was Christmas. Sadly, that was often followed by something unpleasant or offensive. I wish they had kept the religious holiday sacred. If they wanted to criticize the holiday, criticize the commercial celebration. But I get that they wanted to make the point that this is no way to observe Christmas, a time of year when the less fortunate should be treated better.
Not a lot of the music was my taste, but some of it was okay. I should also mention I don't have the high degree of acceptance for people who are different that this production would target, but I believe that it is wrong to mistreat them. Without regard for my preferences, the talent level of the singers, dancers and musicians was fantastic. Such high energy levels when the situation called for them, so much emotion when that was required.
I do question the attempts to try to sing everything when spoken dialogue would be better. That was one problem I had with "Jesus Christ Superstar". But eventually I realized there would be some lines spoken, and that worked better (this also happened with the other production).
And those sets! The start of this production made it look like a much smaller set would be used. In fact, this was done in a gigantic warehouse-type building. Those sets appeared and disappeared with such little effort. Or apparent effort. you know they worked hard to make it look easy.
And numerous groups of audience members all over the place. You have to wonder how they saw it all. Some action was behind some of them. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves. The camera focused once on just one girl with a great big smile.
And they got to participate a couple of times. It looked to me like they were holding flashlights with red lights. Another time they yelled "Boooo!" because that's what the situation called for, but I know they were enjoying what they were seeing. Actually, it may have been "Moooo!" because the girl was dressed like a cow and depicting a cow. And then there was the mosh pit. Were those really audience members? One of the cast landed on them and was passed around.
I lost track early of who was who and don't know who any of the actors were. Not really a problem, since the idea is the actors become the characters. I did read that the guy who was so fantastic as Judas in "Jesus Christ Superstar" was in this, and I had to guess who he was. He didn't have anything here to compare with that, but if I am correct, he did have one very emotional performance that was a highlight. Just not the highlight.
Two women were the standouts here, and one of them might actually have been a man. I don't even remember for certain which one it was, but one of the women was incredible as a singer. And so flexible as a dancer!
I wanted these characters to succeed in their lives. Naturally I was going to be disappointed in what happened to some of them. That's life. The villain, though, was not truly a villain, and you could feel some sympathy for him.
Not all of this production was sad. we got to laugh a number of times and that made it more enjoyable for me.
During one commercial break the cast explained to us that we were not seeing the show live, but that it was done on January 26, and that one cast member broke his leg. I couldn't tell you who or how it happened. Whatever happened, we naturally didn't see it in what aired. We were also told the finale would air live, with original cast members. And what a finale it was! One woman was amazing.
I don't think I have to say this is not warm and fuzzy family fare like some of the other live (or "live") productions on NBC and Fox. We were warned. Viewer discretion advised! But of course nothing that wouldn't normally air on network TV, at least without a V-chip rating that lets you know they mean business. But the writers had many important points to make, and these couldn't be made effectively without content that would shock, although more than 20 years later, and nearly 30 years after the time when production was set. it's not all that shocking any more.
And it was pretty obvious how many years ago this was set. I liked the giant cell phones. There was no Internet, or at least only geeks used it.
Sadly, I'm not sure tolerance is any higher, although AIDS seems to be more under control and not so much of a death sentence. But they did drive home the sadness of being a part of this world where relationships were quite risky. They did not shy away from the emotions.
This is a worthy effort.
A few gems in a so-so show
Preacher-64 February 2019
RENT is my second favourite Christmas movie and I watch it (or the Live Broadway dvd) every Christmas eve. And I've seen a variety of stagings of the show. Which is all to say that I know the show very well.
The highlights are the clever staging, far more elaborate than theatre in the round. The show has more in common with a high-budget stadium concert tour than a theatre setting. The stage is also built to play to multiple, moving cameras and so the live audience is sometimes jammed in.
That said, the cleverest incorporation of the live audience is in the protest scene. By setting up barricades and uniformed police at the front of the live crowd, the staging gets a bit meta and turns the audience into the attendees at the in-story event.
Vanessa Hudgens would have been better used in the more meaty role of Mimi, but shines nonetheless in the much-smaller role of Maureen. Of all the versions I've seen, Hudgens wrings more out of "Over The Moon" than ever before. It is beefed up into an even more pretentious performance art piece and it becomes a great showpiece.
