Thoughts on RENT LIVE

Like I did with Jesus Christ Superstar Live, I'll share my thoughts about RENT Live as they happen. It only seems fitting that a live show gets a live response. Depending on how it goes, I'll come back a few days from now and add some reflective thoughts. Then again, maybe not - no day but today, right?




A few pre-show thoughts...

• RENT is special to me for full-on theater geek reasons. I had the privilege of seeing the show within days of it opening, right before it became the sensation it is today.
• The feeling of discovering an art form-changing work is something that reignites my passion for live theater. It is rare and to be savored.
• Looking back on it, it is so amazing to know I saw so many great careers at their start. The cast was full of unknowns, who today are household names.
• I know that to some this is blasphemy, but I love the movie version.

I'm looking forward to seeing this new generation tackle this piece - especially Vanessa Hudgens and Jordan Fisher. Here we go....

ACT ONE

8:00 - The opening graphic of the Jonathan Larson quote was so present, it was humbling. I can't be the only one who got teary. And the goose flesh from head to toe during the opening number. Wow. Just wow.

8:11 - The chemistry between Angel and Tom Collins is palpable. Love them both and can't wait for "Santa Fe." Must read up on Valentina! And isn't Brandon Victor Dixon awesome in these things?

8:13 - I love how the camera spun around when Mimi sings about the room spinning during "Light my Candle."

FIRST COMMERCIAL: So far, so great. The filming is excellent and adds to the experience. And the casting (so far) is spot on. 

8:22 - Brava! "Today 4 U" was off the charts. Get Valentina on Broadway ASAP. (The drawback to these live events is, unfortunately, on display here, though. The screams of the audience often drown out the music and lyrics. I feel for those who don't have the show memorized...)

8:29 - Age appropriate parents for Joanne. A nice touch.

8:30 - I think I have a crush on Mark Jordan Fisher. "Tango Maureen" was such fun and the connection between him and Kiersey Clemons was awesome. "Pookie!"

SECOND COMMERCIAL: So far, this feels like the perfect joining of two mediums. Michael Greif's care with this is beautifully evident.

8:39 - The Life Support meetings always makes me cry. Keala Settle. She just makes everything better, right?

8:42 - "Out Tonight" Tinashe is a fierce presence (even if her breathing gets in the way when she's tired). Love how she transitioned from the Cat Scratch Club to Roger's apartment. (See 2nd Commercial note.)

8:45 - "Another Day" I'm really loving this. Brennin Hunt has an amazing voice, and the chemistry between Roger and Mimi is off the charts.

8:50 - "Will I?" Surely, this song is one of the saddest ever written for the stage. By having it all over the space, it shows the whole community in crisis. Sobering and devastating. The moment of silence before the black out was perfection. I wish I was there to hear it.

THIRD COMMERCIAL: I am breathing again. I haven't felt this connected to RENT since the first time I saw it in 1996. 

The time period factoids in voice over offer much needed context some 23 after the premiere. Where I am, they are showing ads for Truvada. Important and well-placed.

8:56 - Jennifer Leigh Warren. Nice. "Santa Fe" BVD and Valentina continue to amaze with their connection. And I loved the choreography by Sonya Tayeh.

9:01 - Oh. My. God. "I'll Cover You"!  Such joy. (I know I'll be a mess the next time that song happens.)

FOURTH COMMERCIAL: Time to find the Kleenex. Must be prepared.

9:09 - "We're Okay" Nice acting from Kiersey.

9:10 - "Christmas Bells" is one of my favorite numbers. This does not disappoint. Love the "cameo." Bryce Ryness is creepy AF! I love the junkies dancing, and the juxtaposition of the "fancy"Christmas lights over top the decay of the East Village. Vanessa Hudgens' entrance! And that tongue!?

FIFTH COMMERCIAL: I really am loving this. Purposely NOT on social media to hear what others are saying. I'm enjoying it completely on my own terms.

9:20 - I predict people will love or hate "Over the Moon." Either way, you can't say Vanessa didn't bring it. What a set of pipes!

9:27 - "La Vie Boheme" - a true do or die moment for this show. Mucho masturbation... well done, Fox! Lesbian kisses in close up. Take that, conservatives... Kudos to Mario for being a strong presence. "I Should Tell You" - Great, dramatic special effect. Beautiful.

Goose bumps.

SIXTH COMMERCIAL: They hinted at the start, that Act Two was being re-worked to accommodate Brennin Hunt's injury. Hoping the energy is off the charts!

ACT TWO

9:43 - "Seasons of Love" is powerful as a community piece. Keala Settle does not disappoint.

9:47 - "Happy New Year" say what you want about Disney stars... but wow...

SEVENTH COMMERCIAL: I will say that I've always felt that the first few minutes after "Seasons of Love" always feel messy to me, and this production did not change that. There is one section that reminds me of Sondheim's influence on Larson - specifically, it reminds me of "Your Fault" from Into the Woods. Interesting, too, that this Maureen seems to be an influencer on one level, and a girl desperately chasing after being noticed.

