November 3, 2025 • 58 mins
Time to head back to the ’90s and the groundbreaking rock opera that shook up Broadway and then made its way to the big screen . . . to mixed reviews.
Yes, Jenna and Kevin are recapping “Rent,” the movie musical. The Tony Award-winning show is Jenna’s favorite musical of all time (she saw it eight times on Broadway!), but how does she feel about the big screen version? Get ready for an honest breakdown! From the cast to the differences between the stage and screen versions, the blocking, tone, and what worked and didn’t for them. Plus, Jenna opens up about auditioning for “Rent” and how close she got to snagging a part!
For fun, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes scoops, be sure to follow on Instagram @andthatswhatyoureallymissedpod!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to you, and that's what you're on this podcast.
Hello Ken, Welcome, Hello Jo and getting over a two
week cold that has just been looming and then finally
it bubbled to the surface this week. And everybody's just a.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Surface is really a description, you know, graphic, It actually bubbled.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
How's everything going, Kevin? And how's rehearsals? We have.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
A couple more days of rehearsal than we're into tech.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Wow, Kevin, crazy, that's so fast. That happened, really so fast.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
It's like two and a half weeks of rehearsal.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
You guys got it? How exciting? I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I think it's kind of being really good.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I know it's going to be really good. Are you kidding?
How podcast?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Jasmine Amy Rodgers is of our house. When I look
at her sweet little face as olive, I don't know
what's going to happen in front of an audience because
bar Fay may just be crying the entire time, which
I know is not not what's supposed to happen.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And this is like she did just a boop and
it was like that is such a hard show to do.
All like to hold a show like that on your own,
I meaninated, But she is this supposed to be like
a lightlift for her? I don't.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I think it's because it's so different. It's different for
a lot of the people in the show, like different
from themselves or what they're used to playing. And it
is a gift to see everybody.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
You know, you guys are going to be.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It's fun and we've all gotten like, you know, we're
getting closer every day to one another.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
And cute little Cass so cute.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
It's really nice and it's exciting. And yeah, I can't wait.
We're gonna be like next door to Heathers. So I'm
gonna have to go see Heathers.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Well, I can't wait, can't wait to hear it all.
You got to report back. We're gonna talk about your
first performance.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Oh my god, Jenna, the first previews in four days.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Jesus, you're find you've done this before. You've done this
show before. Yeah, but it's just gonna be about sustaining
after that.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yes, And it's just it's a little different.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
What's weird is that there's been little changes.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
For like me.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
So yep, yep, yeah, we have the original did I
say this before? We have the original vocal arranger, right, yeah,
so she's made little adjustments, oh my gosh. And so
you know, like part of my harmonies in the song
will be the same and then like one note is
different or like a couple notes are different, which really
(02:55):
messes with me.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
It'll fall back into place. I did Into the Woods
twice and like two years, one like one year after
the other, one in a high school production and one
in my freshman year of college. Oh my god, and
they were like different, but they're non different, but like
your character is different because your cast is different and
your p production is different. But it is like it's
a mind f because like sometimes you're like, oh, I'm
(03:16):
in this and I've done this before and it's in
my body. But then you're like, don't forget. You're not
in that production. You're in this production.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yes, the muscle memory, I you know, Okay, I had
a really strange experience and maybe you can help me. Yeah,
but there's a part in the show which I used
to get really like when I did it last year,
I got really nervous for and so when it comes
to that just in rehearsal, there's like no extra people watching, right,
it's just the people that are in rehearsal. I step
(03:44):
up to the mic and I get nervous, and there's
no reason to it's safe space, rehearsal, whatever, and my
body like remembers.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
That's crazy. It's that wild, it's so weird. Yeah, I
think that will click out once you're in these performances
for a certain of time, Like at some point you're
not nervous anymore, even if it will be in the
beginning speaking of people doing things twice, Yes, good transition.
Today we are rehapping the movie musical, not the musical,
(04:15):
although we're going to talk about the musical a lot.
The movie musical Rent.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Rent, written by Jonathan Larson, the one the Pulitzer Tony Award,
one of the longest running shows ever on Broadway. It
was a revolutionary show when it came out.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah, this I mean so a lot. And one of
the special things about this movie was that a majority
of this original cast came back to do this film,
with a few exceptions, which is kind of rare, Like,
(04:55):
I don't I remember when this happened, of course, and
when they had announced the movie and it normally you're like, oh, well,
who is going to be in the movie? Right, like
aDNA and Kristen didn't do Wicked and you know Hairspray,
like it's the cast changes, right. But this was very
unique and special yet also semi detrimental to all of it, right, Like,
(05:20):
I think there were pieces that it was It kept
the entigrity of what you were listening to over and
over again, but also then you run into trying to
recreate something that was already perfect. So this premiered on
November twenty third, two thousand and five. The movie the
musical opened ninety six, ninety six. Yes, that was the
(05:42):
same year that the Game I opened on Broadway.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
You were on Broadway when Rent premiered debuted?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Wow, yeah, I was. We opened on ninety nineteen, April
ten then or April eleventh, and nineteen ninety six, so
I was nine years old open on Broadway and they
opened in ninety six on Broadway. Just wow, blocks away.
That's crazy, and we both want Tony's Wow. Let's let's
talk about what was in the news, what was going
(06:11):
on in the world, and then we'll get all into
a Rent yeah, because I feel.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Like this also just isn't about two thousand and five.
It's also about ninety six.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
It's really not it can't you know, it certainly can't be. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
The number one song was run It by Chris Brown.
It was his first single. He was like, what sixteen,
I remember when this song came out.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Wow, yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
He throwne gold Digger as the number one song. Gold
Digger was number one for ten weeks.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Damn oh, Jenna. The number one movie in the country,
Harry Potter, and they got the guy got a fire,
the a little like what's the word I'm looking for?
Like the Bull in the China Shop movie, the like
the Black the Black Sheep of the Moo of the
(06:59):
movies Fire. Yes, it was different than the rest, yet
is there? Azkaban No, no, no, no. Goblet was like
it's a standalone like it could have been done. It
had just like it was all encompassing, like the competition,
and it was kind of the standalone.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Oh I thought you so, like Alfonso Koran did Presidenter
of Azkaban and it looked very different.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Oh no, no, no, I'm talking about like the context. Yeah,
and who directed Goblet? He was like he brought out
like a lot of the humor. It was a little
bit the tone was a little bit different in Goblet.
I think Mike Newall, oh yeah, I thought was great. Well,
I mean I love goblital Fire is just different than
(07:45):
the rest. And then and it kind of was the
turning point for the rest of the movie.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
I think they all stayed in the Goblet of fire
Lane after that.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Fair enough, yes, fair enough, yes, agreed, agreed. Nogle news
this week as this is obviously pre Glee, but there
are some pop culture snapsh so this It was the
week of Thanksgiving two thousand and five, so Harry Potter
was on top, dominating the box office walk the line
was holding strong that movie we have to do, Yes,
(08:15):
we absolutely do. Are you kidding? And then Chicken Little
gave Disney it's first ever fully computer animated hit. Isn't
that crazy? What? What? What? What does it even mean?
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Because Disney wasn't Pixar.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Oh my god, what a time, What a time.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Kelly Clarkson's because of You, gold Digger my Humps were
all massive songs at this time, and.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
This is like the height of good TV. We had
Desperate Housewives, we had lost we had, The Office was
finding its footing, and Grey's anatomy was appointment viewing. Obviously,
always in my heart was always.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Put American Idol was still one of the biggest shows
in the country. Ryan Murphy was deep into niptok just
a few years away from creating Glee.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I bet you it wasn't in their in their i's
mind probably yeah, no exactly. YouTube had also launched earlier
that year, changing the way that people shared music and
media forever.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I PAUSI everywhere with those white earboods, basically being a
status symple, you know, and you had. MySpace was the
go to platform for music discovery and for social life,
which obviously has just continued on and on and on
with every other yep thing.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Uh okay, So the Internet was obviously booming. It was
becoming redefining everything from fame to social media, and also
musicals like Rent were bridging theater and mainstream film like
so I guess there's that, Like I think for Glee,
the way that we look at Glee and we say
(09:57):
we introduced new generation, you know, younger generation two, older music,
more classic hits that they may never have may never
have ever reached them. I mean, I guess that's not
true with the internet out, but you know, kids who
wouldn't have discovered don't step believe in the way that
they had. And I think for this movie, in particular,
(10:17):
for the people who like Sam are producer who says Rent,
this Rent movie is the only touch point she has
for Rent, obviously in addition to the soundtrack the original
Broadway cast recording. But like I'm grateful for that, I'm
grateful for fans to have been able to experience Rent
who didn't get to experience it in a theater and
(10:38):
oftentimes musical. This musical was not a musical like Hairspray
where high schools were doing it. It's the context is
just not appropriate for that age. And so I'm sure
high schools have done it. I think there was something
viral about in high school doing it at one point
and there was complete uproar. But I of all the
(10:59):
music holes that we are going to uh review, watch recap,
this one in particular, it actually raised me. Yeah, And
(11:20):
it was in my thoughts every night, It was in
my in the things we were talking about every day.