The negatives come mostly from speeding up the show to fit the timeslot. The opening of both Acts feel hurried and Seasons of Love particularly suffers for it. The film, for example, is the same length but cut two songs to get there.
The rest of the cast is uneven and the show lacks the emotion of other stagings.
Overall, if you have seen another version, just fastforward to Hudgens' big number and the finale and you are good to go. If you haven't seen another version, please don't start here.
Not terrible
sharliep28 January 2019
This definitely wasnt as bad as I expected. The audio mixing could have been better - many times the music was louder than the singing. Mark's character was done so well, and Vanessa truly surprised me as Maureen. Ues, it had it's ups and downs with shaky vocals here and there, but overall I enjoyed it.
I'm not sure how I feel
nstill-9684531 January 2019
Rent is probably my favorite Broadway musical, and while the 2005 movie took its own liberties, I was able to attribute those to making a play into a film and it found a nice little place in my heart as well. While this version had some outstanding moments, I felt as though some things were unnecessarily changed and some performances lacked in what could have been a fantastic rebirth of this phenomenon to an entire new generation. I'll start with the performances, in no particular order.
Mario as Benjamin Coffin III: While I have always liked Mario as an R&B artist, something about his performance fell flat with me here. It's not that he did anything wrong per say, but I just didn't feel like he connected with the rest of the cast. Benny is our "villain", but sympathetic and still loveable. I didn't get that here, he just felt distant and disconnected from the rest of the characters; even more so than the 2005 movie where the character wasn't fleshed out as much. Vanessa Hudgens as Maureen Johnson: I didn't know a lot about Vanessa going into this. I was "too old" by the time she was a Disney star, and while I've heard of her from my younger coworkers, I hadn't really paid attention to her work. I will say, though, WOW!. She did a fantastic job. I'd be hard pressed to remember a scene I didn't enjoy her in. Her vocals were on point (especially during Over the Moon and Take Me or Leave Me) as was her acting. She was definitely a standout of this production. Jordan Fisher as Mark Cohen: I loved Jordan. Let me repeat that, I loved Jordan. Maybe too much. While I think his performance was strong, I almost think he was TOO good. He was just so "smooth" for a lack of a better word. There was none of the awkwardness and self-doubting that you usually get from Mark. I don't think Jordan did anything wrong; his vocals were great, his acting was phenomenal, and when time came to emote, he delivered on point, but especially during La Vie Boheme he was just SO SMOOTH. Brennin Hunt as Roger Davis: Brennin was, without a doubt, one of my favorites. I know, the dumbass broke his foot the night before opening and ruined the whole "live" experience by making us watch a prerecorded dress rehearsal, but I still think he was one of the best. He emitted everything about Roger, and save a couple of possible blocking issues, I don't think it could have been done better had it gone live. His vocals were awesome, his presence was fantastic, and overall, I was very please with how he portrayed Roger. Kiersey Clemons as Joanne Jefferson: I think Kiersey also did a wonderful job. Honestly my only question with her performance is I wonder if she could have done it better live. I felt like she let the other cast overshadow her a bit in some of her scenes, so I'm wondering if she was saving the "strong" performance for the live one. Nothing to complain about with her. Tinashe as Mimi Marquez: She was fantastic; I expected more. Tinashe's performance is a bit of a double-edged sword. I already know she's a talented vocal artist, yet some of her vocals left me disappointed. Her acting was there, but I didn't feel the emotions at times. "Light My Candle" was AMAZING as was Out Tonight, but then I felt she fell short on numbers such as Without You and Another Day, both on vocals and emotion. I don't know if she was saving up for the live show, but I was pleased and disappointed at the same time. Brandon Victor Dixon as Tom Collins: I think Brandon was another standout performance. Short of having Jesse L. Martin come back to play this role, I don't think anyone could have done it better. Everything was there; the acting, the vocals, the emotions. Fantastic job. James Leyva/Valentina as Angel Dumott Schunard: It looks as though I saved the worst for last, though that wasn't my intention. I think Valentina's performance fell completely short compared to everyone else's. The vocals weren't there, the acting was flat, and I was just left wanting something better. The character of Angel is so full of life and energy and hope, and I didn't see any of that in this performance. I do know that some of Angel's numbers are quite demanding (Today 4 U) and possible were being saved up for the live show, but after several repeat views the pitch was all over the place and I just don't think the talent was tied down when casting. I blame this on production for trying to cast someone relevant to draw a crowd when they should have focused on the talent needed to carry that character. Beyond that, lyric changes were my biggest complaint. The ensemble cast did a fantastic job, and Keala Settle was a fantastic addition in her many roles! The highlight of the entire thing of course, was seeing the original cast at the end of the show. I heard rumor that Tracie Thoms and Rosario Dawson were there as well, would have liked to have seen them if they were, perhaps along side Fredi Walker and Daphne Rubin-Vega.
