Rent Live: You'll See / Voice Mail #2 / Tango Maureen

638 words

5 minute read

Tune Up #1 / Voice Mail #1 / Tune Up #2 / Rent / Tune Up #3 / You Okay, Honey? / One Song Glory / Light My Candle / Today 4 U

You'll See - We see Benny’s back again, yelling at a person experiencing homelessness to stop leaning on his car.  Mark points out that Benny’s attitude toward the homeless is exactly what Maureen is protesting tonight.  Benny counters that Maureen is protesting losing her performance space.

Mark wonders what’s happened to Benny’s heart and the ideals he used to pursue.  Benny insists he still needs the back-rent, and Roger says he’s wasting his time because they’re broke and Benny broke his word.

Benny informs them that if they can convince Maureen to cancel her protest, they won’t owe him back-rent after all.  This is when Benny shows Mark and Roger his plans for the studio he wants to build. (But he’s going to wipe out an entire tent city in the process.)  According to Benny, it will be worth it...

Finally, Benny leaves and Collins reminds them that he and Angel have a support group meeting to go to.  They try to invite Roger, but Roger tells them to “let it be, boys.”

Our favorite aspect of this was Mario’s amazing vocals as Benny.  Plus, Mario made Benny likeable and not just a jerk.  We also loved Collins and Angel flirting with each other.  So cute. The relationships between those present were obvious and believable.

Voice Mail #2 - Joanne’s parents call her and leave a message, about her mom’s upcoming confirmation hearing.  It’s clear, in the message, that Joanne’s parents have very specific expectations for her - they don’t want her there with her girlfriend.  It even extends to them telling her how to be dressed.  

It made us really sad for Joanne.  Her parents want her there, but only if she appears in a certain context.  (It’s also clear from the beginning, that the majority of this friend-group are estranged from their parents for one reason or another…)

Tango: Maureen - Next, we see that Mark’s made it over to Maureen’s performance space to help her with the sound equipment.  Maureen (Mark’s ex) isn’t there, but Joanne (Maureen’s current girlfriend) is.  

Joanne tells Mark that she told Maureen not to call Mark, but she had anyway.  Mark confirms this is like her.  And asks, “but can I help since I’m here?”  Joanne says she’s hired an engineer, but she’s three hours late.  So, Mark gets to work on the sound equipment.

Making no secret of her distaste for dealing with broken equipment and freezing and being with her girlfriend’s ex.  Mark says it all sounds very familiar to him - that it’s called the Tango Maureen.

[Jordan Fisher as Mark, "Has she ever pouted her lips and called you 'Pookie?']

They tango together as Mark cautions Joanne in her relationship with Maureen and asks if Maureen is acting a certain way or using certain pet names.  It’s through this process that Joanne realizes that Maureen’s cheating on her.  Mark fixes the microphones and then tells Joanne that “I feel great now!”  Joanne says she feels “lousy.”

Historically, this has not been a favorite number of ours, but honestly, seeing it performed by Jordan and Kiersey here?  It’s amazing.  Their comic timing was everything, and Kiersey’s dryness was perfect - the push and pull of the dance was great and interesting to watch.  We love seeing the innate respect each character has for each other, regardless of who’s dating who.  (Mark is still offering to help his ex’s girlfriend…) and not only that, but cautions her in her relationship with Maureen.  Which is overstepping a bit in a sense, but seems somehow sweet and thoughtful at the same time.

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One Song Glory / Light My Candle / Today 4 U

572 words

4 minute read

Tune Up #1 / Voice Mail #1 / Tune Up #2 / Rent / Tune Up #3 / You Okay, Honey?

One Song Glory - Once Mark leaves, Roger is alone. He picks up his guitar and sings what is, in our opinion, his best song. A plaintive rock ballad about wanting to leave “one song” behind “before the virus takes hold.” 

We think this was definitely a highlight of Brennin Hunt’s performance. He hit some of the iconic notes that Adam Pascal (OBC Roger) made famous. This song has meant a lot to us over the years, giving voice to depression as well as the specter of life-altering illness.

Light My Candle - Just after Mark leaves, Roger hears a knock on the door.  Thinking Mark’s forgotten something, Roger answers.  Instead of Mark, Roger finds Mimi (played by Tinashe). Tinashe really brings a youthful vulnerability to Mimi.  It’s easy to believe she’s 19.

