RENT!!!

[Blogger's Note: I can't believe I've waited so long to publish this... I must be slipping...]

Today's Special: WINE AND BEER!!

First off, let's flash back to Winter Quarter 2006. Five college students all live in the same dorm, all hang out constantly, and are all obsessed with the songs from the musical Rent. They sing those songs when they're out walking at night, when they're sitting together in the lounge, when they're having their girls' nights... basically, all the time.

Now, flash forward to a week ago, when three of those obsessed Rent-heads got a chance to see the BROADWAY TOURING SHOW LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT, starring ANTHONY RAPP AND ADAM PASCAL.

(For those not in the know, Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal originated the roles of Mark and Roger, respectively, on Broadway and starred in the movie version of the musical. Short of seeing the entire original cast, watching these two actors play the roles they originated is the Holy Grail for true Rent fans.)

Before I get into the show itself, let me tell you a bit about the Paramount. It is, by far, the MOST AWESOME theatre I have ever been in. Besides being HUGE, the theatre is incredibly ornate; it seemed that there were chandeliers and decorations everywhere I looked. For the first five minutes I was there, all I could do was look around me in awe.

The show itself was awesome as well. The musical uses a lot more symbolism and theatricality than the movie did. The sets were suggestive more than specific, and any one set piece could be used for many different things and places. The lighting was inventive too: in "One Song Glory," spotlights cast giant shadows of Adam Pascal on the back wall.

In terms of the cast, I thought they were all pretty good. My favorite was Anthony Rapp's Mark, of course, but I also liked Angel. Benny was more of an ass than the Taye Diggs version, but that suited the character; as much as I love Taye Diggs, I think he's too nice to play Benny.

All in all, I absolutely LOVED seeing the show live. There's something different and special about live theatre; it affects you in a very direct, very present, very real way. Things I loved experiencing live: "Moo-ing" with Maureen, La Vie Boheme, Light My Candle, and Life Support.