Mario as Benjamin Coffin III: While I have always liked Mario as an R&B artist, something about his performance fell flat with me here. It's not that he did anything wrong per say, but I just didn't feel like he connected with the rest of the cast. Benny is our "villain", but sympathetic and still loveable. I didn't get that here, he just felt distant and disconnected from the rest of the characters; even more so than the 2005 movie where the character wasn't fleshed out as much. Vanessa Hudgens as Maureen Johnson: I didn't know a lot about Vanessa going into this. I was "too old" by the time she was a Disney star, and while I've heard of her from my younger coworkers, I hadn't really paid attention to her work. I will say, though, WOW!. She did a fantastic job. I'd be hard pressed to remember a scene I didn't enjoy her in. Her vocals were on point (especially during Over the Moon and Take Me or Leave Me) as was her acting. She was definitely a standout of this production. Jordan Fisher as Mark Cohen: I loved Jordan. Let me repeat that, I loved Jordan. Maybe too much. While I think his performance was strong, I almost think he was TOO good. He was just so "smooth" for a lack of a better word. There was none of the awkwardness and self-doubting that you usually get from Mark. I don't think Jordan did anything wrong; his vocals were great, his acting was phenomenal, and when time came to emote, he delivered on point, but especially during La Vie Boheme he was just SO SMOOTH. Brennin Hunt as Roger Davis: Brennin was, without a doubt, one of my favorites. I know, the dumbass broke his foot the night before opening and ruined the whole "live" experience by making us watch a prerecorded dress rehearsal, but I still think he was one of the best. He emitted everything about Roger, and save a couple of possible blocking issues, I don't think it could have been done better had it gone live. His vocals were awesome, his presence was fantastic, and overall, I was very please with how he portrayed Roger. Kiersey Clemons as Joanne Jefferson: I think Kiersey also did a wonderful job. Honestly my only question with her performance is I wonder if she could have done it better live. I felt like she let the other cast overshadow her a bit in some of her scenes, so I'm wondering if she was saving the "strong" performance for the live one. Nothing to complain about with her. Tinashe as Mimi Marquez: She was fantastic; I expected more. Tinashe's performance is a bit of a double-edged sword. I already know she's a talented vocal artist, yet some of her vocals left me disappointed. Her acting was there, but I didn't feel the emotions at times. "Light My Candle" was AMAZING as was Out Tonight, but then I felt she fell short on numbers such as Without You and Another Day, both on vocals and emotion. I don't know if she was saving up for the live show, but I was pleased and disappointed at the same time. Brandon Victor Dixon as Tom Collins: I think Brandon was another standout performance. Short of having Jesse L. Martin come back to play this role, I don't think anyone could have done it better. Everything was there; the acting, the vocals, the emotions. Fantastic job. James Leyva/Valentina as Angel Dumott Schunard: It looks as though I saved the worst for last, though that wasn't my intention. I think Valentina's performance fell completely short compared to everyone else's. The vocals weren't there, the acting was flat, and I was just left wanting something better. The character of Angel is so full of life and energy and hope, and I didn't see any of that in this performance. I do know that some of Angel's numbers are quite demanding (Today 4 U) and possible were being saved up for the live show, but after several repeat views the pitch was all over the place and I just don't think the talent was tied down when casting. I blame this on production for trying to cast someone relevant to draw a crowd when they should have focused on the talent needed to carry that character. Beyond that, lyric changes were my biggest complaint. The ensemble cast did a fantastic job, and Keala Settle was a fantastic addition in her many roles! The highlight of the entire thing of course, was seeing the original cast at the end of the show. I heard rumor that Tracie Thoms and Rosario Dawson were there as well, would have liked to have seen them if they were, perhaps along side Fredi Walker and Daphne Rubin-Vega.
