Fox hopes third time’s a charm with Rent: Live (Sunday, January 27 at 8pm). Hot on the heels of the mildly successful Grease: Live (2016) and poorly received A Christmas Story Live! (2017), tonight’s telecast is based on the Broadway tour de force celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. A re-imagining of Puccini’s “La Bohème,” Rent tells the unforgettable story of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams during a time of great social and political turmoil. It’s an examination of life, love and family in New York’s gritty East Village, played against a backdrop of the all-consuming HIV/AIDS crisis.
Any actor willing to attempt theater on live TV instantly earns my respect. It’s not an easy undertaking and we are a demanding audience. Hopefully the Rent: Live cast is up for the challenge (break a leg, mazel tov). I’m most excited about RuPaul’s Drag Race alum (and all around dreamboat) Valentina making her mainstream debut as Angel. Vanessa Hudgens may be a bigger star, but that’s temporary. Valentina is on her way (trust). So, is anyone watching with me? Share your thoughts in the comments. This is our tribe. This is our post.
I wish the networks didn’t put EVERYFUCKINGTHING on Sunday nights. I have RHOA and CBBUS at 8 (still don’t know which to do first. I have been cleaning today (I KNOW I AM AS SHOCKED AS YOUR ARE!) and it required me to unplug the TV for a few minutes. I KNOW! I WAS REALLY CLEANING! FOUR HOURS ON MY TINY LIVING ROOM! Brand new rug, it looks amazing! And smells clean instead of like old fat lady flop sweat! Sorry, I digress.
I REALLY want to see this and when my DVR repopulates after being unplugged I may be able to record the last two hours. It sucks because I have never seen rent, but It may have to do until it is on Demand.
I’m going to count on you folks who have sworn off Bravo to give me the rundown of the first hour here so I can catch up ASAP and then I will be here to join you. If I could call in sick to work tonight, I would but I am the boss and I would say no, plus I have been feeling great now that I have a plethora of electrolyte water at my disposal and am off the alcohol AND SUGAR indefiinately in an attempt to get to a weight my spine is willing to support without literally spazzing out! SO JOIN US!
It won’t be live for me, I don’t think… it comes on at 8 PM?
So at least for the Pacific Coast there isn’t a conflict with the SAG Awards…. I’ve not seen Rent either. I get antsy on these live theater productions so I might watch on demand later, so I can fast forward through the commercials.
Brennin Hunt, who was set to perform as Roger Davis in Fox’s live version of “Rent,” injured his ankle during the live dress rehearsal on Sat. 26. But, as they say, the show must go on.
The network declined Variety’s request to confirm how severe the injury is, but a source says they may have to use some pieces recorded from the Jan. 26 rehearsal for the broadcast. Fox has confirmed that the original Broadway cast of the play will appear during the live broadcast of the show.
“The experience of putting together this beautiful new production of my brother’s work, while emotional, has been truly joyous for all of us. This new cast has embodied the spirit of the show from day one and they embraced Brennin with positive and uplifting love in his moment of need,” said executive producer Julie Larson in a statement. “‘Rent’ has always been about resilience and community. I speak from my heart when I say that we have a spectacular show for you tonight. We can’t wait for a new generation to experience Jonathan’s legacy.”
WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?
https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/brennin-hunt-rent-live-fox-1203119563/
I got scared I had a stroke when I read the article. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Valentina is amazing!!
I so agree!!!
I so agree!!!
I just took a quick peek in between recaps. I am off to do RHOA and then will be on it. It looks so good! Did the ankle guy show up?
Valentina didn’t do so hot in her solo. I was a bit bummed! She LOOKS amazing!!
She doesn’t have a Broadway voice but I’m so proud of Valentina!
I saw Rent 2 weeks after it opened. I cried, laughed, was skook to my core. I’m close to that again tonight.
Me as well. Rent is crafted with such love and great care, it makes me really emotional. By far my favorite Broadway show.
I’m just catching up with the West Coast feed now. This is exciting!
I literally gasped out loud when she made her entrance in boy drag.
Agreed! She is s Star. Didn’t win the battle (RPSR AS 4)but won the war
I’m at the funeral and not sure I can take it. Her performance was AMAZING! Ru must be so proud.
I can’t stop thinking about Valentina’s performance. And crying. I’m just so proud of her! I wish we could have seen her live performance. She was obviously holding her voice. But she should be very, very proud. Brava!
Had some musical theater friends over who were really looking forward to this show for months.
Then we found out about the injury. i was confused because the version I watched on the east coast looked like it was pre taped, and then my musical friends said that some of the actors were holding their voices because it was dress rehearsal. (This appears to be a known musical theater device where you save your voice for opening night). Apparently Fox was jointly running the real version of the show in the LA with the guy in the wheelchair and people were live streaming it on their phones to the internet, the voices did sound better on that real life version. So then at the end of the televised version, some how they ended the pre taped rehearsal thing and it went live again with the original cast of Rent. The injured lead sat in a picnic table thingy and his voice did sound much better than the taped run of the show.. I really loved Jordan Fischer, Vanessa Hudgens and seeing all the original Rent cast. Maybe next time they need to get an understudy for the principal roles.
