For some reason (actually I know the reason) I've been connecting to my musical theater roots a lot lately. It culminated in my current activity, watching the filmed live closing night DVD of Rent.
As a pre HSM post Chicago era high school actor there are very few things more special to me than the music and experience of Rent. The 2005 movie version was good, if only because it introduced the world to Tracy Thoms and let Jesse Martin be seen for what he is beyond his Law and Order role...but it was such a fraction of Rent's power....there's nothing like actually sitting in the Nederlander, hearing the music and crying your eyes out...but somewhere in between the slick cleaned up movie version and the real thing, sits this DVD.
I saw Rent live on stage 3 times. Each experience was unique. The first was with my older brother, as my 16th birthday present. Mike and I hadn't been getting along (not much of a shock) but all was forgiven for the night. The second was with my mother, sister and the friends I grew up with. I've mostly grown apart from these friends but it's nice to know that I had that experience with them. The 3rd and final time was the most special. A few summers ago Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, the original Mark and Roger came back to Broadway for a limited engagement. My friend Deanna and I, mostly past our theater geek obsessiveness decided to meet up and try our hand at the lottery. See, at 5 o'clock before every performance most shows do a lottery for cheap tickets. Rent started the practice. Deanna and I got ours, and I remembered for at least that night why I was so obsessed with Rent.
The energy and emotion of the show are like nothing else. The only thing I've ever experienced close to it was In The Heights.
As for this performance, it sits somewhere in the middle too. I'm grateful that I've now seen Eden Espinosa's Maureen. I've thought she was a superior singer to Idina Menzel for years (Honestly, Brooklyn had its flaws, her vocals was not one of them) and Will Chase's Roger is really good too. My problem falls with Adam Kantor as Mark. Anthony Rapp's Mark is the icon, and Matt Caplan is the one that I saw first and always used as a measuring stick. Kantor's performance falls somewhere in between Rapp's manic interpretation and Caplan's straight sarcasm. It's always what I pictures Neil Patrick Harris's version to be like, only still lacking something.
Overall, I highly recomend checking this DVD out if you're a Rent fan, or if you're someone who only saw the movie and didn't understand what all the fuss was about...I know quite a few people who felt that way.
2 comments:
I WAS THERE WHEN YOU DISCOVERED THIS.
you almost cried.
Everyone should be forced to see Rent. The first time I saw the movie i had to pause it when i heard Jesse L Martin sing, i was blown away. Rent is my 2nd favourite movie, it's brilliant. it made me wish my life was a musical.
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