It's kinda sad that my favorite theater production has closed on Broadway after a 12-year run, even if I would never have gone and watched it there anyway. This movie was the final performance, captured on film.
I think it's unavoidable that I would draw comparisons between this cast and the casts of the touring troupe I watched in Singapore and the original cast whose album I've played over and over. And also unavoidable that I would think this cast doesn't quite compare, simply because it's a much more spiritual experience to watch Rent live, and because I'm so familiar with the original cast recording.
Most of the cast I was fine with, but I thought Renee Goldsberry, who played Mimi, was a bit too feral and not vulnerable enough, and Justin Johnston, who played Angel, wasn't feminine enough. There was also a bit too much energy in the air, which is understandable, since it was the last performance, but while it worked for the faster numbers, it made the emotional scenes a bit too dramatic.
But I quibble, the actors perform well and the director knows the production intimately enough to have the cameras capture all the right angles to best highlight each scene. And this is Rent - I went through the same emotional roller-coaster as when I first watched it. And while this isn't quite the same as watching it live, it comes pretty darn close. Everyone should watch this.
I think it's unavoidable that I would draw comparisons between this cast and the casts of the touring troupe I watched in Singapore and the original cast whose album I've played over and over. And also unavoidable that I would think this cast doesn't quite compare, simply because it's a much more spiritual experience to watch Rent live, and because I'm so familiar with the original cast recording.
Most of the cast I was fine with, but I thought Renee Goldsberry, who played Mimi, was a bit too feral and not vulnerable enough, and Justin Johnston, who played Angel, wasn't feminine enough. There was also a bit too much energy in the air, which is understandable, since it was the last performance, but while it worked for the faster numbers, it made the emotional scenes a bit too dramatic.
But I quibble, the actors perform well and the director knows the production intimately enough to have the cameras capture all the right angles to best highlight each scene. And this is Rent - I went through the same emotional roller-coaster as when I first watched it. And while this isn't quite the same as watching it live, it comes pretty darn close. Everyone should watch this.