It was the thing I was listening to every second.
My dad had to beg me at one point to
stop listening to it in the car because he was
so sick of it. Weren't you really young? Well you
talking about the movie or the stage musical, the musical,
(11:41):
the musical.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You were young when they came out.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I was very young when I came out. I was
I was in the King and I am Broadway at
ninety six, and that's when Rent opened. I wouldn't think
I was craving to Rent. Yeah, no, no, no, no. It
didn't hit me until probably high school, probably about fourteen
years old was when and I started listening to Rent.
And it was life changing for me. And luckily it
(12:08):
didn't happen often. It was a show that was still
running on Broadway many many, many years later. Oftentimes you
find musicals that you're like, oh my god, I wish
this was still running. I could see it. I could
and I went into the city. I think I went
eight times and saw it live on Broadway. Because this
was the time of student rush tickets, where you would
(12:30):
go into the city and you would wait in line
or go to the box office and show your student
id high school, college, and you would get twenty dollars
tickets and the seats would either be like on the
side or in the front or all the way in
the back. But like, you get to see shows. I
saw so many shows that way, and the amount of
times I saw Rent was troublesome. Rob Russo and I
(12:52):
would go all the time into the city for the
weekend for Saturday. Saturday, I take the train and go
to your plane in Hollywood and go see a show.
And I remember listening to this over and over again.
And the joy about Rent is even without seeing it,
even if I didn't get to go eight times, I
knew the story because it's an opera. All the dialogue
(13:14):
is included in that soundtracke you're in that recording. Yeah,
so you get everything, you know, every word of that
musical when you go watch it. So it was just
so formative for me in terms of my career, in
terms of my inspiration, in terms of my love for theater,
(13:35):
and it was so groundbreaking.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
I think, yeah, what was it about? Do you remember
when you first heard it? Like, what was it?
Speaker 1 (13:43):
To me? It's kind of like watching MTV or it's
a little racy and you're not supposed to be listening
to it like your parents are, like is this appropriate.
So there's something about that, like it's pushing the boundary
of what we're talking about and what we're addressing. They
were like a tiny bit older, but they were like cool,
(14:04):
and they were like in New York City as artists,
starving artists, and you know, they were all trying to
be in the industry of some like in some way.
So I think there was like things that resonated there.
I mean, the music is just it is literally perfect.
The songs are just perfect, like I think so musically, melodically,
(14:28):
story wise, the characters, everybody, they're all like it was
just such a widespread of beautiful characters that were so
flawed that I think you also didn't see that a lot.
You saw like a few dimensions, but you didn't see
all of these dimensions. And it was like this little
friend group kind of like watching friends, like you want
to be in friends with them, and you see all
(14:49):
the conflict and the relationships kind of play out. And
so it was just really beautifully thought out and written
and told and every way even formed. So I think
I think it was bad, like I don't. And then
there's just a craze around it, and it was community
building like everybody you knew knew that music, and if
(15:10):
you turned it on in the car with your friends,
everybody knew the words and you could jam out in
the car to it and sing you know yea love
you Like it just was I don't know, it's just
so important and I I can't even explain to you.
It's like Wicked kind of it was like that in Wicked.
(15:32):
I mean, we were just obsessed.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
They're so different, so different.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I'm curious when you discovered Rent and if it was
as big for you as it was for me, or
like if it was at all, or if you saw
it from the outside, Like what was that?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Well, what you just said made me think of that
time for me, because I don't think I definitely never
saw it until I saw the movie, and I don't
think I really knew. I'm not sure how much of
the music I knew, but I knew of Rent because
(16:10):
it was such a part of like the pop culture
zeitgeist from the nineties, and like, so I watched it
last night with my mom and she's like, I've seen Rent.
I'm like, when did you see Rent? She's like, I
think when I used to go into the city. I'm like, no, mom,
this is from the nineties. You didn't live in New York.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
She's like, where did I see it?
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I'm like, because I think it was just always around.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Yeah, for so long.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
It was just there in some capacity. There were spoofs
of it on South Park.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
There were like you know what I mean, like it
was just such a massive hat.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Yes, it reminded me. It reminded me of like Hamilton
in a way. Yes, definitely, where it became so much
more than just like the theater show. Yeah, it took
over mainstream, which doesn't happen very often I think with
Broadway shows. Yes, and it revolutionized. Like I even knew
(17:10):
as a kid who had no context of what Broadway
was really, I knew it was a big deal because
it was talking about things that normally did not get
talked about.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Like that was my understanding of it. Yep, yep, exactly,
that's right. And I mean now you know, looking at it,
it's like, oh, it's a rock opera, like that didn't happen. Yeah,
and it's an opera like that's that's crazy. It also
kind of reminds me of Spring Awakening. Yeah, totally. The
music wasn't your traditional nineteen ninety six Rochen Hierstein musical
(17:45):
right like it was a rock pop opera. It was different,
it was racy, it was like the musical Jesus Christy
Star a little Well.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
It's like when that happens, it then sort of sends
out a big, huge message to everybody who didn't write
musicals like Rogers and Hammerstein. Yes that like this can
work and you may get funding for it and it
could be a massive hit, just like a Book of
Mormon did in a way, just like Hamilton did.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Yes, for sure, completely changed.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Like it's what's also crazy is if any of you
listening do not know who Jonathan Larson is, his story is.
I mean, it's tragic, but also like he was brilliant
and wrote this incredible piece and died before it ever officially.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Opened, the Off Broadway opening, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Which is crazy. So it's also one of those things
where it's locked in this like it normally in like
previews or like Off Broadway previews, especially, like things would
be changed, things would be edited, so nothing is changed
from his like original version of it yep. Which is
(19:03):
also something I think like sort of the lore behind
it as well, where it's sort of like the traditionally
imperfect things about it are perfect for it.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Because of all of that. Yep, go watch Tiktic Boom. Well,
that's also it, so to go to the stage musical.
The stage musical that Jonathan Larson wrote is kind of
like uh, him writing Rent, right, and it's about him
getting to the point of writing Rent.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
And he's so meta if you will, writing a musical
about writing a musical. But it's semi biographical and it's
really beautiful. If you haven't, we're gonna recab it at
some point too, because the movie was just impeccable. What
a tragic story for him to never see the life
that Rent took and the impact it would have. I'm
(20:00):
so many people from talking about the AIDS epidemic talking
about starving artists.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Like this is like right towards the end ish of
the AIDS epidemic. So you have this like very traumatic
history for a huge swath of the gay community, all
the friends of the gay community who have a group
trauma from all of this, and to be able to
(20:32):
put it into a show that talks about it but
also is filled with so much joy and hope and
like what.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
You said, Yeah, yeah, like seeing.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
The sort of like a grittier version of what that
so okay, So for those of you who do not know,
here's like a quick little summary of what the show is.
It's set in New York City's gritty East Village. This
is the official Sony summary of the movie. By the way,
set in New York City's Great East Village, the revolutionary
rock opera Rent tells the story of a group of
(21:06):
bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent. Measuring their
lives and love. These starving artists strive for success and
acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness, and the
AIDS epidemic. And so, like you said, if you watch
TikTok Boom, you will see in a way where Jonathan
Larson is finding inspiration for all of the story and
(21:29):
characters in Rent. So about the musical, like we said,
you know, it won the Tony and Pulitzer.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
It was also inspired by then eighteen ninety six opera
Labo m by Giacomo Puccini, which itself was based on
the eighteen fifty one novel Scenes of Bohemian Life by
Henry Murger.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Jonathan Larson took that story by Puccini of young artists
of Paris and just reimagined it for a modern audience,
setting it in New York during the late nineteen eighties
early nineties, so in the throes of the AIDS epidemic YEP,
and the story reflected Larsen's own experiences, friendships and struggles,
like we said, trying to survive as a young artist
(22:18):
in the city.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
And so the movie brought together six of the eight
original broadaycast members, which is like unprecedented. I mean, I
think that's crazy. Number one, the fact that like Hollywood
was like, yeah, we'll take the originals, right and as
you should. As you should, but it wasn't common, right,
that wasn't the common practice. And so I was when
I heard that, I was mixed about it because I
(22:44):
think it was a lot of time. It's been a
lot of time since that, you know. So we're supposed
to be like in our early twenties kind of artists
and we are now definitely not fair So Greece a
little will. I was slightly concerned about the just the
truth behind like casting somebody in that age, but we'll
(23:07):
get into that. So we had Anthony Rapp out of
the scal Adina Menzel, Oh my gosh, Jesse l Martin Wilson,
Jermaine Heredia, and then Tay Diggs and Daphne Ruminvega who
played Mimi, and she originated the role on Broadway was
unable to return because she was pregnant during filming and
she was so good, like what a presence.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Freddie Walker, of who originallyd the role of Joanne, was
the oldest member of the original cast. So this goes
to what you were just talking about, which when it
opened ninetety six. She later said she wasn't offered the
film role due to her age, but asked the producers
to cast another actress of African descent in the part,
which they did with Tracy Thomps, who I thought was
incredible and their friend.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah, I see. It goes on to actually be on
Broadway in Red, I believe as well and do the movie.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Jonathan Larson's sister, Julie Larson, served as a co producer
on the film and said the family was thrilled to
have Chris Columbus, which is also wild Chris Columbus, who
dropt doing first two Harry Potter movies. This came out
during the fourth Harry Potter movie, calling it the next
chapter and the continuing legacy of Jonathan's vision.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
So some songs were rearranged or caught entirely for the film.
