Wicked or Rent?

[AvalonSkysStudios]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:32pm

I have been wanting to see Wicked since
they performed on the Tony Awards.

But my cousin went to see Rent and said
that was awesome!

What show should i see??

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:34pm

Rent.

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:34pm

Definately WICKED. RENT is dying. It's a hit or miss, whether or not you see a good show or a bored show. While RENT is the better show IMO, its current production is NOT impressive. WICKED is consistently good, and there are still some OBC members left who shouldn't be missed.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:37pm

They are SOOOOOOOOO different. Wicked is GREAT and it is original and sophisticated. Rent is wonderful and quirky and fresh. Wicked will be on Broadway for years to come and Rent will probably be closing pretty soon. They are too different for me to compare. Read the summarys and see which one interests you the most.

RENT:Rent, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical continues to thrill audiences all over the world. Based on Giacomo Puccini's classic 1896 opera, La Boheme, Rent tells an the story of struggling young artists living on the edge and reaching for glory in New York's East Village. With exciting rock music, intelligent lyrics and a hot young cast, Rent sings of our time, of facing an uncertain future with courage, humor, loyalty and love.

WICKED:This Tony-winning musical is the most spellbinding show in years. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

[timote316]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:39pm

if you live near a current Rent tour stop, see it there. the tour that went through Boston last month was amazing!

I know it may be sacriligious for me to say this, there are some voices in the tour that I prefer to the OBC, namely Collins. And before anyone gets up in arms lol, don't get me wrong, I love Jesse, but I think the guy on the tour had better range (his high notes and low notes sounded awesome), and fit the voice better (to me, Jesse is scrawny lol, but probably because I saw the tour first, and he was bigger).

Anyhoo, I'd see Wicked, catch Idina while you can!

[insomniak]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:42pm

RENT
RENT
RENT

Rent is funny, poigannt, honest, beautiful, enjoyable, exciting, exhilirating, energetic, sad, lovely, heartfelt... there are not enought adjectives. Wicked is cute and fun. Rent is... you will leave the theatre with something you didn't have when you walked in.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:48pm

"Rent is... you will leave the theatre with something you didn't have when you walked in."

Go insomniak! She's right. Rent is deep. It makes you think. Wicked doesn't do that. Well... okay, I know some beg to differ. I really enjoyed Wicked, but it just doesn't do the same thing to you that something like Rent can. It's based on truth, and it's brutally honest. Jonathan Larson's heart and soul is in that musical. The show may not be in great shape right now, but I'd still pick it over Wicked. There's a lot to get from it.

Updated On: 7/31/04 at 11:48 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:49pm

Wicked....it seems as though Rent has been continuously falling apart more and more as time goes by. The heart and real great energy of the production seems to be gone, and I suppose it had been for a while. Honestly, I find that listening to the cast recording is more enjoyable than my experience from the last time I saw the show.

Personally, I would go with Wicked...there are some really great performers in that show...George Hearn and Jennifer Laura Thompson (both of whom I have not yet seen...but their past work is so impressive)...and then of course...you have Idina who won the Tony Award. I wouldn't miss them in the show.

[johny0828]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:50pm

haard choice, i'd see wicked.

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:53pm

Something else that Broadwaygirl's post made me think of-

In RENT, almost the entire show is on the CD. It only omits a bit of dialogue that, for the most part, is not crucial to the plot. And the fact is, the OBC was so much more than what the current cast is, I am more moved by listening to the CD than by going to see these kids blow out their voices performing material that they are either bored with or do not care about. Listen to the OBCR. Just hearing the music on a CD with the OBC is more meaningful than what you will see on that stage today.

Wicked is a mix of singing and dialogue, so you cannot have the same experience by just listening to the CD. And again, there are some cast members in that show that you should catch while you can.

Have fun, whatever you decide!

[insomniak]

Posted: 7/31/04 at 11:55pm

Rent. The tour company is not the broadway group, they're not bored with it. I reccommend that. Actually, the tour gang is brand new, they haven't even started... but at least they won't be phoning in performances.