So the whole thing was the dress rehearsal. The only live part was at the end when they sang the last song. I think there was some sort of live performance on stage for the crowd reaction.
Because there were some rowdy lesbians in the audience who liked the lesbian with the brown hair a WHOLE LOT! lol
It was great and I thought Valentina’s mike was set too low but at the end when I realized it was dress reherasal on tape, it all made sense why some of the voices were very soft.
I didn’t realize Rent was about AIDS. I just thought it was about a bunch of dancers who shared an apartment.
Did I mention Valentina was amazing Also the heavy set woman with the curly/kinky hair. She had some pipes.
Tamara, the lady with the amazing pipes also played the bearded lady in The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman. She’s great.
TT, I likewise didn’t know what the show was about the first time I saw it. My husband and I went to the Performing Arts Center at the University here to see it, as we were given free tickets by our friend who was the center’s director. It was the traveling show, and it had been really popular on Broadway at the time, so we just figured it would be an awesome musical! Well, we should have researched it, because my husband’s oldest brother died of AIDs in the early 90’s….it ended up being a much heavier evening than we had planned. The presentation was well done, and the actors were very talented, but it was depressing for us. So, I didn’t watch the “live” version last night. I’m still confused about why they used the dress rehearsal instead of going live? That sort of ruins the whole thing, doesn’t it? And, how bizarre that they wouldn’t have understudies…?
They didn’t do the show live because the guy who plays Roger? I think? Severely sprained his ankle during dress rehearsal (the perform ace we saw at the very end. SO they had to use the dress rehearsall and then just go live for the very last part.
They thought Roger sprained his ankle until they took X-rays. It’s broken. The TV audience was stuck watching the dress rehearsal until the end but the cast performed the whole thing live anyway. With Roger in a wheelchair. It looks like they filmed it so we might see it some day.
These live Broadway remakes are mostly vehicles to give young stars extra attention. They probably don’t do understudies because the package they’re selling is the performers, not the performance.
I could have sworn Valentina used to have twitter, But she doesn’t.
https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/27/rupauls-drag-race-valentina-rent-live/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=5D278CF6-2259-11E9-B463-52D14744363C&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly_ew
The play might not be live but my tears are.
I know. It was a pretty heavy show. xo
I’ve seen the movie version more times than I can count, but I was still teary eyed through this version last night.
Ok, I watched the first half while buzzed and enjoyed it but rewatched it again last night and DAMN there were many out of tune moments. “Today for You” was super inconsistent.
I loved the set, I thought Mark was excellent throughout. Maureen and Joann were pretty damn good.
It’s always hard to compete with a beloved original cast too.
It pissed me off the way they changed the lyrics around, unnecessarily. Also, someone pointed out on Twitter that they cut the word “dildos” from a song but left “faggots” in the same song! TYPICAL FOX tv.
I bought the CD of the original Broadway cast when it was first released and have been loving it all these years. When I finally got to see it live, in Detroit, I was over the moon. Then the movie version. This Live TV version had GREAT set production, effects, the whole theatre in the round was fantastic, the blocking of characters walking throughout the stage as if passing by homeless people, etc, it was superb. The cat walks on top with the band members rocking their asses off, was like “Stomp”, an aerial phenomena, and the cast OMG! LOVED IT! Valentina did a great job acting, moving, and now that I realize it was a taped dress it makes sense that her voice was not full on, but she was Angel, no doubt about it. Really made me smile. Hudgens as Maureen as e’ffn’ FANTASTIC! Dynamic voice and overall performance, swiveling her hips, not missing a beat, WOW! Strong performer. The whole cast should be proud. A lot of work went into that production and it was incredible.
TO: Lady C. Had I known that you were posting during the live showing I would have participated.
So nice to see the inclusion of this thread dedicated to “Rent”. I have had several friends die from the effects of AIDS. This show is powerful. The character of Angel is so upbeat, yet, true to life, only the good die young. I am overjoyed each time I see her character come back for the finale. It serves as a reminder to us all that even though our loved ones have gone to a different place there is still joy in remembering their powerful, joyful spirits. The lyrics to the main theme, “Seasons of Love”, ‘how about love?’ Measure your life in love.’
Gets me every time I hear it. Masterpiece.
Stevie Wonder’s version on the original CD is frick’n pure joy!
I was actually a Rent virgin so it would have been fun to watch with you! But then you would have seen me burst into tears when Angel came back for the finale. So many emotions.
We lost so many amazing young men (and women) to this scourge. Had Valentina been born 30 years earlier, she might have met Angel’s fate. Instead, she’s performing on prime time TV. It gets better. We get better.