Seasons of Love, which opens act too on stage on Broadway,
became the opening number of the movie, which I was
like totally forgot about was fort Bye, and songs like
Contact and Christmas Bells were removed. Honestly I could. I
was fine with Contact being removed, but Christmas I was about,
(24:40):
and then others like You'll See were removed earlier in
the story, I guess for the movie purposes.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Several scenes were filmed but cut later, including the second
half of Goodbye Love, which Columbus felt was emotionally too heavy,
and a flashback of Roger's golfriend April's death, which he
thought was too graphic. Wow, when you watch the stage
production and you can, I think on Netflix right now,
like a filmed version of the You it's dark. It's
(25:08):
dark on stage like it is. It's a it's a
grittier movie. And I think, what happens when you try
to make something like that more appealing or like change
the tone? This movie felt like a different tone than
(25:29):
the stage production to me, Yes, it felt bright, too bright. Yes,
the show is what it is. The show is about
what it's about, so like if you're going to tackle that, yeah,
like do it faithfully?
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
And it felt just like a little too yeah, like
set bubblegum poppy, yeah, like why why are we making
this a pop rock musical?
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Yeah? Yeah, I agree? And then like even like cutting
out the second half of Goodbye Love because it was
too tragic, too dark, Like that is the musical, that is,
this is what it is right now.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
True to me, that's like an old school producer thing
that doesn't understand what makes the show what successful as
it is, Like you have one of the longest running
shows on Broadway. It's been wildly successful at that point
for almost ten years, and people know what the show is,
(26:24):
so like there's an opportunity there to really be able
to like get in there and get gritty and have
all this like gritty music.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
And I also thought it was I didn't even know
the Seasons of Love Opensact two in the stage show
because I at some point I was like why did
we just see that? And then because it emotionally watching
it now that makes I feel like it would be
so much more impactful seeing it halfway through the movie interesting, right,
(26:56):
like you've now experienced you now know all these people,
which is how the original show is written. Right, And
then they come out and sing this song that is
so beautiful and so moving yep yeah yeah, and so
you're getting it out of context or it feels like
it's fan service, like we're we're putting the pit up first.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Yeah, I'm not sure why they did that, and I
part of me is like it can't be as simple
as like people seasons love is like the quintessential song
ground because to me it's not but like for commercial purposes, right, like,
and you're opening it with you if you're going to.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Know any song, it's going to do that song. But right,
that doesn't really make it like that's not going to
get people into the movie theater because.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
They're exactly Yeah. So I don't I don't know exactly
why that's what they open with, but it was a choice.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Blanket statement. I thought everyone was really great.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Well, I mean they are the original cast. Yeah, I
did think they were all. I think.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Them looking older than like their early twenties.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, out of it, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Which is also strange, like why does it work in Greece?
Maybe because it's like a silly movie. This is not
a silly movie.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Yeah, I mean it didn't bother me as as much
this watching it this time, as I remember like being like, oh,
they're casting the original and like, aren't they too old
for this? Right?
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Roger Ebert said he admired the cast, but the film
didn't fully work without the context of stage version, and
a lot of critics pointed out that they felt bringing
back the original cast nearly decade later made the characters
seem older than attended.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Yeah, I agree there, I look again, I'm very torn
by it, because I do think that it was very
powerful to hear these guys who created the original with,
you know, in that room together when magic was being
made for people who didn't get to see the stage
show experience that firsthand. Listen to these voices again, they're
(29:09):
so so iconic in the history of theater and musical theater,
so like, I don't know that I would have taken
to this listening to somebody else sing it or speak
it like Anthony Rapp, you know, opening it, Like I
don't know. I yeah, Like they were, I would be like,
(29:32):
if you're going to do a Gley room boot, like
I can't be in high school anymore, you know what
I mean. Like not that that would happen, but you
know that's the way I would feel about it.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
So, I mean, I feel like it was like the
respectful thing to do having them all back, and obviously
they're all.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Incredible, phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Yeah, And I think if you were there, like when
they were doing this like two thousand and four, that's
not that long after the stage production. But the other
thing is is you can get away with being a
little older on stage stage, and like if you actually
saw people who looked quite young doing this, might have
(30:15):
the starving artist thing. I just think feels so much
more believable. Yeah, and like people, these people look like
they nobody looks like old. I'm not saying that, but
there's a difference between twenty and thirty.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Overall, my biggest problems with this product, this movie, or
my biggest qualms with this movie were.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
The music aspect, watching these guys speak the dialogue that
I have sung for my whole life.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Wait, really, so everything that is there.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
No speaking in the stage show.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
I don't even I think I think he speaks a
few times. Even the voicemails are are sung in the
show Mark Alexi Darling. Yeah, yeah, it's everything is sung.
So there's either a beat or a movement and people
(31:21):
are singing, and so it is troublesome to me. I
had to look away, like it hurts because it's so embedded,
deeply embedded, ingrained in my in my mind. And to
watch them, I mean that must have been difficult for
them to make sense of the dialogue in a speaking
(31:42):
and not make it sound like what it's how it sucks.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Well, it also brings me to it makes it In
a musical, there's always that thing of like is this
happening in real life or are they imagining part of
this where if it is all sung and you know that, like,
then that is the world in Yeah, right, that's just
how everybody's communicating the suspension of disbelief. This is an opera, yes,
(32:06):
but if you're going in between, like when Angel comes
in and does the whole performance, like that makes sense
because Angel's performing in the living room for everybody. Yeah,
but almost every other time you're like when Adina is
performing like on stage, fine, but that doesn't happen very
often in this and so it's like, also, like what
what are we doing here?
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Like you're what you own? Or like what you Own
is one of those that was like, oh, they have
to like in the movie, they have to make sense
of it, like they on the music and the musical,
if I remember correctly, they just stand there on the
rafters like and it's fine, but in this one, you
have you can't have that right Like and out Tonight
(32:49):
for Mini, they put her in the club, which I
like get, but like on stage, it's just her on
the railing in the back, all the way in the back.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Like, but she's walking up and down like the fire.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Escapes, isn't she Yes, yes, yes, yeah, Like West Side
Story just did it. Yeah, I just I'm finding I
found it very jarring, and it took away the part
of the musical that made it so I don't know,
like sticky, like they're like in the in between the transitions,
the discussion, like it just felt like it was missing
(33:23):
something and it was like to make an adaptation of
something and to take that out it felt counterintuitive to me.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
It felt like, you know, we have talked about this extensively,
but Glee doing a musical is a different set of skills,
I think to an extent, And I think when you
see films like Chicago, which is and then you see
(33:53):
something like this where blocking how you're staging these numbers
affects the audience's ability to feel something, because I think
a lot of the time in this movie, because I
know I have felt something when I watched the recording
of the Broadway show I'm in it start to finish,
(34:19):
you feel it like, I know this music is good. Yeah,
And it's not for lack of anybody not being good
in this movie.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
But like at the end when there's the funeral, yeah,
and they're all walking through the cemetery and it is
the most awkwardly shocked and blocked scene in that movie.
And it's like this really heavy emotional moment that's going on.
(34:51):
But it is shot like a mid nineties teen movie.
