RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#0RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 1:54pm
Well, I am back! I will post about my weekend on the o/t board soon. Here is my review on RENT...it is my 1st one (
) so bare with me.
They announced that Mel B will not go on due to inflamed vocal chords, so I saw Karime Alers.
NOTE: Have seen the show twice before on tour
Mark Caplain was awesome...the best Mark I have seen! He made the role a lot more comedic, which I think it should be. He also had a great voice.
Jeremy Kushnier was also great. Once again, he had to be the best Roger I have seen. He could actually sing, unlike some of the tour Rogers, which obviously made a huge difference. When Roger was mad or frustrated, Jeremy sure made the audience know. He did an excellent job.
Andy Senor let me down. I thought he was AWFUL and I hardly say that. It seemed like he missed line cues, he was way too quiet, his voice was way to low, he spoke most of the songs, no comedy, etc. I did not enjoy his performance at all.
Karime Alers was AMAZING! She proves that u/s can be just as good. Her voice was pleasing to the ears, she was pleasing to the eyes. She portrayed Mimi very well.
Mark Richard Ford was OK in the 1st act. He really showed off in the 2nd act. His I'll Cover You reprise was breathtaking.
Maggie Benjamine was hilarious. I have never seen a Maureen leave her ass out so long, lol. It was a whole 10 seconds! She was shaking it and all that. Her Over the Moon was excellent. The best I have seen. She can belt very well!
Danielle Lee Greaves was a wonderful Joanne. Great actress, great singer...that is all I can say. When her and Maggie sang Take Me or Leave Me...I was litterly BLOWN AWAY! They both belted that song like crazy!
D'Monroe was good. Did not stand out really.
The ensemble was good, also. The whole cast had a lot of energy and put on an excellent show!!
Since I was with a huge group, I could not go to the stage door. So, I purchased a signed playbill for BC/EFA.
CCM '10!
DAME
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/15/04
#1re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 3:27pm
Bwaytheater,
Whats your icon from?
HUSSY POWER!
------ HUSSY POWER!
GirlfriendFromCanada
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/7/03
#2re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 3:57pmJust a note, Karmine Alers was Mimi on Broadway for more than a year. No need to get into the politics of why she no longer is, but that would explain why she is so amazing. She really is incredible. Not to mention that I'm a big fan of understudies and I always love when they shine, no matter what the show.
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#3re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 4:11pmYes, why not bring HER back? It is all about money anymore, not talent.
CCM '10!
#4re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 5:27pm
That was a great review!
Yes- Karmine is amazing. I saw her as Mimi when she played Mimi back in December of 'O2, then saw Krystal Washington, and, in my opinion, Karmine was just so much more amazing. And I definately agree- Matt Caplan is the best Mark ever!
I have my books and my poetry to protect me...
#5re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 5:55pmI adored every member of the OBC in their roles, but I think Matt Caplan is the best Mark for me. He doesn't play Mark, he IS Mark. He is so believable and just slips into the role so easily...I forget he's acting.
GirlfriendFromCanada
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/7/03
#6re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 6:04pm
So does he, sometimes, it seems.
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#7re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 6:26pmYes, I felt the same way. Matt IS Mark. Does anyone agree with me on Andy? Also, does Maggie usually leave her ass out that long? lol
CCM '10!
#8re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 6:53pmYou know what I think is so cool? Matt Caplan was the Mark u/s for the very first tour of RENT I saw, and look where he is now. I just love that!
"The stage is where I live and come alive and act out all the things that go on in my life. It's not just what I do for a living, it's my shrink and my love affair. No one in my life has ever or ever will kiss me on the mouth like this lover called my relationship with my performance."
StraightToHeaven
Featured Actor Joined: 10/19/03
#9re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 7:00pm
Matt is amazing. I would love it if he shrank a bit so he could play Boq in Wicked though.
I saw Andy Senor last June and I thought he was alright. I've seen all three of the Angel understudies as well and I think two of them are better than Andy Senor and the other I don't have much recolection of because it was a long time ago.
I am so jealous you got to see Karmine Alers! I saw her 2 years ago, the first time I saw the show, and she's the only part of the show I really remember because she was such a standout. I unfortunately havn't seen her sinse.
TheGirlinTheFrock
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/26/04
#10re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 7:32pmI actually liked Andy but i wasnt blown away. My only complaint would be that he was very out of breath after Today for you, but who wouldnt be?
Though scattered and divided we are still its heart...AIDA SEPTEMBER 5th, 2004...one more longing backward glance...
I AM NOW "TGIF!"
#11re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 7:46pm
I LOVED Andy Senor in the role; not sure why not a lot of people aren't big fans of his. I thought his acting was great; and he had a great voice.
#12re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 8:03pm
I agree wholeheartedly with your review. Especially with regard to Jeremy Kushnier and Andy Senor.
Jeremy really provided such passion and conviction in his singing, especially when singing with Mimi. He was probably my favorite Roger ever.
As for Andy Senor, like I said in a previous post...he was totally cast for his looks. He didn't really sing much of anything, it was all spoken or half-spoken. I felt like he was totally lost in the production. The best Angel ever was Shaun Earl Brown (I think that's his name). He was PERFECT! Anyone see him as Angel, either in the Angel cast or on Broadway?
"You act like you're cleaner than the Board of Heath, but you're just a fame ho just like me. You know it...and you LOVE it!"
-Paradice to Brooklyn
#13re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 8:17pm
I was also blown away by Matt Caplan in December, when i finally saw RENT !!! i was not impressed with Andy Senor he was nothing special ! Jeremy Cushnier was ok, but i am a little prejudiced on Roger, since as you all may know I am crazy about Adam Pascal and I don't think that anyone can ever come close ! :)
Take care
#14re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 8:47pm
Amen to the Adam comment, GMF.
I saw Karmine play Mimi about a year and a half ago. Loved her. 'Nuff said. She was my first Mimi, and she was fabulous.
Great review!
GirlfriendFromCanada
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/7/03
#15re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 8:51pm
You know what I think is so cool? Matt Caplan was the Mark u/s for the very first tour of RENT I saw, and look where he is now. I just love that!
Matt's definitely been through the Rent ringer! Started as a swing on the Benny tour in 1999, moved up to Mark in 2000, became a swing on Broadway in 2001, moved up to Mark in 2002, got put on standby for Joey when Joey came, got Mark back and will be on standby again when Drew shows up. Boy's been around a loooong time.
Updated On: 4/19/04 at 08:51 PM
#16re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 9:30pmi saw shaun earl brown in the angel tour, and i agree that he was fantastic
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#17re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 10:03pmKrystal M. Washington was Mimi on the RENT tour and she is (was) on Broadway. Same thing with the Aida tour...it pays off to get autographs from the tour casts, because they might be on Bway someday. Now I have my 1st signed "Playbill" to frame.
CCM '10!
jezzebelle
Featured Actor Joined: 4/19/04
#18re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: RENT---Friday, April 16, 2004
Posted: 4/19/04 at 11:29pm
Great review ! I'm glad you had a good time. I loved Karmine as Mimi as well, she was one of the best Mimi's I've ever seen and Matt embodies Mark so well, it's freaking scary. I agree with Andy...when I saw him on tour, I thought he was pretty good, but when I saw him on B-way, I wasn't impressed and thought his voice was really weak. I saw Jai (from Queer Eye fame)the other time I saw the show in NYC and his voice wasn't overly strong either...he was the cutest Angel I've ever seen though.
-Jess
