I saw the live show for the first time just a few weeks ago, so wanted to see how this would compare. Of course, there really is no comparison. Seeing it live is always better. But this is a fairly good version of the movie. The filmmakers seemed to have some difficulty during the large numbers (for example, "Christmas Bells") knowing where to focus their cameras. Rent is a chaotic show, where lots is going on at once. That was not really reflected well in the filming.
The cast, however, is quite good. Will Chase and Adam Kantor breathe new life into roles that were so clearly defined by Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. They really bring depth to the character in new and different areas, and seeing their interpretations almost back to back, I came out with a lot more understanding of the characters... and a lot more sympathy for them.
Eden Espinosa, Renee Goldsberry and Michael McElroy were all good in their respective roles. Tracie Thoms, who I didn't recognize until the end, reprises her role from the movie and was my favorite female singer of the bunch, with strong vocals that worked well for the character.
My own real caveat was Justin Johnson, who I also saw live in Chicago. He plays Angel too campy, too performance-oriented, too cutesy. There's no real person there behind the makeup, and therefore I kind of felt Collins was getting the worst of the deal when it came to their relationship. It didn't feel real - how could it, when Angel wasn't a real person? I think he was working too hard to distinguish himself from Wilson Jermaine Heredia, who did such a spectacular job on Broadway and in the movie. In his desperate try to set himself apart, he made the character nothing but a caricature. Which is pretty much exactly the opposite of what the show wants to do.
If you have seen the movie but didn't get a chance to see the show live before it closed, I highly recommend this film. It is a fairly accurate representation of what it's like to see it live, even if it can't capture it completely. 4 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment