At the Fox lot where “Rent” is being rehearsed this month, there was plenty of all. But also a somber undertone. And references to mortality, including a near-death scene being practiced from a loft-like stage.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
How 'Rent' sings about drugs, AIDS and death in prime time
At the Fox lot where “Rent” is being rehearsed this month, there was plenty of all. But also a somber undertone. And references to mortality, including a near-death scene being practiced from a loft-like stage.
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I often have mixed feelings about TV musicals. I appreciate the fact that it is filmed and shown in a live fashion, to show raw talent that is less filtered than movie musicals. They also bring in wide audience, thus adding more exposure to musical theatre. I understand that big stars must be featured to appeal to viewers, but I find that this aspect sometimes compromises the integrity of the piece. This occurs on Broadway as well, which contributes to the commercial aspect of the industry. Nevertheless, I find myself wishing that stronger voices, or better stage presence was a focus for the cast. I had similar thoughts following the release of “La La Land.” Justin Hurwitz’s score is one that I instantly adored, but that was only after I overlooked the vocal quality of the two lead actors. I still have respect and appreciation for the production but would have preferred to watch actors who had more musical training.
I like the idea of doing musicals live to TV to make theatre more accessible for audiences that have maybe not thought about going to the theater or cannot afford it or where there isn’t any theatre nearby. I am not as big of a fan, however, of taking songs or content out of shows to be put on TV. I do believe that to get the full messages and to keep the integrity of shows they need to be kept in their show in the original form. I think that the idea of having the set for this live performance be more like that of an actual musical is a good idea. One of the problems I had with Grease live was that I could not tell if they were trying to make it look like a movie or a live musical, so I am glad that with this production they are taking that into account and just setting it on a stage. I think Fox doing a more adult-themed musical is good and then maybe they can go back to a more family musical later. I think this a good variety of shows and can attract many different audiences.
With Jesus Christ Superstar coming out last year, I really think that this production of Rent will have to make leaps and bounds to attempt to compete with the production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber that premiered on NBC last Easter. It makes me somewhat hopeful to know that Marc Platt, the producer of Jesus Christ Superstar, is behind this as well, I think that he brings a sense of artistry and always attempts to break ground in terms of these live tv musicals. I believe that the ultimate goal of any live television musical is to combine the spectacle and breathtaking-ness of theatre and the magic of television and editing to create a show that people only get to see once or twice a year. I'm a bit worried that Rent is going to start relying on old tricks and their cults undying forgiveness and love, just as they did with Rocky Horror and Grease, the point here is to show me Rent as I've never seen it before but Fox's track record with originality hasn't been exactly clean.
As I previously stated in another comment, I love the fact that live-action musicals are being aired on television these days, as I think it’s a great way to utilize the technology we have, to bring theatre to the masses. RENT Live seems like it’s bringing some great new things to the table, such as the first Mark of color—which I agree with Jordan Fisher—this could have happened a LONG time ago. I also like that the director said there will be more context provided on the history behind the AIDS crisis. I agree that many people my age love the musical and understand the basic context of it, but we didn’t live through it. The implied context of the original script assumes that the audience knows more about the crisis than I believe they actually do, so I am glad they have updated it in that way.
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