New York's gay/artistic community is devastated by AIDS and gentrification. They all find love anyway.
People who should see this show:
People who love Rent. You know you will anyway, no matter if it's good or bad.
And it's both. Ryan Mooney has directed a low-budget version that's fairly true to what we're all familiar with. It's interesting to see the show in a smaller venue, and the band isn't bad. Some effects (Maureen's entrance, for example) are compromised, but otherwise the direction is fine, although it tends to fall apart toward the end ("What You Own" was a badly carried-out pseudo-original version).
Most of the cast is terrific, and the ensemble vocal work is very good.
The problem is the leads. Craig Decarlo has a fine voice, but he seems to think he's on the movie soundtrack rather than in a small theatre. That is, he has memorized every nuance of the original Roger's performance without adding in anything of his own, and he's just not acting. At all. Christine Quintana as Mimi was worse. Much worse. When she first came out and I heard her croak out "Light my Candle", I thought "clearly she's not a singer" -- her one good note was so overpowering her mic couldn't pick it up -- "Well, she'll be a terrific actor, then." By the time it became clear that her acting was only slightly more inspired than DeCarlo's, I decided "her dancing must be phenomenal -- Mimi should be a good dancer. That's why they cast her." Wrong again. "Out Tonight," Mimi's big dance number, was embarrassing to watch. She clearly did not feel comfortable on stage, making the audience feel uncomfortable as well. By the second act, watching the two of them on stage was making me cringe.
Which is a pity, because the ensemble was generally great. Question: why not cast the "Seasons of Love" soloist as Mimi? She was excellent, both as a singer and an actor.
Don't see this if you've never seen Rent before or aren't a fan; you won't enjoy it. If you're hardcore, you've already got tickets. If you're undecided, you might as well go. Plays Until August 30.
Some Highlights:
Jaqueline Breakwall's Maureen: inspired. Well sung, well acted, a joy to watch. "Take me or Leave me" with Jenn Suratos was fantastic
Cesar Erba's Angel: beautiful voice and touching performance
Anton Lipovetsky's Mark: engaging and earnest, with excellent comic timing
Nick Fontaine's Tom Collins: wonderful voice
Cathy Wilmot's solo: Amazing, and her work in small ensemble parts showed she could act as well
Rielle Braid's Alexi Darling: funny, oddly realistic, and a great voice
5 comments:
I couldn't disagree with this review more. You are either an awful person, or are clearly deaf and blind.
Are you a total idiot or just a minor one?
What was comprimised in Maureen's entrance?
Mimi is a 19 year old heroin addicted junkie stripping in a lower east side bar? Why shoudl she be good?
Quintana is a stellar fucking singer. You are a two bit idiot reviewer who won't even sign their own name to a review.
Moron.
Hey anonymous...his name is at the bottom of his post.
I saw Rent too and I saw the woman playing Joanne holding a mike stand and a light of some sort for Maureen's entrance...therefore compromised.
Also Quintana was not good period, end of discussion. You have to be a good actor to play a strung out bad performer, she was not good. Period, did I say that already? Well I mean it this time. This review is on point.
Your truly
J. Martin
Yeah, I agree that this review was poorly written and incredibly inacurate. The seasons of love soloist should have played mimi???... Just because she's an incredible singer, DOESN'T mean she's right for the part. I would love to know who write this and what their "qualifications" are as a reviewer as well as someone who knows anything about acting/performing.
Wow -they really get all worked up, don't they? I love you and I think you were probably bang on, although I'm not a big fan of Rent and had no particular interest in seeing the show, so I didn't. I have, however, always thought you were a pretty good observer and judge of skills. (Of course you always thought I was pretty awesome, so that might have something to do with it! ;))
Julia P
Post a Comment