Thank you very much, Emcee. That's how I felt when I left Rent. Changed for the better, as it is put in Wicked. Nothing was quite the same after I saw Rent, it is very powerful and moving. I was laughing and crying at the same time during parts.

[Delphine]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 12:05am

Abso-bloody-lutely RENT. Listen to insomniak. It's completely true.

Wicked is a disgusting saccharine show. It's laced with little in-jokes and irony that are neither funny nor clever. It lacks structure, wit, good music, interesting characters, and quite a few other things that I find very important in any show. People say Indin Menzel is fabulous, but in my opinion, she shows a lack of range vocally and acting-wise. I've also heard people say that they like the set. I think it's bulky and serves no purpose, and even hinders the production. The only reason to see Wicked would be Chenoweth, but she's gone now.

See RENT. Updated On: 8/1/04 at 12:05 AM

[Crazy4MattMorrison52]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 12:12am

rent

[Aerial]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 12:20am

Such a hard choice. I know I'm looking forward to seeing Wicked next week, but I've seen RENT 3 times(all on tour). I'd say that if you're seeing a show in NYC, see something that you can't see on tour(for a while). If both fall into that category, I don't know what to say...I've loved both at one point or another.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 12:24am

see rent before it goes, you dont want to have missed it. wicked is little more than a footnote in broadway history, rent makde broadway history, and it is a far superior show, though wicked probably does have a better cast currently (which has much to do with the involvement of a certain tony winning rent alum, anyway)

[timote316]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 12:25am

Either way, I wish I had the same 'dilemma' lol

[bythesword84]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 12:57am

I'd say Wicked all the way. I absolutely hated Rent when I saw it. I mean hated it. I wished I could leave and there are few shows I've ever actually hated. Wicked, while not my favorite in the world, is something I think should be seen.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 2:57am

Why would Rent be closing soon?

[Thoroughly Modern Cara]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 3:02am

RENT!

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 3:05am

Yeah, why would RENT be closing soon?

[milkengh]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 4:23am

If you have never heard the Rent OBCR, and don't have every single word memorized by heart, that would be the better show because it is a better all-around show than Wicked. It has much more impact to you as a member of the audience. If you are like the rest of us, and can recite RENT in your sleep, then Wicked is the better choice. Plus, you will probably be able to see Rent again sometime, as it is (has been?) on tour and will definitely be revived fairly quickly if it does end up closing in the near future.

[bethafoot]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:59am

Just my personal thoughts, I haven't seen Wicked yet. But I saw the current cast of Rent. Melanie Brown in Mimi's spot is lackluster, but thats just the show I saw with her in it. The current rest of the cast is increadable, just thought I'd toss in my 2 cents.

Posted: 8/1/04 at 9:27am

Rent is portable- I saw it once on Broadway and three times on tour. Yes, it is a good show, but there is no reason why you can't see as good of a production on tour as on Broadway. As for Wicked, I know a lot of people on this board have expressed mixed feelings about the show, but I could not disagree more. It may be a sweet show, but in the uncertain times of today, watching a show and forgetting about everything else going on was a wonderful and welcomed escape. Not to be redundant, but there are OBC members in Wicked and I enjoy seeing a show with cast members who origniated their respective roles.

[BroadwayDiva]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 10:10am

I'd say RENT, but I'd also say WICKED. RENT's my favorite show, but right now on Broadway, the cast isn't exactly the original. There are some people in the cast who kill the role IMO. But if you don't mind that, go see RENT.

WICKED is a very interesting show. I like WICKED, and the music (especially Defying Gravity and Popular) is really enjoyable. For this show, the acting is very good. Idina is incredible, and if you happen to see Eden, she's also amazing.

I'd say RENT, but, like someone said, RENT is on tour and it'll probably stay there for awhile. Wicked probably won't tour for another year or so.

[2day4u9704301]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 10:46am

My thoughts....If going to NYC before Sept 30, see Wicked.

If going in October or after, PLEASE SEE RENT!!!!!

In other words, wait til Melanie Brown leaves, then go see Rent!