OMG It's almost like a real blog post O.O
Today while I was getting ready for my full day of nothing I got out my computer speakers, plugged them in in the bathroom, and connected my trusty iPod to them. Wanting to hear something I haven't listened to in a while, but something I could also sing along with, so I picked the go to sing-along for me: Rent. Before I knew it, I had showered, gotten dressed, and picked up around the apartment while going through the entire soundtrack. As I sang along with it I felt almost nostalgic. I danced with Mimi as she sang "Out Tonight", mooed with Maureen during "Over the Moon", and cried with Collins as he longed for Angel in "I'll Cover you (reprise)".
After running through the gambit of emotions, and finishing some housework in the process, I stared wondering: What is it about this particular musical that makes it resonate with me? As much as I love other musicals such as Wicked, Spring Awakening, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, there's just something about Rent that makes me want to see it and listen to it over and over again.
For those not versed in musicals Rent is the story of 20-something friends during 1989-1990 and their complications with life, love, and sicknesses. That's the extremely short version, for something more in depth go here or here.
I'm not sure if it's the fact that I know the behind the scenes story, but Rent just strikes a chord. Most of the songs are beautifully written, and one or two definitely date it as a nineties show. I guess part of me is intrigued because the show technically was never finished, at least by the original playwright, Jonathan Larson, due to his sudden death the night before the off-broadway premiere. Others who had worked closely with him through the years of its creation and workshopping did their best to polish it as they thought he would have before its Broadway opening a few months later.
Another thing that strikes me about the show is the genuineness of the characters. While, the situations (such as this many people with HIV/AIDS bumping into one another and falling in love) may seem a little too coincidental, the characters are genuine, real people. I hear it in the original cast recording, I saw it in the three touring performances I went to see, and I was even fortunate enough to see it in one of the original cast members (Anthony Rapp) when he reprised his role, these actors weren't just portraying a role, a character, they were that person. Every emotion, movement, vocal quiver was genuine and real. The actors had all connected very deeply with these characters they were portraying and the audience could feel it.
The script itself was so well written that you could connect with these characters and feel for them when they lost, or were lost. You cried with them, longed for what they longed, you would also be happy to die for a piece of what Angel had, unless of course you already have it, then you remembered what it felt like to feel that way. The lines were clever, and quick, there were plenty of laughs to be had.
The songs, while some of them have been mocked (such as the title song being mocked in Team America: World Police), most are mini masterpieces. Some have layers, some are simple and straightforward, and other seem to be mostly a mash-up of people's names and random things. My favorite song to listen to is "Christmas Bells", there are so many layers going on, the first time you listen to or see it, it just seems like a cluster-fuck of mess, but the more you listen to it, the more story you understand. My favorite song to see is "La Vie Boheme", which is the random song I mentioned, it's a real treat to see because much like "Christmas Bells" there is a lot going on, but this time most of it is comical.
Which brings me to the choreography and blocking. Most of it is natural to the character, it's something he or she might do in their everyday life, from Mark's awkward dancing to Angel's super bounciness. The one exception, which was done to prove a point, is the police. Their movements are very precise and robot-like.
Now the movie was a separate beast, while it reunited most of the original cast and brought the main ideas of the show to a more mainstream audience, there were still some songs cut out and some scenes changed. While I know this was because the stage production couldn't port directly to screen very well, the movie, for me, in no way a replacement for seeing the show live, onstage with all the energy that goes with it.
All of these things are near and dear to me in regards to the show. And while this may have sounded more like a school report than anything else, it's the best way in which I could express my feelings for Rent in words. Believe me, in my head this all sound a lot better and more eloquent. With that I leave you with these two videos, the first of "Christmas Bells", the second of "La Vie Boheme"
Not my favorite cast, but these are the best I could find.
Christmas Bells:
La Vie Boheme (There is a slight jump or two in this video):
After running through the gambit of emotions, and finishing some housework in the process, I stared wondering: What is it about this particular musical that makes it resonate with me? As much as I love other musicals such as Wicked, Spring Awakening, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, there's just something about Rent that makes me want to see it and listen to it over and over again.
For those not versed in musicals Rent is the story of 20-something friends during 1989-1990 and their complications with life, love, and sicknesses. That's the extremely short version, for something more in depth go here or here.
I'm not sure if it's the fact that I know the behind the scenes story, but Rent just strikes a chord. Most of the songs are beautifully written, and one or two definitely date it as a nineties show. I guess part of me is intrigued because the show technically was never finished, at least by the original playwright, Jonathan Larson, due to his sudden death the night before the off-broadway premiere. Others who had worked closely with him through the years of its creation and workshopping did their best to polish it as they thought he would have before its Broadway opening a few months later.
Another thing that strikes me about the show is the genuineness of the characters. While, the situations (such as this many people with HIV/AIDS bumping into one another and falling in love) may seem a little too coincidental, the characters are genuine, real people. I hear it in the original cast recording, I saw it in the three touring performances I went to see, and I was even fortunate enough to see it in one of the original cast members (Anthony Rapp) when he reprised his role, these actors weren't just portraying a role, a character, they were that person. Every emotion, movement, vocal quiver was genuine and real. The actors had all connected very deeply with these characters they were portraying and the audience could feel it.
The script itself was so well written that you could connect with these characters and feel for them when they lost, or were lost. You cried with them, longed for what they longed, you would also be happy to die for a piece of what Angel had, unless of course you already have it, then you remembered what it felt like to feel that way. The lines were clever, and quick, there were plenty of laughs to be had.
The songs, while some of them have been mocked (such as the title song being mocked in Team America: World Police), most are mini masterpieces. Some have layers, some are simple and straightforward, and other seem to be mostly a mash-up of people's names and random things. My favorite song to listen to is "Christmas Bells", there are so many layers going on, the first time you listen to or see it, it just seems like a cluster-fuck of mess, but the more you listen to it, the more story you understand. My favorite song to see is "La Vie Boheme", which is the random song I mentioned, it's a real treat to see because much like "Christmas Bells" there is a lot going on, but this time most of it is comical.
Which brings me to the choreography and blocking. Most of it is natural to the character, it's something he or she might do in their everyday life, from Mark's awkward dancing to Angel's super bounciness. The one exception, which was done to prove a point, is the police. Their movements are very precise and robot-like.
Now the movie was a separate beast, while it reunited most of the original cast and brought the main ideas of the show to a more mainstream audience, there were still some songs cut out and some scenes changed. While I know this was because the stage production couldn't port directly to screen very well, the movie, for me, in no way a replacement for seeing the show live, onstage with all the energy that goes with it.
All of these things are near and dear to me in regards to the show. And while this may have sounded more like a school report than anything else, it's the best way in which I could express my feelings for Rent in words. Believe me, in my head this all sound a lot better and more eloquent. With that I leave you with these two videos, the first of "Christmas Bells", the second of "La Vie Boheme"
Not my favorite cast, but these are the best I could find.
Christmas Bells:
Click to viewLa Vie Boheme (There is a slight jump or two in this video):