9:59 - "Take Me Or Leave Me" That was intense. I can see why Vanessa got the job.

10:05 - "Without You" My favorite song of the whole score. Excellent staging that feels both theatrical and cinematic. BVD and Valentina wordlessly express so much.

EIGHTH COMMERCIAL: Need more tissues...

10:14 - "Contact" My jaw is still on the floor. They. Did. It. BRAVO!

10:20 - "I'll Cover You" Is this the definitive version?

NINTH COMMERCIAL: I am just sitting here... I'm crying noisily.

10:27 - "Halloween" Nice touch to have a flyer for the Moondance Diner on the phone booth.

10:29 - "Goodbye, Love" The lead up to the song - so much emotion... another messy moment in the score for me. But they are performing the hell out of it. And the song, too.

10:36 - "What You Own" I don't like the way this is staged. The audience takes me right out of the moment. Despite the audience intrusion, both Fisher and Hunt sing the hell out of this song. And the ending amazes.

TENTH COMMERCIAL: Am I the only one wondering when the point is that he broke his foot? It has to be coming up.

10:45 - Well that was my answer...

"Your Eyes/Finale" - The extra orchestration is lovely here.  It elevates the song and the moment. Hunt sings it gorgeously. His "Mimi!!!!" is a stunning guttural cry.

The ending... un-fucking-believeable... Jonathan Larson. Thank you.

10:56 - The Original Cast!!! So wonderful.

The orchestra did an amazing playoff.

Grade: A+

#1993

The Friday 5: A 5 Question Broadway Quiz

It's Friday and it's time for some fun! We haven't done a quiz of any kind in years, so today's Friday 5 is remedying that! These 5 questions are all about people and shows of the 2018 - 2019 Broadway Season. Look for the answers next Friday! Enjoy the quiz!

THE FRIDAY 5

2018 - 2019 (So Far) Broadway Quiz

1. Which musical to open so far this season does not feature a leading lady making her Broadway debut?

a. King Kong
b. Head Over Heels
c. Pretty Woman
d. The Cher Show

2. Which actress will be opening in a show this season for the third consecutive time at the same Broadway theater?

a. Jane Houdyshell
b. Condola Rashad
c. Glenda Jackson
d. Laurie Metcalf

3. This season is unique in that the first play to win the Best Play Tony and the first musical to win the Best Musical Tony are both being revived. They are:

a. All My Sons and Oklahoma!
b. King Lear and Oklahoma!
c. All My Sons and Kiss Me, Kate
d. King Lear and Kiss Me, Kate

4. Kevin Adams, lighting designer for The Cher Show, also designed the lights for all of these except:

a. Head Over Heels
b. On Your Feet!
c. SpongeBob SquarePants
d. American Idiot

5. How many new musicals currently listed for the 2018-2019 Broadway season are not based on pre-existing source material?

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 5

#1992

#TBT: 1964 OBCR: Anyone Can Whistle

Haven't talked much about the great Stephen Sondheim in awhile, and I've really missed his work. I've seen productions of all but four of his shows; only Saturday Night, The Frogs, Do I Hear a Waltz?, and Anyone Can Whistle stand between me and the "complete Sondheim Collection." But any true Sondheim fan will tell you, you don't have to have seen the show to appreciate his work.  That is certainly the case with Whistle, which has one of my favorite scores, and contains a few of my favorite songs from his entire catalog. So, today, I turn back the clock and share my thoughts about the Original Broadway Cast Recording from 1964.

Seven years after West Side Story, just two seasons post-Forum (his first solo effort), and six years before his golden age began with Company, this show looked great on paper - Sondheim was fresh off a hit show, the book and direction were by the legendary Arthur Laurents, and the design team had William and Jean Eckart (sets), Theoni V. Aldredge (costumes) and Jules Fisher (lighting), all masters in their fields. The amazing orchestrations are by one of the greatest of all time, Don Walker. (Look up his credits - you will be in awe!) On the other hand, the three leads, Harry Guardino, Lee Remick and Angela Lansbury, were already established Broadway actors, but all three were making their musical debuts with this show. History, of course, shows that all three went on to big careers on stage and screen. But in 1964, it was a fair gamble to have their names above the title.

Angela Lansbury as Cora Hoover Hooper

Turns out the biggest gamble was the show itself. An odd story, that included a scene where the lights went out and came up on the cast sitting in theater seats watching the audience, probably didn't cause great word of mouth. And the score, which today we'd say is typical Sondheim, was probably hard for audiences who were in love with Hello, Dolly!, which opened directly across the street a few months earlier. Today, we say things like, "it was ahead of its time."