And don't get me wrong, I think Chris Columbus is
on a lot of great things, But I feel like
so much of this movie just what we were talking
(35:12):
about earlier, like stripped away what we can feel like
the sincerity, the depth, the darkness, the seriousness of what's
going on in this show. That doesn't mean you I
want to cut any of the joy and the laughter
and the comedy, because there's a lot of that in
it too. But for whatever reason, how a lot of
these numbers were also staged, like even the beginning, like
(35:35):
having to pay the rent number, like how it's shot
feels so clunky and like amateur. It's for me watching
a movie or any piece of media. Yeah, when you
know it's almost good, it's so frustrating because you know
this material is good, like rent is not boring.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
No, I think this movie is boring. Agreed, it's a
little I just maybe it's it's just not meant to
be a movie.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I don't know. Watching it made me feel the complete
opposite because watching like, Okay, this version I don't.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Think works to the best of its ability. I think
they're back in the music for the dialogue. Then you
like the dialogue just falls.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
I mean, maybe it doesn't work. Look, I'm sort of
a hater of the Late Miss movie, and that's an opera,
like everything is sung. But I don't know if these
things don't work because they're operas. I think I think
this is like a filmmaker error. I kind of like this,
but I could be wrong, though, I like a lot
(36:52):
of people did Austin and I like basically first and
only fight was about the movie.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
I mean they get their music the way it was like,
didn't I I memory they didn't touch it, So.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
I've it's maybe something like this is hard to capture
on film and make you feel something.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
I think maybe there's also something about the minimal nature
of the musical and the set and the costumes and
the darkness that you were talking about, very minimal set,
like your imagination kind of comes into play here or
(37:33):
the musical and it's almost like when you're listening to
it on in the recording, I don't even need to
see this to know to like feel something right. And
it was almost like to contrived to make this story
work to be interesting enough to be a movie like
the Yeah, because the musical itself like you don't need
(37:59):
a lot suspension of disbelief. It is there, like you
can imagine it, they see it. You understand the world
because they see it. It was almost like this world
was created and it wasn't what I had imagined it
to be, and it wasn't quite right to what I
think they wanted or what Renheads would say is the world,
(38:22):
and therefore it takes away from it. It takes away
from the magic of what Rent is and it's not
about any of that. And I think that's part of it.
Like the story is just so strong and the character's
(38:45):
relationships are so strong and intertwined, like Roger and Mimi
and Mark and Roger and the Benny and the Maureen
and Maureen and Joanne and Joanne and Maureen and Mark
and everybody is in a pan about what everybody else
thinks and feels, and they're so intertwined. And then Angel
comes in and Colin an Angel, and you're like, oh
(39:08):
my god, Like it just didn't visually, I think hit
the way and it was a little slow. You're right,
that so hard.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
I'm not saying like doing this is easy. I don't
have a solution to it, because I think, but.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
You're coming from something really really excellent, and.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
Maybe it is to some things don't translate translate maybe.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
And also like the live tangible feelings in the theater
with Ren, the grittiness, the emotion is just so honest
that like, did you see the NBC Live I don't remember.
I think I thought there were some great moments in it.
I felt more from that.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Oh really, But I also think that was still like
a little too glamorous, where there's something about like you
know how I think back, Like I keep wondering if
it's like a the eraror in which this was made
with like remember that MANI series Angels in America, which
is also an incredible play.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Yeah, but like oh yeah that mini series yeah unreal
yeah and dark? Yes, And if you set this in
that style of peace, how how impactful those numbers, like
you can see those numbers? Yeah, And like I think
(40:36):
you could have the everything sung and I think, I
don't know, maybe it's hard.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
It's hard. It's really hard. Because I was going to say, oh,
the Hollywood Bowl version of ret that they did, did
you go to that? Of course I did. Skylar Aston
was Mark and Aaron Tobay was Roger, and thoughts it
was still a little too bright, but I still bought
it because it was live.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
I under if this is one of those movies and
maybe the swile Mis did it of where singing live
lives would really help.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Yes, I don't know, Kevin, I don't know. This is
a tough one because I also Okay, I know we're
just like sort of poo pooing on it. Yeah, but
I also you know, when I watched it, though, I
didn't mind, Like I wasn't bored because of it was slow.
I wasn't bored like I was like, oh, this is
(41:31):
a little slow. Maybe it was just the pacing of
it because it usually is sung, but that music still
made me feel something. But you're I think because you
are able to fill in the pieces. Yeah, no, no, no,
I could faster through this whole movie and tell you
exactly what's happening at what part and probably what they're saying.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Yeah, and you could like feel it immediately because you
have that response to it because you know it. If
you're coming into this movie with no experience to.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
It, I don't know, but I don't know.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
And again that's not to say that like everyone was
so good.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
No, I know, that's the thing, Like they were great.
It's just I think it might have been the pacing
and the brightness of the tone and the lack of
the music for the dialogue, like it all just it
didn't all the pieces didn't magically connect like they did
on Broadway.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Here's the thing, like Jonathan Larson's sister said, I do
think what is beautiful about this is that it is
it does exist, and it is a documentation, another documentation
of this great piece. Yeah, and that lives on for
(42:51):
forever and this form and the theater form and the
film theater form like that's never going away. And then
that since I liked it, they had most of the
original people in it. Yeah, I just don't know if
it served ultimately, you know, the the real story as
best as it could. Do you want to talk about
(43:21):
some of these numbers. How did Seasons of Love starting
this off make you feel? You know, Tracy is singing, Oh,
she's saying.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
I don't. It didn't bother me that it was the beginning.
It bothered me that it was different from the how
the it opens initially, like it opens with like the
tune up right on Broadway. It is like Zember twenty fourth,
and like he's doing that, he's singing that whole thing.
(43:55):
See that's what I want. And I'm and I was like,
where how dare you? Because how dare you also just
in it immediately? How dare you? Like the worlds were different?
And I was so I was like, what Seasons of
love is just seasons of Love, and it's not even
(44:15):
that special to me anymore. It's just the overdone song
from Rent. And I was like, you just let that
live where it is. We see we heard a hundred
times in the musical. We heard one hundred times. We
did it for a glay sadly like it was just
like it's around, right, So it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
But that's the thing, if you I was really trying
my hardest, and I think I was able to like
step back from any of my like associations are sick,
you know, I'm tired of hearing it sort of feelings. Yeah, yeah,
it is just beautiful and it summarizes what this entire
show is about so beautifully and emotionally.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
All right, So maybe that's why they opened up with it,
But I don't summarize it.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
But do we need a summary? The Rent song is
the summary.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
I think they just like we are in a commercial
feature film where perhaps they are not giving the audience
the benefit of the.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
Here's what I want?
Speaker 1 (45:13):
What do you want?
Speaker 2 (45:14):
I think Linn Manuel, who directed Tick tick boom, Oh.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
He did an incredible job.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Yes, because I think he deeply, deeply respects and understands
Jonathan Lars.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
Yes, I would love to see what he would do.
I'm so pissed. You know. He was in our rehearsal last.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Week so many times when we first when they first
started rehearsing, Yeah, I love you song. He like talked
to us during lunch for a while. Then he's like,
let me know when you're going to rehearse he I
love your song. And then he came in and just crying. Oh,
I mean when I should have should have just I
should have asked him.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
I should have you should have We have to get
him on here. Oh my, Kevin, do it anyway. Some
of the favorite favorite numbers in general from the musical
itself Another Day, Oh yeah, Santa Fe, I'll cover you,
(46:15):
I'll cover you. God, there's so many bangers. I'll cover you, Rupries,
Halloween fan Fase, what You Own hands down one of
the songs, and Love Everyone of course in the movie context, yes,
oh yeah, this is all in the movie. Which ones
do you did you like? Or did you find yourself?
Speaker 2 (46:40):
I thought Adina has never been better?
Speaker 1 (46:43):
Oh god, you so.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
I there's something so magical about her in this part
that Maureen is her role. Yeah, like I forgot because
now she's become like so much more famous, She's and
so much more stuff. Now you see her do this
and it is like she is like she is living
(47:06):
that every movement.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
Like I loved Over the Moon.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
I was like, yeah, you are in it, but there's
I think there's also something different about her because she
felt really comfortable on camera.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
To me, hmm, interesting.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
And I could just be the blocking of like you know,
her scenes, but there was something about her comfortability. Obviously,
all these people are comfortable in the roles because most
of them have been playing them for forever, and you
feel that. I do think that makes a huge difference.
So I I thought take me or Leave Me?
Speaker 1 (47:39):
Was also shocked, really that was that.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
Was one of the things. I'm like, Oh, I'm actually
feeling what this what this.
Speaker 1 (47:49):
Song is about? Yeah, yeah, yeah, And it doesn't feel
too clunky, I know. I think That's the hard part
about this is like most of my favorite songs in
the show did translate for me, like I still wanted
to listen to what you Own? But did I really
want to see them like traveling across the US? No? Right,
(48:12):
what I mean? And I half of those favorite my
favorite moments are also like the tune ups and the
moments where they're singing but they're not they're talking, and
it's just so special.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
I thought Love Love You Bohem was great. Yeah, I did,
and I genuinely laughed. I still didn't think it was
shot incredibly well, but mm hmmm, I had a good time.
