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Rent: Filmed Live On  Broadway (2008)
Rent: Filmed Live On Broadway (2008)
2008 | Drama, Musical, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Brings the power of being in the theater
Every decade, it seems, Broadway produces a transcendent musical. In the 1970's, it was A CHORUS LINE, in the 1980's, it was LES MISERABLES. Jump to the 2000's, you have WICKED and, of course, the 2010's brought us HAMILTON.

The 1990's brought us a "rock musical" that focused on a global pandemic set against the backdrop of social protesting and racial injustices (sound familiar), this musical is Jonathan Larson's RENT.

Following (loosely) the plot of the 1896 opera LA BOHEME, RENT tells the tale of disaffected artists trying to live and love (and make rent) while living their lives the way they wish to live it. Writer Jonathan Larson (who passed, suddenly, the day before previews began) created a powerful, rock driven, story that is poignant, sad and hopeful all at the same time. The original Broadway production Iwhich I am bragging that I saw 2x with the original cast) brought such talent as Jesse L. Martin, Anthony Rapp, Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel to the forefront.

But...skip the film version of this musical (starring most of the original cast) that came out in 2005. It is purfunctuary and lifeless. Instead, seek out the 2008 RENT: FILMED LIVE ON BROADWAY. Like Hamilton, this is a filmed version of the stage show and is able to capture the power and emotion that only live theater can provide.

The cast in this production is outstanding - with the standout being (no surprise) a young Renee Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schulyer in Hamilton) who shines brightly as Mimi.

Like Hamilton, Rent showcases the power - and purpose - of live theater. A place that I cannot wait to go to again in 2021.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
  
40x40

Jonathan Higgs recommended Born To Do It by Craig David in Music (curated)

 
Born To Do It by Craig David
Born To Do It by Craig David
2000 | Pop
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This was a bit later in my life, around 2000. This signals the end of me having hang-ups really. I remember when 'Re-Rewind' by Artful Dodger came out, and I thought, ""This is fucking cool!"" So much about it confused me. It didn't have chords or a bassline really, it was made of odd sounds like breaking glass that didn't really fit. And then it had this guy on top of it singing this really pleasing, really hooky, catchy little melody. It was the furthest thing away from me at the time. I was into crashing drums and cymbals, but I knew there was something in there that really turned me on musically. When I admitted that I liked that to myself, it really opened up a lot of doors to me, into R&B and Destiny's Child and R. Kelly, lots of stuff that would have been previously out of my usual sphere of influence. I embraced it, and there were things I really liked. With people like R. Kelly, I spend 50 per cent of the time laughing at him and the rest thinking, this is actually good. A huge influence on my music is the singing quickly, and the singing something absurd, and then something serious, hooky, melodic, quick and light. Craig David did that brilliantly. The singles on that album are fucking amazing! He kind of lost his way after that, but I wanted to show that that whole world is very much embraced by me, and to show that we shouldn't be snobby, that it doesn't matter whether the influence is The Cheeky Girls or Pink Floyd, it just doesn't matter where it comes from. If it's good, I embrace it, and I think Craig David is a perfect example of someone who is laughably bad but secretly a pretty good artist."

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