Mimi’s come to Roger to ask if he has a match for her candle, as the power has blown for the entire building and is still out.  Roger notices Mimi’s shivering, and appears weak.  He asks after her, and she insists she’s fine, just cold, and “hasn’t eaten much today.”

She leaves, but doubles back when she realizes she’s dropped her stash somewhere in Roger’s dark apartment.  She looks for it, and Roger realizes that he recognizes her as a dancer at the Cat Scratch Club.  He sees a resemblance between Mimi and his recently deceased girlfriend, April.  

Roger finds her drugs and pockets them.  (Roger’s a recovering addict himself and asks why she doesn’t forget the drugs, because “you look like you’re 16.”  Mimi assures him she’s 19 and is “old for my age.”)

She ends up flirting more and more with Roger, as she knows he has her drugs, and eventually is able to take her drugs back from him and leaves.

It’s a song we really enjoy, particularly the chemistry between Mimi and Roger.  The part that makes us laugh out loud has no dialogue at all.  It’s just the look Mimi gives Roger after she asks if she has “the best ass below 14th Street,” and Roger stutters a reply.  The smile on Mimi’s face is something that we love.

Today 4 U - Collins finally makes it up to Mark and Roger’s apartment, with Angel, bearing groceries.  (We learn, courtesy of Mark, that Collins is a computer genius and "the coolest person who ever lived in our apartment.")

Collins says that their benefactor is Angel, who met a woman in a limousine who asked for Angel’s help in making her neighbor’s dog stop barking.  The rich lady explains that she believes if Angel plays her drums nonstop the dog will “bark itself to death.”

Angel agrees to play her drums nonstop for an hour until the dog finally jumps from the 23rd story of the building.  Angel gets paid $1,000 for her help, plus a bonus if Angel trimmed her tree. 

We also see that Angel has indeed gone home to change her clothes and is now in a spectacular dress, with her hair and makeup done.

Vocally, this one is probably the weakest of Valentina’s performances, but her physical performance and dancing is on point, plus she makes up for it in a big way later on.  So, we’re still major fans of her.

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Rent Live: Rent / Tune Up #3 / You Okay, Honey?

588 words

5 minute read

Tune Up #1 / Voice Mail #1 / Tune Up #2

Rent - Loved the energy of this number! And we got to hear Jordan (Mark) and Brennin (Roger) sing and interact playfully for the first time. Solid vocals all the way around on this song. (Can hear why Brennin was cast as Roger - he’s got that raspy rock voice that is just so Roger.) The reveal of Valentina’s Angel leading the Alphabet City Avant-Garde in front of the on-stage musicians for the show was everything. Kiersey’s Joanne seemed perfectly cast - Joanne felt edgier than in the past with a more youthful energy.   

Seeing Brandon Victor Dixon as Collins (even this early on) it was evident that his performance was going to be amazing.  From these early lines where Collins struggles after enduring a racist and homophobic attack, we were completely with him.  Transported to where he was.  Rooting for him and wanting safety so badly for him.

This was also where we saw Benny again (played brilliantly by Mario) in incredible 90’s fashion, talking on a giant cell phone.  We saw he was friendly with cops.  (And his vocal talent was undeniable, as he really played the common melodies, changing them up ever so slightly, in a way that, to us, totally worked.)

On a more serious note, we were struck by the sight of Mark and Roger literally setting fire to everything they held dear (Roger’s sheet music, Mark’s screenplays) to stay alive, as they are faced with the staggering reality that they now owe TONS of backrent they cannot pay.

Tune Up #3 - Loved the chemistry between Mark and Roger here.  We loved how Roger strummed his guitar testily in response to Mark asking him if he was coming to Maureen’s show. And how Mark took that as the valid communication it was.

Here, we get much-needed background on Roger, courtesy of Mark (documentarian / narrator) who shares that Roger’s girlfriend left a note telling him, “We’ve got AIDS,” before she killed herself in their bathroom.

Since then, we can see that Roger’s been depressed and in withdrawal and can’t go out much.  Mark, ever the caretaker for his friends, reminds Roger to take his AZT (a new-at-the-time treatment for HIV/AIDS) before he leaves.

You Okay, Honey? - Loved being formally introduced to Angel Dumott Schunard (and the additional context: “That’s who I’m going for this week, anyway.”)  Angel spots Collins on the ground while she’s creating a Christmas tree made of street detritus. (One of her “many talents.”)

