RENT Live!
Just watched the broadcast on Fox. it went well! I was worried because the previous attempts to do a show live by other networks just fell short, but not this one.
I have such a love for the Musical. I visited NYC in 1996 for my birthday in April, I stayed with my friend who was subletting his NYC apartment from voice of the Little Mermaid, Jodi Benson. He was in the Broadway Cast of “Miss Saigon” and I’ve watched his show the first night I was in town. Then I proceeded to watch all the others and there was such a buzz about this new musical that won the Pulitzer Prize, RENT, and some how we got tickets. There was so many Celebs in the audience, after watching the performance, I knew there was something special about this musical.
I remember getting a Thank you card the last night I was in NYC and wrote “521,600 Thank You’s” to my friend for letting a young boy starry eyed boy from Long Beach, CA stay with him since it was my first vacation in NYC. It turns out, my friend was cast as the character “Angel” for the First National Tour, Angel Cast!!! I was able to see the show again when it stopped by in Los Angeles. Good Memories!!
Now back to the RENT LIVE! The reason why this was so successful, the writer’s family were producers. I am sure that was the only way this was allowed to be broadcasted. I did noticed that some of the cuss words were changed, but that did not hinder the show at all. The sets were built in the FOX Studio lot in Los Angeles. The square stage was bisected by set pieces placed in the center, meaning that much of what was seen could only be viewed from television sets that were hanging overhead.
Brennin Hunt, broke his foot during the dress rehearsal of the night before the Live telecast. The network had to use the dress rehearsal footage for most of the telecast, while the actors still did the show live, with Brennin and his broken foot in a wheel chair. Some of the actors were accused of holding back, to save their energy for the live show the following day. If that is the case, then those actors did a disservice to themselves. My belief is the same what I learned in sports in high school: If you can’t do it in rehearsal, then how are you going to do it during the game? With that said, I believe that the actors were not holding back, I just thing nerves or inexperience just got the better of them and they gave it the best they have. If I am wrong, and some actors were holding back, then, let this be a lesson to all: You always have to give it 100% during dress rehearsals or the actual event. You never know what is going to happen and you owe it to yourself, your fellow co-workers and the audience to do your job the best to your ability.
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