I thought it was one of the better numbers.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
It's definitely one of the best members in the show,
I think, and one of the most famous numbers from.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
And I just mean in the movie. I think it's
one of the better.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's hard, Tom, it's hard to like,
you'll see it's talk. They talk and then they sing,
and it's like the whole thing should have just been sung,
and they just I don't know. I thought I thought,
(49:09):
uh uh Rosario did a very good job with out tonight.
I think that is incredibly difficult to take something that
has been so it's just so famous and iconic from
Daphne and to re or to reinterpret, not recreate, because
(49:29):
you can't but reinterpret it. And I thought she did
a beautiful job with the character and with that.
Speaker 2 (49:38):
For those of you who have not seen Daphne and
Something by the way go watch her in the Heights movie.
She's powerful and like she doesn't have a traditional like
theater voice.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
No. Once on Glory also Roger does Once on Glory,
and I think there's a flashback of April in that,
and I was like, no, no, it's weird figure out,
you know, figure out, So I don't. I didn't love that.
Speaker 2 (50:12):
And I think, look, you always have to make some
usually some changes for the screen. But I don't think
any of these changes made anything better.
Speaker 1 (50:25):
No, that's the thing. I think you're right. I think
it's like it was it was. You don't need anything else, right,
and of course you have to switch things, but you don't.
You don't need it. So I'm just sad, just I've
never heard you laugh like that. Just uncomfortable because I
just love this is just really very deep in my soul,
(50:46):
this musical. And I don't think I was prepared for
watching the movie again and not like revisiting the actual.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
The recording, like the Broadway recording.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
No, but I saw when I was searching and I
was like, oh, I need to I don't know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:03):
Maybe tonight watch it. It's everybody else you should watch it.
It's really really good.
Speaker 1 (51:10):
Adam Cantor, Oh my Adam Candor, will Chase Renee Goldsberry. Okay,
I'll watch it. It's Eden Espinoza. Wow, it's very good,
very good. Okay, great. You know I got like three
callbacks for rent once. Oh go on Broadway. Yeah, Pach
part Alexi Darling and they play like multiple roles as well.
(51:34):
But and the mom like she does the voicemail? Are
you so sad that you didn't get it? I was
really sad. I was writing in my journal. I was manifested.
How old are you? I was in college. I must
have been. It must have been like two thousand and six,
right before Spring Awakening. Yes, right, we're skeeting. That's right,
see you gouty Spring Awakening. Hey, here we are, here,
(51:56):
we are Okay. I don't think we can grade into
these performances. So I think that was sufficient. But let's
do some tarty takes, okay, so cringe moments.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
And that thing felt really offensive.
Speaker 1 (52:12):
No, I mean I think well I thought was.
Speaker 2 (52:14):
A little clunky. Was when Mark goes to the meeting,
like the first meeting of the people with HIV or AIDS.
Speaker 1 (52:24):
Man, I just can't explain to you how uncomfortable that may.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
Means, and he was like, can I film and everyone's like, uh,
I don't remember how that feels on the show, but
in the movie it felt like such an invasion.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
He doesn't ask in the show, he is just he
sings it Mark Mark, you know, like it's just it
works so much better. It's just not meant to be spoken,
and for him to be there like that, but he's
just kind of there form afar, and it just I
(52:57):
think in the movie they're like, we have to explain
why here. You know, I can't remember exactly, but it
never felt like that. You okay, yeah, oh, can we
talk about the tango? No, I don't want to talk
about the tank okay, exactly, Okay, thank you. I was
floored when there's one hundred tango dancers on the floor
and then Adina shows up, and I would like, get
(53:18):
off the stage right now, just leave. Same No, but
today for you, yes is great. I thought over them,
but I thought over the moon was great. I thought again,
love people am. I thought that was qureaographed really well.
Best song. Oh my god, that's like Sophie's.
Speaker 2 (53:44):
I don't think Okay for the purposes of the movie,
I think I'm just gonna go with take me or Leave.
Speaker 1 (53:51):
Me, Okay, because I liked that well shot number. I
don't know. I think Another Day is still a favorite. Okay.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
Best performance by a prop obviously Mark's camera obviously, or
like burning a barrel fire in the apartment.
Speaker 1 (54:13):
It works on stage, you.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
Know what I you know, it felt too much like
a Glee set, like a.
Speaker 1 (54:21):
U the loft, and also like the steady cam round
shot of them around the fire felt. I was like,
get out of here, and.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
I think that works for a TV show. This is
not a TV show, a comedy TV show on Fox.
Speaker 1 (54:38):
Right right right?
Speaker 2 (54:41):
Best line, I mean there's so many zoom in am
I emty wallet, you're flirting with the woman in rubber.
There will always be a woman rubber flirting with me.
Give me a break.
Speaker 1 (54:54):
I thought.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Tracy and Adina's chemistry.
Speaker 1 (54:56):
Was also great. Yes, definitely. Oh I rewired the ATM
at the food Emporium. How you need as a code
A Geyah Angel is an incredible character, incredible, one of
the best, and they're all really incredible performance MVP, Oh gosh,
(55:16):
how do you even choose?
Speaker 2 (55:20):
Before we go, we have to talk about Adam Pascal's voice.
Speaker 1 (55:25):
One for the ages, I mean really, Adam Oscal was
also one of those voices that raised me, and his
voice stupid. I mean him doing another musical that really
(55:47):
also raised me was Aida Yes and God, I love
that album so much, and him doing that also was
It's very His voice is so distinctive that like when
you put him on something, you're like, we're putting out
on a frescos, right, and it is, but it is
so it's perfect, It's perfect. It is ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (56:10):
I wonder what it's like to be a real tenor
you know, MVP. All of them, yeah, as an ensemble,
the whole team, but special special shout out to Adina
because you know she's fam Yeah. And also like Anthony Rap.
I've run into Anthony Rap so many times and Tracy
(56:33):
over the years and they're just like always so sweet
and just great and gracious and they're obviously just like
legends and yep, wonderful.
Speaker 1 (56:45):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (56:48):
Side note we found on TikTok just to diverge from
you know, where we are. We're getting a little growth
doing a mashup of Hammile and and Beyonce. He goes into.
Speaker 1 (57:06):
And to hold up by Beyonce, and.
Speaker 2 (57:10):
I just I really appreciate being a part of the behive.
That is so funny because just when I think I'm
the biggest Beyonce fan, Groff is just right there and
he may yeah, he may be in front.
Speaker 1 (57:28):
That's very funny, amazing, Yeah, wild Well, we love grath
oh so much. I need to go see a show. Okay,
So coming up, we are talking to the one and
only Ana Pascal Star stage and screen full full fan
Girl Full fan Girl will be coming out, and then
(57:49):
soon we'll also be chatting with our our dear friend
Tracy Toms, who has been a part of Rent and
a part of the Ride and refew World and a
part of just everything. She's in. Everything she's in, deverish,
I know what some saying she's in.
Speaker 2 (58:02):
Like every so many iconic things.
Speaker 1 (58:06):
I love her. And you're assigning for next week, you guys, Kevin,
what does everybody supposed to be watching? How we're doing it?
We're doing it.
Speaker 2 (58:14):
Tomorrow, Annie, the nineteen eighty two version. Get into it,
Get your wigs out, And that's what you really missed.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and
that's what you really miss pod, make sure to write
us a review and leave us five stars.
Speaker 1 (58:29):
See you next time.
And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to you, and that's what you're on this podcast.
Hello Ken, Welcome, Hello Jo and getting over a two
week cold that has just been looming and then finally
it bubbled to the surface this week. And everybody's just a.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Surface is really a description, you know, graphic, It actually bubbled.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
How's everything going, Kevin? And how's rehearsals? We have.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
A couple more days of rehearsal than we're into tech.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Wow, Kevin, crazy, that's so fast. That happened, really so fast.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
It's like two and a half weeks of rehearsal.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
You guys got it? How exciting? I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I think it's kind of being really good.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I know it's going to be really good. Are you kidding?
How podcast?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Jasmine Amy Rodgers is of our house. When I look
at her sweet little face as olive, I don't know
what's going to happen in front of an audience because
bar Fay may just be crying the entire time, which
I know is not not what's supposed to happen.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And this is like she did just a boop and
it was like that is such a hard show to do.
All like to hold a show like that on your own,
I meaninated, But she is this supposed to be like
a lightlift for her? I don't.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I think it's because it's so different. It's different for
a lot of the people in the show, like different
from themselves or what they're used to playing. And it
is a gift to see everybody.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
You know, you guys are going to be.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It's fun and we've all gotten like, you know, we're
getting closer every day to one another.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
And cute little Cass so cute.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
It's really nice and it's exciting. And yeah, I can't wait.
