I disagree. I show the movie in my theatre class and the students LOvE it. Current college students who have mostly never seen a play before. It's still relevant, if a little dated. The 90s are back anyway.
Okay, that Benny piece was funny as shit but now I'm pissed because I just realized that people are criticizing Rent because "we're not gonna pay rent" isn't something you say in real life.
THIS IS AN ARGUMENT?!
This wasn't a problem when we were singing with opera ghosts or marrying Vietnamese refugees after one night together or conducting experiments to turn into literal monsters?
It may be a little more "slice of life", but it's still a musical FFS.
I will never ever ever not love Rent. Nope. I remember being 15 and sitting on my couch doing math homework with the Tony's playing on the background when La Vie Boheme came on. It was the greatest thing ever and the next time I went to the bookstore I bought the CD's. And the sheet music. I had the whole thing memorized in less than a week (so did my mom, because I had it on 24/7 repeat, lol), and transposed into b-flat so I could play it on the trumpet.
I went to NYC in 2000 for the sole purpose of taking my GF to see it and eat at the Life Cafe after (still have the matchbook from there! and the tickets of course!). It was perfection. I don't care how dated somebody thinks it was, it played a pivotal role in my own self-acceptance.
I don't even know where to post an intro here! I was on TK/TN/TB since 2003, mostly local boards. I was m_and_m.
"I speak without reservation from what I know and who I am. I do so with the understanding that all people should have the right to offer their voice to the chorus whether the result is harmony or dissonance. The worldsong is a colorless dirge without the differences that distinguish us, and it is that difference that should be celebrated not condemned." -Ani Difranco
Still love it. I have seen it more times than I can count. When Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp reprised their roles of Roger and Mark a few years ago for a national tour it basically made my life.
Does it hold up over time? No, but that's okay. It changed broadway and it will always have a place in my heart.
Oddly enough, I was playing the soundtrack last night. I rarely do, but something got 'take me, or leave me" started in my head and I needed to hear it all.
Any who. Rent was EVERYTHING to me when I was 16. My dad had just been diagnosed with full blown AIDS and it felt like something I could relate to. One Song Glory was my jam, oh teenage melancholy.
I saw it every chance I got. My sister and I used to cut class and enter the $20 dollar lottery. We were badasses, lol.
Do that many people consider Rent a joke now? I was following the hashtag on Twitter because I follow a number of theater people and it seems like everyone still loves it.
But like pp said it's almost like a period piece now. It's showing you how the world was at a particular point. Like Les Mis or The King and I almost.
Do that many people consider Rent a joke now? I was following the hashtag on Twitter because I follow a number of theater people and it seems like everyone still loves it.
But like pp said it's almost like a period piece now. It's showing you how the world was at a particular point. Like Les Mis or The King and I almost.
In the original article, that part (it being considered a joke) was linked to the Team America clip.
Do that many people consider Rent a joke now? I was following the hashtag on Twitter because I follow a number of theater people and it seems like everyone still loves it.
But like pp said it's almost like a period piece now. It's showing you how the world was at a particular point. Like Les Mis or The King and I almost.
In the original article, that part (it being considered a joke) was linked to the Team America clip.
Ah, reading fail, I missed that. Thanks
I guess I was thinking as it being a joke to the world as a whole kind of thing.
Okay, that Benny piece was funny as shit but now I'm pissed because I just realized that people are criticizing Rent because "we're not gonna pay rent" isn't something you say in real life.
THIS IS AN ARGUMENT?!
This wasn't a problem when we were singing with opera ghosts or marrying Vietnamese refugees after one night together or conducting experiments to turn into literal monsters?
It may be a little more "slice of life", but it's still a musical FFS.
No but I do think certain shows and movies more than others are asking us to relate to circumstances and emotions more so than others. Rent is one of those shows.
And I cannot fathom nor relate to living up in someone's property for a full year, saying I ain't paying rent, yo! I'm too busy being a starving artist. I do not care what color you are, your sexual orientation, or your HIV status. That is not the show for me, no thank you. Mostly because I feel like anyone doing all of that is a selfish and/or self involved asshole and I'm going to find it increasingly difficult to look past all that self involved fuckery to have any sort of sympathy for you.
All of this and more is why I relegate Rent to "stuff white people like."
I already know minorities and such in real life. I don't need these ones in particular to open up that particular viewpoint of my life.
In the original article, that part (it being considered a joke) was linked to the Team America clip.
Ah, reading fail, I missed that. Thanks
I guess I was thinking as it being a joke to the world as a whole kind of thing.
I think anything that so embodies a particular cultural moment can easily become a punchline - it's ripe for parody.
I've ended up going back and watching clips on YouTube and I had forgotten how much I love some of these songs.
I was going to say that it seems dated because the story is so particular to a specific time and place, as opposed to a timeless kind of story, but that's really not true, given that the story itself comes from a 120 year old opera!
Post by imobviouslystaying on Apr 30, 2016 14:07:18 GMT -5
FWIW, I don't care who likes Rent. I don't find it offensive. I'm not mad people love it. Keep on keeping on.
But that show has never held any sort of appeal to me. I do think it was fresh and unique for the time. And I think it does and continues to appeal to those who are perhaps more limited in their exposure to minorities and marginalized populations.
So I think it's strange that the general consensus is that because you love Rent that anything this dude says about it is garbage. It can be true or parts of it true and you still love the shit out of it.
I mean I love the fuck out of Clueless and that's not exactly timeless either and feels hella dated, even if it is based on some classic literature and should be loved by the masses FOR ALL AGES.
Do that many people consider Rent a joke now? I was following the hashtag on Twitter because I follow a number of theater people and it seems like everyone still loves it.
But like pp said it's almost like a period piece now. It's showing you how the world was at a particular point. Like Les Mis or The King and I almost.
In the original article, that part (it being considered a joke) was linked to the Team America clip.
That's such a ridiculous example: Trey & Matt make fun of every damn thing. They even make fun of Les Mis.
In 20 years I'll still think Book of Mormon, Rent, and Les Mis are awesome.
Post by scribellesam on Apr 30, 2016 18:54:35 GMT -5
I've always loved this musical, especially since the first time I saw it, I saw NPH as Mark in a touring production. I've always been annoyed by the fact that Benny the "villain" is actually a pretty reasonable human being but the music is awesome! What can I say I'm a child of the 90s.