Harry Guardino as J. Bowden Hapgood
Lee Remick as Nurse Fay Apple

My favorite songs include the great overture, the sharp "Me and My Town," the sweet, sad "Anyone Can Whistle," the rueful "Parade in Town," and the catchy, reflective "Everybody Says Don't." And I would kill to see "Simple" fully staged. It goes without saying that I love every single second that Ms. Lansbury is heard, and Ms. Remick offers a dramatic turn throughout. Aside from Lansbury, only Mr. Guardino appeared in another musical (Kander and Ebb's Woman of the Year), and here shows why it is a shame he didn't do more musicals.

Revisiting the CD for this column has put Anyone Can Whistle back in my show tunes rotation. Sometimes, I also play the more complete concert version. Both are terrific, but there is something to be said about the original. Here's hoping a good show doctor and/or director can put this tale of fake news, hypocritical religion, corrupt government, and mass insanity on the stage. Sounds remarkably relevant to me.

A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT ANYONE CAN WHISTLE...

• It is Sondheim's shortest running Broadway shows with just 12 previews and 9 performances.
• Aside from special presentations, it is the shortest running musical to ever play the Majestic Theatre.
• The show opened April 4, 1964 and closed April 11, 1964.
• The show did receive 1 Tony Award nomination - for Herbert Ross' choreography.
• The show was performed in three acts.
• The cast included some of Broadway's greatest ensemblists, including Harvey Evans, Arnold Soboloff, Peg Murray, Barbara Lang and Patricia "Pat" Kelly. Collectively, they have appeared in just about every golden age musical.

More pictures from the 1964 production:

#1991

Around the World in 80 Musicals: Part V: The Middle East and Africa

Today our world tour continues to the Dark Continent and the desert region, with stops in 7 countries. This week's adventure covers 10 more musicals - some are blockbusters, others critically acclaimed award-winning shows. On this leg of our journey, we'll discover the wonders of genies, pharaohs, dream coats, and the single most influential person in the history of mankind. Rub that magic lamp, and hop aboard your flying carpet - off we go!

The data comes from The Playbill Vault and Internet Broadway Database, and details the original Broadway production. Many of the shows take place in multiple countries, but (for the most part) we include them under their primary setting. In limiting it to 80 shows, obviously some favorites are going to be left out. We'd love to hear from you with your favorites that we missed.

Around the World in 80 Musicals

Stop Five: Africa and the Middle East: 
Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Iraq

AFRICA

NIGERIA

Fela!

1. Fela! - Setting: Lagos, Nigeria (2009, 463 performances, Eugene O'Neill Theatre)

UGANDA

The Book of Mormon

2. The Book of Mormon - Setting: Uganda (2011, 3,280 performances*, Eugene O'Neill Theatre)

KENYA

The Lion King

3. The Lion King - Setting: Kenya (1997, 8,828 performances*, New Amsterdam Theatre)

SOUTH AFRICA

Sarafina!

4. Sarafina! - Setting: Soweto, South Africa, 1976 (1988, 597 performances, Cort Theatre)

THE MIDDLE EAST

EGYPT

Aida

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

5. Aida - Setting: Egypt (2000, 1,852 performances, Palace Theatre)

6. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Setting: Egypt (1982, 747 performances, Royale Theatre)

ISRAEL

 

Jesus Christ Superstar

The Band's Visit

7. Jesus Christ Superstar - Setting: Bethany, Jerusalem, Gethsemane, Gologtha (1971, 711 performances, Mark Hellinger Theatre)

8. The Band's Visit - Setting: Bet Hatikva, Israel (2017, 504 performances*, Ethel Barrymore Theatre)

IRAQ

Kismet

Aladdin

9. Kismet - Setting: Baghdad, Iraq (1953, 583 performances, Ziegfeld Theatre)
10. Aladdin - Setting: Iraq, The Arabian Peninsula (2014, 2,033 performances, New Amsterdam Theatre)

* - as of 1/23/19

Visit the rest of this world tour:

Part I - The United Kingdom and Ireland HERE

Part II - France, Spain, Portugal HERE

Part III - The Rest of Europe HERE

Part IV - Asia and Oceania HERE

#1990

Standing at Zero: Pretty Woman's Alex Michael Stoll (Possibly NSFW)

Over the past year, we've been taking note of your requests and suggestions for improving this site, and we are listening. The two biggest requests have been to highlight ensemble members and to bring back the beefcake. So we figured why not combine them both!? Each month in 2019, we will feature an ensemble member from a currently running show.  So, why "Standing at Zero"? You know the numbers across the front of the stage? Zero is center, and we are putting one performer front and center. 

Standing at Zero

Pretty Woman's 

Alex Michael Stoll

For our first feature, we picked Alex Michael Stoll.  His credits include: West Side Story, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Evita, If/Then, American Psycho (Legacy Robe recipient), and, now, Pretty Woman.

Pretty Woman

West Side Story (right)

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

American Psycho Hamptons beach party (orange trunks) 

 American Psycho workout (far left)

Broadway Style Guide: American Psycho photo shoot

We would love to hear who you'd like to see in future months - the only guidelines are that he must be in a show currently on Broadway, and he must be in the ensemble. Leave us a comment below, send us an email at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet us (@jkstheatrescene).

#1989