We're gonna be like next door to Heathers. So I'm
gonna have to go see Heathers.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Well, I can't wait, can't wait to hear it all.
You got to report back. We're gonna talk about your
first performance.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Oh my god, Jenna, the first previews in four days.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Jesus, you're find you've done this before. You've done this
show before. Yeah, but it's just gonna be about sustaining
after that.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yes, And it's just it's a little different.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
What's weird is that there's been little changes.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
For like me.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
So yep, yep, yeah, we have the original did I
say this before? We have the original vocal arranger, right, yeah,
so she's made little adjustments, oh my gosh. And so
you know, like part of my harmonies in the song
will be the same and then like one note is
different or like a couple notes are different, which really
(02:55):
messes with me.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
It'll fall back into place. I did Into the Woods
twice and like two years, one like one year after
the other, one in a high school production and one
in my freshman year of college. Oh my god, and
they were like different, but they're non different, but like
your character is different because your cast is different and
your p production is different. But it is like it's
a mind f because like sometimes you're like, oh, I'm
(03:16):
in this and I've done this before and it's in
my body. But then you're like, don't forget. You're not
in that production. You're in this production.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yes, the muscle memory, I you know, Okay, I had
a really strange experience and maybe you can help me. Yeah,
but there's a part in the show which I used
to get really like when I did it last year,
I got really nervous for and so when it comes
to that just in rehearsal, there's like no extra people watching, right,
it's just the people that are in rehearsal. I step
(03:44):
up to the mic and I get nervous, and there's
no reason to it's safe space, rehearsal, whatever, and my
body like remembers.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
That's crazy. It's that wild, it's so weird. Yeah, I
think that will click out once you're in these performances
for a certain of time, Like at some point you're
not nervous anymore, even if it will be in the
beginning speaking of people doing things twice, Yes, good transition.
Today we are rehapping the movie musical, not the musical,
(04:15):
although we're going to talk about the musical a lot.
The movie musical Rent.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Rent, written by Jonathan Larson, the one the Pulitzer Tony Award,
one of the longest running shows ever on Broadway. It
was a revolutionary show when it came out.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah, this I mean so a lot. And one of
the special things about this movie was that a majority
of this original cast came back to do this film,
with a few exceptions, which is kind of rare, Like,
(04:55):
I don't I remember when this happened, of course, and
when they had announced the movie and it normally you're like, oh, well,
who is going to be in the movie? Right, like
aDNA and Kristen didn't do Wicked and you know Hairspray,
like it's the cast changes, right. But this was very
unique and special yet also semi detrimental to all of it, right, Like,
(05:20):
I think there were pieces that it was It kept
the entigrity of what you were listening to over and
over again, but also then you run into trying to
recreate something that was already perfect. So this premiered on
November twenty third, two thousand and five. The movie the
musical opened ninety six, ninety six. Yes, that was the
(05:42):
same year that the Game I opened on Broadway.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
You were on Broadway when Rent premiered debuted?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Wow, yeah, I was. We opened on ninety nineteen, April
ten then or April eleventh, and nineteen ninety six, so
I was nine years old open on Broadway and they
opened in ninety six on Broadway. Just wow, blocks away.
That's crazy, and we both want Tony's Wow. Let's let's
talk about what was in the news, what was going
(06:11):
on in the world, and then we'll get all into
a Rent yeah, because I feel.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Like this also just isn't about two thousand and five.
It's also about ninety six.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
It's really not it can't you know, it certainly can't be. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
The number one song was run It by Chris Brown.
It was his first single. He was like, what sixteen,
I remember when this song came out.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Wow, yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
He throwne gold Digger as the number one song. Gold
Digger was number one for ten weeks.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Damn oh, Jenna. The number one movie in the country,
Harry Potter, and they got the guy got a fire,
the a little like what's the word I'm looking for?
Like the Bull in the China Shop movie, the like
the Black the Black Sheep of the Moo of the
(06:59):
movies Fire. Yes, it was different than the rest, yet
is there? Azkaban No, no, no, no. Goblet was like
it's a standalone like it could have been done. It
had just like it was all encompassing, like the competition,
and it was kind of the standalone.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Oh I thought you so, like Alfonso Koran did Presidenter
of Azkaban and it looked very different.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Oh no, no, no, I'm talking about like the context. Yeah,
and who directed Goblet? He was like he brought out
like a lot of the humor. It was a little
bit the tone was a little bit different in Goblet.
I think Mike Newall, oh yeah, I thought was great. Well,
I mean I love goblital Fire is just different than
(07:45):
the rest. And then and it kind of was the
turning point for the rest of the movie.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
I think they all stayed in the Goblet of fire
Lane after that.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Fair enough, yes, fair enough, yes, agreed, agreed. Nogle news
this week as this is obviously pre Glee, but there
are some pop culture snapsh so this It was the
week of Thanksgiving two thousand and five, so Harry Potter
was on top, dominating the box office walk the line
was holding strong that movie we have to do, Yes,
(08:15):
we absolutely do. Are you kidding? And then Chicken Little
gave Disney it's first ever fully computer animated hit. Isn't
that crazy? What? What? What? What does it even mean?
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Because Disney wasn't Pixar.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Oh my god, what a time, What a time.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Kelly Clarkson's because of You, gold Digger my Humps were
all massive songs at this time, and.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
This is like the height of good TV. We had
Desperate Housewives, we had lost we had, The Office was
finding its footing, and Grey's anatomy was appointment viewing. Obviously,
always in my heart was always.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Put American Idol was still one of the biggest shows
in the country. Ryan Murphy was deep into niptok just
a few years away from creating Glee.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I bet you it wasn't in their in their i's
mind probably yeah, no exactly. YouTube had also launched earlier
that year, changing the way that people shared music and
media forever.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
I PAUSI everywhere with those white earboods, basically being a
status symple, you know, and you had. MySpace was the
go to platform for music discovery and for social life,
which obviously has just continued on and on and on
with every other yep thing.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Uh okay, So the Internet was obviously booming. It was
becoming redefining everything from fame to social media, and also
musicals like Rent were bridging theater and mainstream film like
so I guess there's that, Like I think for Glee,
the way that we look at Glee and we say
(09:57):
we introduced new generation, you know, younger generation two, older music,
more classic hits that they may never have may never
have ever reached them. I mean, I guess that's not
true with the internet out, but you know, kids who
wouldn't have discovered don't step believe in the way that
they had. And I think for this movie, in particular,
(10:17):
for the people who like Sam are producer who says Rent,
this Rent movie is the only touch point she has
for Rent, obviously in addition to the soundtrack the original
Broadway cast recording. But like I'm grateful for that, I'm
grateful for fans to have been able to experience Rent
who didn't get to experience it in a theater and
(10:38):
oftentimes musical. This musical was not a musical like Hairspray
where high schools were doing it. It's the context is
just not appropriate for that age. And so I'm sure
high schools have done it. I think there was something
viral about in high school doing it at one point
and there was complete uproar. But I of all the
(10:59):
music holes that we are going to uh review, watch recap,
this one in particular, it actually raised me. Yeah, And
(11:20):
it was in my thoughts every night, It was in
my in the things we were talking about every day.
It was the thing I was listening to every second.
My dad had to beg me at one point to
stop listening to it in the car because he was
so sick of it. Weren't you really young? Well you
talking about the movie or the stage musical, the musical,
(11:41):
the musical.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You were young when they came out.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I was very young when I came out. I was
I was in the King and I am Broadway at
ninety six, and that's when Rent opened. I wouldn't think
I was craving to Rent. Yeah, no, no, no, no. It
didn't hit me until probably high school, probably about fourteen
years old was when and I started listening to Rent.
And it was life changing for me. And luckily it
(12:08):
didn't happen often. It was a show that was still
running on Broadway many many, many years later. Oftentimes you
find musicals that you're like, oh my god, I wish
this was still running. I could see it. I could
and I went into the city. I think I went
eight times and saw it live on Broadway. Because this
was the time of student rush tickets, where you would
(12:30):
go into the city and you would wait in line
or go to the box office and show your student
id high school, college, and you would get twenty dollars
tickets and the seats would either be like on the
side or in the front or all the way in
the back. But like, you get to see shows. I
saw so many shows that way, and the amount of
times I saw Rent was troublesome. Rob Russo and I
(12:52):
would go all the time into the city for the
weekend for Saturday. Saturday, I take the train and go
to your plane in Hollywood and go see a show.
And I remember listening to this over and over again.
And the joy about Rent is even without seeing it,
even if I didn't get to go eight times, I
knew the story because it's an opera. All the dialogue
(13:14):
is included in that soundtracke you're in that recording. Yeah,
so you get everything, you know, every word of that
musical when you go watch it. So it was just
so formative for me in terms of my career, in
terms of my inspiration, in terms of my love for theater,
(13:35):
and it was so groundbreaking.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
I think, yeah, what was it about? Do you remember
when you first heard it? Like, what was it?
