Whatsonstage.com Discussion Board: Rent: Not So Bad!!! - Whatsonstage.com Discussion Board

After reading review after review panning this version of the show, i refused to go and see it, no way was i ruining the idea i had of it after watching the film which was so well done, however on friday night, with no avenue q tickets we head for rent for £20 rear of the stalls.

Entering the theatre we sat down in our seats and litteraly at the back of the stalls, brick wall behind us and everything (slightly annoyed we were sold these from Tkts saying not restricted but a GOOD view!) Here anyway we had a view of the open stage, no suprise because this is what dissapointed so many that it looked more manhatten chic than tent city. OK, im here for the performance not just a stage, so after being upgraded by a lovely steward we watched the show from 8 rows back, full view, almost centre!

Show started and wow, will i? and seasons of love blew me away! Shivers down my spine and everything, fantastic!! Mark and Roger we up first, noticed they had cut some singing, Mark (played by a great understudy) was now very english and a bit sexed up, ok it didn't effect the plot and so i didn't worry about it (this is Rent: Remixed not Rent). Roger, FANTASTIC!!!! Voice was amazig, one of the strongest ive heard from a west end male and his character hadn't changed at all.

Now for the worst... Mimi, she awkwardly made her way through Light my candle, this lady is not an actress and did not sig this song well either! Out tonight, whilst changed grew on me once it got going, and she was much better in this song, maybe she found this easier to sing, but still not as good as the original. Seemed to have the same two poses all the way through.She, whilst not being awful all the way through, she was the weakest of the cast.

Joanne was played by the understudy, and was also very good, take me or leave me she did fantastic.

Collins played by the understudy (a round of D and V going around the cast maybe?) was excellent, played in rent in the us and was a fantastic collins voice was superb.

Angel, again this character had changed, he was now a more clubby gay man, but a superb actor, singer and dancer, but i did develop more of an attachment to the angel in the film, where as remixed angel's death scene was ruined by s & m people coming on and doing something very weird and probably last seen at a kylie minogue concert.

Lastly, the celebrity taking over from DYO in the celebrity role, coming on at the end of the first act, jessie wallace as maureen was AWESOME! Over the moon was hilairious, her singing voice which was last heard in Marie LLoyd, had developed beautifully and her portrayal of maureen was great, very similar to the us maureen. I hope we see alot more of JW in the west end!

Music was great, let down by new years which the accompaniment had obviously been stolen from one of Kylies songs, i just couldn't think which, and the needless club base that found its way into other songs, however the unaffected songs were equal to anything else.

Set, lighting and costume let the show down, lighting seemed to come on every song as if it was a pop concert, set was to chic for poor and the things mimi were wearing was completly unacceptable for a junkie, at one point she had a long white dress im sure she knicked from kylie! Accents i overlooked because there are londoners in the us as there are americans over here and wasn't detrimental, where as a chic appartment really made it hard to imagine there poverty.

Highlights:

Jessie wallace
La Vie Boheme
Seasons of LOve
Take me or leave me
Roger

Lows:

Mimi
Costume designer
Set designer
Out tonight
Light my candle (one of my favourite songs spoiled by SD)

Overall, i would pay to see this again, and under the right direction (the director seems to think its a pop concert and not understand anything about the show) i feel it could be made near perfect. Id recoment this for people as an introduction to Rent, whilst the original is more superior, this is still very good (id star it more than spamalot which was dire) and an excellent night out, i think it is affected far to much by rent fans hating it because its different, no one really likes change do we!?

6/10