Angel is concerned for Collins, asking, “You okay, honey?” and offers him a hand up that Collins won’t take. (He admits that, while he had no money, his attackers had stolen his coat.)  We loved how Angel immediately dropped her hand and gave him space, choosing this moment to disclose that her “body provide[d] a comfortable home for the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.”   

Collins, though less outspoken about his own status, does disclose as well, and Angel invites Collins home to get a band-aid for his knee, so she can change in time for a support group meeting for people living with AIDS.

We loved Valentina’s vulnerable but proud take on Angel.  It felt super true to the character. Brandon Victor Dixon was perfect as Collins - just assume we will be heaping well-deserved superlatives on him each and every song he’s in.  


We honestly just loved Angel and Collins together.  The chemistry was there from the start. 

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Rent Live: Tune Up #1 / Voice Mail #1 / Tune Up #2

725 words

6 minute read

Tara and I first heard about RENT as sophomores in high school back in 1997. We learned Seasons of Love for our spring choir concert and before we knew much at all about the musical itself, the music to this one song captivated us.

Fast-forward to 2002.  Tara and I were in college and Joey Fatone (yes, we were *NSYNC fans…don’t judge, haha) briefly played the role of Mark Cohen.  (Tara remembers skipping a college class in order to listen to MP3s of the performance - no video even!)  That Christmas, we got the Original Broadway Recording on two CDs.  (Just dusted them off and listened to them, in preparation for the show.)

In the coming years, we amassed RENT the movie (in 2005) and RENT Live on Broadway (in 2008.)  We loved the Live on Broadway version.  The movie brought the musical to life in ways we had yet to see.  Also, Rosario Dawson can be Mimi every single day.

In 2009, we got our chance (finally) to see the show live, as it came to our state.  It was amazing to get to see a few of the original cast (Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal) in the roles that they made famous.

[Tonia and Tara standing beneath marquee that reads: RENT: THE BROADWAY TOUR MARCH 25-29.  We are both smiling.]

Now?  We’re over the moon (pun emphatically intended) about the chance to watch RENT Live On Fox.  We’re specifically thrilled to see Jordan Fisher playing the first Mark Cohen of color.

(This will be less a critical / disability themed review and more a review as fans of the show.   Also, as our reviews are known to be massive, we’re going to publish this post a song at a time, so we can really get into what we liked in each number.  Keep reading, if that sounds like something you’re into.)

Tune Up #1 - The first thing we noticed here was the Previously Recorded that showed up at the bottom of the screen and confused us (it being a live show and all…)  

That was cleared up soon enough, as the cast showed up prior to a commercial break to inform the TV audience that Roger (Brennin Hunt) broke his ankle just before the end of the dress rehearsal in front of the live audience the night before.  So, it turned out that the majority of the show was recorded the previous night.

As for the first song?  We were a bit flummoxed by the choice to set the show two years in the future.  But we loved seeing Jordan Fisher on stage as Mark, and previously uninjured Roger, was really great, too. (Also, it must be said - THE STAGE. Loved the set pieces providing context and color to these characters’ worlds.)

Voice Mail #1 - We loved seeing Mark actively screening the calls and then laughing a little to himself as he hears his mom comment on the “very loud beep.”  Haha.

Tune Up #2 - Yessss!  This was our intro to Brandon Victor Dixon (who killed it as Judas in Jesus Christ, Superstar) as Collins.  Loved being able to really see all the different locations.  But we worried about Collins as he told Mark and Roger he “may be detained,” as two men with baseball bats, walked up while he was in the phone booth.

Upstairs, Mark and Roger accidentally picked up the phone only to realize Benny was calling.  Former roommate.  Current demander of a YEAR’S worth of back-rent when he previously told them they were golden.  (We also learned that Mark has lost both his job, and his relationship recently.)  Loved the quiet, matter of fact way Mark relayed this information.  

Benny reiterated that he needed the rent, or he’d have to evict Mark and Roger.  Then, as if their luck wasn’t bad enough?  “The power blows.” (Startle reflex warning!)

Seeing the play in a way that makes it really clear what’s going on, and having lived on our own, (and therefore having paid rent) for a while now, allowed us to really wrap our heads around some of the reality Mark and Roger are facing.  Owing a year’s worth of rent is no joke.  So horrifying.

(But such a good start to the show!)


For more: Rent Live on Fox

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