Speaker 1 (13:43):
To me? It's kind of like watching MTV or it's
a little racy and you're not supposed to be listening
to it like your parents are, like is this appropriate.
So there's something about that, like it's pushing the boundary
of what we're talking about and what we're addressing. They
were like a tiny bit older, but they were like cool,
(14:04):
and they were like in New York City as artists,
starving artists, and you know, they were all trying to
be in the industry of some like in some way.
So I think there was like things that resonated there.
I mean, the music is just it is literally perfect.
The songs are just perfect, like I think so musically, melodically,
(14:28):
story wise, the characters, everybody, they're all like it was
just such a widespread of beautiful characters that were so
flawed that I think you also didn't see that a lot.
You saw like a few dimensions, but you didn't see
all of these dimensions. And it was like this little
friend group kind of like watching friends, like you want
to be in friends with them, and you see all
(14:49):
the conflict and the relationships kind of play out. And
so it was just really beautifully thought out and written
and told and every way even formed. So I think
I think it was bad, like I don't. And then
there's just a craze around it, and it was community
building like everybody you knew knew that music, and if
(15:10):
you turned it on in the car with your friends,
everybody knew the words and you could jam out in
the car to it and sing you know yea love
you Like it just was I don't know, it's just
so important and I I can't even explain to you.
It's like Wicked kind of it was like that in Wicked.
(15:32):
I mean, we were just obsessed.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
They're so different, so different.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I'm curious when you discovered Rent and if it was
as big for you as it was for me, or
like if it was at all, or if you saw
it from the outside, Like what was that?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Well, what you just said made me think of that
time for me, because I don't think I definitely never
saw it until I saw the movie, and I don't
think I really knew. I'm not sure how much of
the music I knew, but I knew of Rent because
(16:10):
it was such a part of like the pop culture
zeitgeist from the nineties, and like, so I watched it
last night with my mom and she's like, I've seen Rent.
I'm like, when did you see Rent? She's like, I
think when I used to go into the city. I'm like, no, mom,
this is from the nineties. You didn't live in New York.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
She's like, where did I see it?
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I'm like, because I think it was just always around.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Yeah, for so long.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
It was just there in some capacity. There were spoofs
of it on South Park.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
There were like you know what I mean, like it
was just such a massive hat.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Yes, it reminded me. It reminded me of like Hamilton
in a way. Yes, definitely, where it became so much
more than just like the theater show. Yeah, it took
over mainstream, which doesn't happen very often I think with
Broadway shows. Yes, and it revolutionized. Like I even knew
(17:10):
as a kid who had no context of what Broadway
was really, I knew it was a big deal because
it was talking about things that normally did not get
talked about.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Like that was my understanding of it. Yep, yep, exactly,
that's right. And I mean now you know, looking at it,
it's like, oh, it's a rock opera, like that didn't happen. Yeah,
and it's an opera like that's that's crazy. It also
kind of reminds me of Spring Awakening. Yeah, totally. The
music wasn't your traditional nineteen ninety six Rochen Hierstein musical
(17:45):
right like it was a rock pop opera. It was different,
it was racy, it was like the musical Jesus Christy
Star a little Well.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
It's like when that happens, it then sort of sends
out a big, huge message to everybody who didn't write
musicals like Rogers and Hammerstein. Yes that like this can
work and you may get funding for it and it
could be a massive hit, just like a Book of
Mormon did in a way, just like Hamilton did.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Yes, for sure, completely changed.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Like it's what's also crazy is if any of you
listening do not know who Jonathan Larson is, his story is.
I mean, it's tragic, but also like he was brilliant
and wrote this incredible piece and died before it ever officially.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Opened, the Off Broadway opening, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Which is crazy. So it's also one of those things
where it's locked in this like it normally in like
previews or like Off Broadway previews, especially, like things would
be changed, things would be edited, so nothing is changed
from his like original version of it yep. Which is
(19:03):
also something I think like sort of the lore behind
it as well, where it's sort of like the traditionally
imperfect things about it are perfect for it.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Because of all of that. Yep, go watch Tiktic Boom. Well,
that's also it, so to go to the stage musical.
The stage musical that Jonathan Larson wrote is kind of
like uh, him writing Rent, right, and it's about him
getting to the point of writing Rent.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
And he's so meta if you will, writing a musical
about writing a musical. But it's semi biographical and it's
really beautiful. If you haven't, we're gonna recab it at
some point too, because the movie was just impeccable. What
a tragic story for him to never see the life
that Rent took and the impact it would have. I'm
(20:00):
so many people from talking about the AIDS epidemic talking
about starving artists.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Like this is like right towards the end ish of
the AIDS epidemic. So you have this like very traumatic
history for a huge swath of the gay community, all
the friends of the gay community who have a group
trauma from all of this, and to be able to
(20:32):
put it into a show that talks about it but
also is filled with so much joy and hope and
like what.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
You said, Yeah, yeah, like seeing.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
The sort of like a grittier version of what that
so okay, So for those of you who do not know,
here's like a quick little summary of what the show is.
It's set in New York City's gritty East Village. This
is the official Sony summary of the movie. By the way,
set in New York City's Great East Village, the revolutionary
rock opera Rent tells the story of a group of
(21:06):
bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent. Measuring their
lives and love. These starving artists strive for success and
acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness, and the
AIDS epidemic. And so, like you said, if you watch
TikTok Boom, you will see in a way where Jonathan
Larson is finding inspiration for all of the story and
(21:29):
characters in Rent. So about the musical, like we said,
you know, it won the Tony and Pulitzer.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
It was also inspired by then eighteen ninety six opera
Labo m by Giacomo Puccini, which itself was based on
the eighteen fifty one novel Scenes of Bohemian Life by
Henry Murger.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Jonathan Larson took that story by Puccini of young artists
of Paris and just reimagined it for a modern audience,
setting it in New York during the late nineteen eighties
early nineties, so in the throes of the AIDS epidemic YEP,
and the story reflected Larsen's own experiences, friendships and struggles,
like we said, trying to survive as a young artist
(22:18):
in the city.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
And so the movie brought together six of the eight
original broadaycast members, which is like unprecedented. I mean, I
think that's crazy. Number one, the fact that like Hollywood
was like, yeah, we'll take the originals, right and as
you should. As you should, but it wasn't common, right,
that wasn't the common practice. And so I was when
I heard that, I was mixed about it because I
(22:44):
think it was a lot of time. It's been a
lot of time since that, you know. So we're supposed
to be like in our early twenties kind of artists
and we are now definitely not fair So Greece a
little will. I was slightly concerned about the just the
truth behind like casting somebody in that age, but we'll
(23:07):
get into that. So we had Anthony Rapp out of
the scal Adina Menzel, Oh my gosh, Jesse l Martin Wilson,
Jermaine Heredia, and then Tay Diggs and Daphne Ruminvega who
played Mimi, and she originated the role on Broadway was
unable to return because she was pregnant during filming and
she was so good, like what a presence.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Freddie Walker, of who originallyd the role of Joanne, was
the oldest member of the original cast. So this goes
to what you were just talking about, which when it
opened ninetety six. She later said she wasn't offered the
film role due to her age, but asked the producers
to cast another actress of African descent in the part,
which they did with Tracy Thomps, who I thought was
incredible and their friend.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah, I see. It goes on to actually be on
Broadway in Red, I believe as well and do the movie.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Jonathan Larson's sister, Julie Larson, served as a co producer
on the film and said the family was thrilled to
have Chris Columbus, which is also wild Chris Columbus, who
dropt doing first two Harry Potter movies. This came out
during the fourth Harry Potter movie, calling it the next
chapter and the continuing legacy of Jonathan's vision.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
So some songs were rearranged or caught entirely for the film.
Seasons of Love, which opens act too on stage on Broadway,
became the opening number of the movie, which I was
like totally forgot about was fort Bye, and songs like
Contact and Christmas Bells were removed. Honestly I could. I
was fine with Contact being removed, but Christmas I was about,
(24:40):
and then others like You'll See were removed earlier in
the story, I guess for the movie purposes.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Several scenes were filmed but cut later, including the second
half of Goodbye Love, which Columbus felt was emotionally too heavy,
and a flashback of Roger's golfriend April's death, which he
thought was too graphic. Wow, when you watch the stage
production and you can, I think on Netflix right now,
like a filmed version of the You it's dark. It's
(25:08):
dark on stage like it is. It's a it's a
grittier movie. And I think, what happens when you try
to make something like that more appealing or like change
the tone? This movie felt like a different tone than
(25:29):
the stage production to me, Yes, it felt bright, too bright. Yes,
the show is what it is. The show is about
what it's about, so like if you're going to tackle that, yeah,
like do it faithfully?