Meh
mbrese-60-48671628 January 2019
A Strong Performance
atlasmb28 January 2019
I am a big fan of the recent spate of live television performances, featuring theater and movie classics. My anticipation for "Rent: Live" was compounded by the fact I have never seen a performance of "Rent". Unfortunately, due to an injury to a lead actor, much of the televised show was not live, though it was performed before a live studio audience. But that is a small concern.
The musical written by Jonathan Larson is an adaptation of the opera "La boheme" by Puccini. It is a rock opera in the tradition of "Jesus Christ Superstar", where almost all lines are sung and it encompasses a wide variety of musical styles. Puccini's story is modernized and reconceptualized to fit a storyline that includes socio-political subjects. The modern narrative attempts to cover too much ground, diluting each of its divergent points of view. Still, most of its shortcomings are overcome by the show's strong musicality.
The "Live" performance includes some changes from the original Broadway version, but it did not hurt the production. "Purists" might disagree, but how do they answer the purists who preferred the OG opera, "La boheme"?
I found the studio audience to be annoying at times, interfering with the sound and acting like fans at a taping of "American Idol", but the sound was good through most of the show. In fact, so much of the production is excellent, it is difficult to single out any one discipline. Let's just say this performance is ambitiously staged and up to the task.
The cast features a strong coterie of musical talents. In a host of strong voices and irresistible personalities, I found Vanessa Hudgens's performance the most surprising. Perhaps, I have underestimated her; her performance of "Take Me or Leave Me" ("Rents" version of Puccini's "Quanto M'en Vo") was electric.
I am glad I watched this event. Though Larson's musical offers no concise philosophy where some might seek to find one, it is a moving and entertaining work that ratifies the humanity in all of us. The end of the performance includes appearances by members of the original Broadway cast---a fitting tribute to Larson and his artistry.
The musical written by Jonathan Larson is an adaptation of the opera "La boheme" by Puccini. It is a rock opera in the tradition of "Jesus Christ Superstar", where almost all lines are sung and it encompasses a wide variety of musical styles. Puccini's story is modernized and reconceptualized to fit a storyline that includes socio-political subjects. The modern narrative attempts to cover too much ground, diluting each of its divergent points of view. Still, most of its shortcomings are overcome by the show's strong musicality.
The "Live" performance includes some changes from the original Broadway version, but it did not hurt the production. "Purists" might disagree, but how do they answer the purists who preferred the OG opera, "La boheme"?
I found the studio audience to be annoying at times, interfering with the sound and acting like fans at a taping of "American Idol", but the sound was good through most of the show. In fact, so much of the production is excellent, it is difficult to single out any one discipline. Let's just say this performance is ambitiously staged and up to the task.
The cast features a strong coterie of musical talents. In a host of strong voices and irresistible personalities, I found Vanessa Hudgens's performance the most surprising. Perhaps, I have underestimated her; her performance of "Take Me or Leave Me" ("Rents" version of Puccini's "Quanto M'en Vo") was electric.
I am glad I watched this event. Though Larson's musical offers no concise philosophy where some might seek to find one, it is a moving and entertaining work that ratifies the humanity in all of us. The end of the performance includes appearances by members of the original Broadway cast---a fitting tribute to Larson and his artistry.
Hit and miss
chelseakaym28 January 2019
First of all, super disappointing that it wasn't live. I get the unforeseen circumstances but still sucks. Mark (Jordan Fisher) and Maureen (Vanessa Hudgens) were genius and in my opinion saved the show. Mimi was nottttttt impressive. The audience screams throughout the show we're a total distraction. It was a good show all in all.
not live, audience distracting, changes annoying, cast not great
novagirl119 February 2019
I've seen the musical at least twice and the movie many many more times! This version is not worth watching a second time. The fact that it was not live and was intended to be a dress rehearsal was quite distracting. At first, I thought it was pretty strange that they could not perform live without one person, but then again since the casting wasn't that great in the first place, I guess an understudy would have been even worse. The dance sequences in La Vie Boheme were great but changing the lyrics unnecessarily was annoying (throughout all the songs). I found it difficult to understand what they were singing much of the time and the instruments often drowned out the vocals. The tribute at the end was the most memorable part (and the only part that was actually live).
