Rent Live!
[Devin Dayley]
Year: 2019
Stars:
Vanessa Hudgens
Keala Settle
Kiersey Clemons
General Summary:
A group of 20 somethings, in New York City, during the 1990’s, try to survive and thrive while some in the group suffer from AIDS during the rise of the AIDS epidemic.
Review:
*First of all, this was a recording from the day before, because one of the leads broke his foot. It was a recording and not live until the end when the last voicemail is uttered and the finales are sung.*
I thought it was fine. It was fine, not great but not bad. Let’s talk about it. We will start with the outside and work our way inside, start with the show, in general, then work our way into the details of the show.
The story, I think, is great. I think it’s an important story that needs to be told and heard by everyone. The way this musical was shown, though, I have a problem with. I felt like for the first half of the telecast, it was like “BAM! You already love this musical and here is the musical performed so you can ogle at it!”
I watched this not having heard the music of “Rent” before and never having seen the show before. So, for the first half, I felt kind of lost and like I didn’t really know what I was watching. The second half was better in that regard, though. The set was too big, I thought. I get the giant set thing worked for “Jesus Christ Superstar” but this musical is about people in New York City. People in New York City, generally, lead small lives in comparison to what’s around them. The set’s, therefore, should have been smaller and more intimate.
The cast did a fine job. To me, Vanessa Hudgens, Jordan Fisher, and Brandon Victor Dixon were the standouts. They are not newbies to the world of live musical TV movies either. Hudgens and Fisher were in Grease Live and Dixon was in Jesus Christ Superstar Live. All three of them acted with their bodies, not just their faces, and did beautiful singing.
People love this musical, I mean LOVE this musical. I never understood why people loved it so much but I am definitely intrigued more rather than turned off by watching this musical and will go listen to the official Broadway cast recording now.
I will rate this telling of a Broadway musical a 6.8/10. Like I said, good but not great.
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