YAY! I finally got to see my musical! The sad thing was, it hasn't even been out a full month or so, and it's already only in one theater in the area
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My love for it grew exponentially the second and third times I saw it, after I got over the song cuts (Incidentally, there are two more songs on the CD than in the film, so I wonder if they'll pop up as deleted scenes on the DVD or a director's cut), particularly the big "And it's beginning to snow..." number, which is one of my favorites on stage. I still would have preferred the entire score be sung, as in the play. But there is so much to love...and what is there looks and sounds absolutely fantastic. I loved most of the staging and choreography of the musical numbers better than on stage. For example, I loved in "La Vie Boheme," where they all start rocking Mark like a baby during the "celebrate the birth" part. And the dancing on the poles in the subway in "Santa Fe." And the room full of tango dancers in "Tango: Maureen." And Mimi's number at the Kit Kat Klub, etc. etc. Chris Columbus really did a marvellous job of opening up the world of the show to the various exterior locations. And seeing the original cast was fantastic, and
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I loved that Rent was a real musical, with none of the it's-all-in-her-head tricks of the Chicago movie. The first time Mark opens his mouth and sings on the bicycle, it is jarring, but at some point, as it progresses, it seems so natural to see the characters singing their thoughts that it doesn't seem as if they should be expressing themselves any other way. And that's what makes it such a great musical.
I don't mind either, and I like the stage tricks of Chicago, especially given that on stage, it's even more staged and surreal. It was rather odd seeing Mark singing on the bike the first time, but it really worked at the end.
On the other hand, I adore the meta-ness of other musicals and the staging and the way people arrange them, so both work for me!
Oh, yes, I definitely agree that the meta framework worked perfectly for Chicago, particularly since I had no clue how they would ever put it on film when I first heard about the movie, because it's such a stagey seemingly uncinematic show. And I thought they did a great job. At the same time, though, I just think it's really neat that Hollywood is still willing to make a movie musical where there's no explanation for why the characters are singing. The audience just has to accept it and move on (or not, I guess!), especially since a number of reviews when Chicago came out wondered if a "traditional" musical was possible on film today. Heh, not that Rent is exactly "traditional" in subject matter!
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On the other hand, I adore the meta-ness of other musicals and the staging and the way people arrange them, so both work for me!
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