Show will go on
dantedigrezia28 January 2019
It would've been a great live show
naddhirra29 January 2019
Honestly, like the title, it would've been a great live show. The cast was amazing, the set was unbelievable, the chemistry between Roger and Mimi, the very inclusion of Valentina on this show, the amazing dance moves of Jordan Fisher, the appearance of the Original Cast, the voice of Keala Settle, and the list goes on and on!
Although I have to admit some scenes and dialogues weren't spot on, the lyrics were oddly changed. But seriously, people, there are more things to be positive about this show than just the fact that it wasn't aired live. They've prepared this for more than 525,600 minutes, people! At least show some respect for that :)
Wow, not good
truce5729 January 2019
Poor Jonathan Larson. This low-energy disappointment in no way celebrates his legacy. And the changes to his lyrics went well beyond just simple "updates" for the times. The audience should have been warned. Take a hard pass on this mess, and go see the currently touring production instead.
Less is More
f_dallas1422 November 2021
As probably anyone who has watched this show, I'm a big fan of RENT. In fact, it is my favorite musical of all time. Saying that, I have to say that I'm very disappointed with this version. The only thing that I can highlight is the amazing production, the stage, the lights, all of that was amazing. But if we talk about the performances, which is what actually matters, I think that they are very far away from the best versions of RENT that we have seen. I know that it is unfair to compare actors but in this particular case I think it's not. Simply because if you saw this performance you have already seen RENT before with other actors.
This version of RENT feels more like a concert than a play, the actors are too aware of the audience and seem to never be completely in character. Every scene is lacking of the depth that needs. It is like the actors know that the audience loves the song so they don't need to do too much for the applause. In other words, they are too comfortable in the roles, there is no tension at all. Don't get me wrong, the acting is not bad, it's ok, even good. But that's the problem, it's just ok or good. And when you have seen wonderful performances in these roles, "ok" or "good" becomes boring. One performance that I particularly didn't enjoy was the one of Brennin Huntis who played Roger. His acting was extremely flat, reducing Roger to a simple bad boy rocker without any depth. I also find the perform of Jordan Fisher as Mark kinda weird, with a mark with too much swag and almost no awkwardness.
I could keep going but to summarize: I think that there is nothing very special about this version and it is a hundred times better to watch the 2005 movie or a broadway recording.
This version of RENT feels more like a concert than a play, the actors are too aware of the audience and seem to never be completely in character. Every scene is lacking of the depth that needs. It is like the actors know that the audience loves the song so they don't need to do too much for the applause. In other words, they are too comfortable in the roles, there is no tension at all. Don't get me wrong, the acting is not bad, it's ok, even good. But that's the problem, it's just ok or good. And when you have seen wonderful performances in these roles, "ok" or "good" becomes boring. One performance that I particularly didn't enjoy was the one of Brennin Huntis who played Roger. His acting was extremely flat, reducing Roger to a simple bad boy rocker without any depth. I also find the perform of Jordan Fisher as Mark kinda weird, with a mark with too much swag and almost no awkwardness.
I could keep going but to summarize: I think that there is nothing very special about this version and it is a hundred times better to watch the 2005 movie or a broadway recording.
Loved this!
khkmommy28 January 2019
I haven't loved all of the live TV performances ie Grease. THIS was a whole different experience. It was AMAZING! All of the actors were amazing. I'm totally blown away by Jordan Fisher and Tinashe. Such amazing talent!! Vanessa Hudgens and Brennin Hunt were phenomenal, as well. Just overall very pleased, but also very moved. I remember the terror and despair when HIV and AIDS came about. These performers really did a great job of exhibiting all of the emotions that were a part of that time period. Brilliant job by all!
How we gonna pay... for this disaster?
Just. Hard to watch or support. Just watch the original production from back in the day or, even the AMAZING film production from 2005.
uchiborn29 January 2019
- Live audience ruins everything.
- The performers were not strong singers to begin with. None of them. Out of tune, no power to their voices. No emotion. Who chose these people? Wtf.
- The entire story was lost with how quickly the pace of the show went.
Just. Hard to watch or support. Just watch the original production from back in the day or, even the AMAZING film production from 2005.
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