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
And it felt just like a little too yeah, like
set bubblegum poppy, yeah, like why why are we making
this a pop rock musical?
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Yeah? Yeah, I agree? And then like even like cutting
out the second half of Goodbye Love because it was
too tragic, too dark, Like that is the musical, that is,
this is what it is right now.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
True to me, that's like an old school producer thing
that doesn't understand what makes the show what successful as
it is, Like you have one of the longest running
shows on Broadway. It's been wildly successful at that point
for almost ten years, and people know what the show is,
(26:24):
so like there's an opportunity there to really be able
to like get in there and get gritty and have
all this like gritty music.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
And I also thought it was I didn't even know
the Seasons of Love Opensact two in the stage show
because I at some point I was like why did
we just see that? And then because it emotionally watching
it now that makes I feel like it would be
so much more impactful seeing it halfway through the movie interesting, right,
(26:56):
like you've now experienced you now know all these people,
which is how the original show is written. Right, And
then they come out and sing this song that is
so beautiful and so moving yep yeah yeah, and so
you're getting it out of context or it feels like
it's fan service, like we're we're putting the pit up first.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Yeah, I'm not sure why they did that, and I
part of me is like it can't be as simple
as like people seasons love is like the quintessential song
ground because to me it's not but like for commercial purposes, right, like,
and you're opening it with you if you're going to.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Know any song, it's going to do that song. But right,
that doesn't really make it like that's not going to
get people into the movie theater because.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
They're exactly Yeah. So I don't I don't know exactly
why that's what they open with, but it was a choice.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Blanket statement. I thought everyone was really great.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Well, I mean they are the original cast. Yeah, I
did think they were all. I think.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Them looking older than like their early twenties.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, out of it, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Which is also strange, like why does it work in Greece?
Maybe because it's like a silly movie. This is not
a silly movie.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Yeah, I mean it didn't bother me as as much
this watching it this time, as I remember like being like, oh,
they're casting the original and like, aren't they too old
for this? Right?
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Roger Ebert said he admired the cast, but the film
didn't fully work without the context of stage version, and
a lot of critics pointed out that they felt bringing
back the original cast nearly decade later made the characters
seem older than attended.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Yeah, I agree there, I look again, I'm very torn
by it, because I do think that it was very
powerful to hear these guys who created the original with,
you know, in that room together when magic was being
made for people who didn't get to see the stage
show experience that firsthand. Listen to these voices again, they're
(29:09):
so so iconic in the history of theater and musical theater,
so like, I don't know that I would have taken
to this listening to somebody else sing it or speak
it like Anthony Rapp, you know, opening it, Like I
don't know. I yeah, Like they were, I would be like,
(29:32):
if you're going to do a Gley room boot, like
I can't be in high school anymore, you know what
I mean. Like not that that would happen, but you
know that's the way I would feel about it.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
So, I mean, I feel like it was like the
respectful thing to do having them all back, and obviously
they're all.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Incredible, phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Yeah, And I think if you were there, like when
they were doing this like two thousand and four, that's
not that long after the stage production. But the other
thing is is you can get away with being a
little older on stage stage, and like if you actually
saw people who looked quite young doing this, might have
(30:15):
the starving artist thing. I just think feels so much
more believable. Yeah, and like people, these people look like
they nobody looks like old. I'm not saying that, but
there's a difference between twenty and thirty.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Overall, my biggest problems with this product, this movie, or
my biggest qualms with this movie were.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
The music aspect, watching these guys speak the dialogue that
I have sung for my whole life.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Wait, really, so everything that is there.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
No speaking in the stage show.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
I don't even I think I think he speaks a
few times. Even the voicemails are are sung in the
show Mark Alexi Darling. Yeah, yeah, it's everything is sung.
So there's either a beat or a movement and people
(31:21):
are singing, and so it is troublesome to me. I
had to look away, like it hurts because it's so embedded,
deeply embedded, ingrained in my in my mind. And to
watch them, I mean that must have been difficult for
them to make sense of the dialogue in a speaking
(31:42):
and not make it sound like what it's how it sucks.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Well, it also brings me to it makes it In
a musical, there's always that thing of like is this
happening in real life or are they imagining part of
this where if it is all sung and you know that, like,
then that is the world in Yeah, right, that's just
how everybody's communicating the suspension of disbelief. This is an opera, yes,
(32:06):
but if you're going in between, like when Angel comes
in and does the whole performance, like that makes sense
because Angel's performing in the living room for everybody. Yeah,
but almost every other time you're like when Adina is
performing like on stage, fine, but that doesn't happen very
often in this and so it's like, also, like what
what are we doing here?
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Like you're what you own? Or like what you Own
is one of those that was like, oh, they have
to like in the movie, they have to make sense
of it, like they on the music and the musical,
if I remember correctly, they just stand there on the
rafters like and it's fine, but in this one, you
have you can't have that right Like and out Tonight
(32:49):
for Mini, they put her in the club, which I
like get, but like on stage, it's just her on
the railing in the back, all the way in the back.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Like, but she's walking up and down like the fire.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Escapes, isn't she Yes, yes, yes, yeah, Like West Side
Story just did it. Yeah, I just I'm finding I
found it very jarring, and it took away the part
of the musical that made it so I don't know,
like sticky, like they're like in the in between the transitions,
the discussion, like it just felt like it was missing
(33:23):
something and it was like to make an adaptation of
something and to take that out it felt counterintuitive to me.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
It felt like, you know, we have talked about this extensively,
but Glee doing a musical is a different set of skills,
I think to an extent, And I think when you
see films like Chicago, which is and then you see
(33:53):
something like this where blocking how you're staging these numbers
affects the audience's ability to feel something, because I think
a lot of the time in this movie, because I
know I have felt something when I watched the recording
of the Broadway show I'm in it start to finish,
(34:19):
you feel it like, I know this music is good. Yeah,
And it's not for lack of anybody not being good
in this movie.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
But like at the end when there's the funeral, yeah,
and they're all walking through the cemetery and it is
the most awkwardly shocked and blocked scene in that movie.
And it's like this really heavy emotional moment that's going on.
(34:51):
But it is shot like a mid nineties teen movie.
And don't get me wrong, I think Chris Columbus is
on a lot of great things, But I feel like
so much of this movie just what we were talking
(35:12):
about earlier, like stripped away what we can feel like
the sincerity, the depth, the darkness, the seriousness of what's
going on in this show. That doesn't mean you I
want to cut any of the joy and the laughter
and the comedy, because there's a lot of that in
it too. But for whatever reason, how a lot of
these numbers were also staged, like even the beginning, like
(35:35):
having to pay the rent number, like how it's shot
feels so clunky and like amateur. It's for me watching
a movie or any piece of media. Yeah, when you
know it's almost good, it's so frustrating because you know
this material is good, like rent is not boring.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
No, I think this movie is boring. Agreed, it's a
little I just maybe it's it's just not meant to
be a movie.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I don't know. Watching it made me feel the complete
opposite because watching like, Okay, this version I don't.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Think works to the best of its ability. I think
they're back in the music for the dialogue. Then you
like the dialogue just falls.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
I mean, maybe it doesn't work. Look, I'm sort of
a hater of the Late Miss movie, and that's an opera,
like everything is sung. But I don't know if these
things don't work because they're operas. I think I think
this is like a filmmaker error. I kind of like this,
but I could be wrong, though, I like a lot
(36:52):
of people did Austin and I like basically first and
only fight was about the movie.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
I mean they get their music the way it was like,
didn't I I memory they didn't touch it, So.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
I've it's maybe something like this is hard to capture
on film and make you feel something.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
I think maybe there's also something about the minimal nature
of the musical and the set and the costumes and
the darkness that you were talking about, very minimal set,
like your imagination kind of comes into play here or
(37:33):
the musical and it's almost like when you're listening to
it on in the recording, I don't even need to
see this to know to like feel something right. And
it was almost like to contrived to make this story
work to be interesting enough to be a movie like
the Yeah, because the musical itself like you don't need
(37:59):
a lot suspension of disbelief. It is there, like you
can imagine it, they see it. You understand the world
because they see it. It was almost like this world
was created and it wasn't what I had imagined it
to be, and it wasn't quite right to what I
think they wanted or what Renheads would say is the world,
(38:22):
and therefore it takes away from it. It takes away
from the magic of what Rent is and it's not
about any of that. And I think that's part of it.
Like the story is just so strong and the character's
(38:45):
relationships are so strong and intertwined, like Roger and Mimi
and Mark and Roger and the Benny and the Maureen
and Maureen and Joanne and Joanne and Maureen and Mark
and everybody is in a pan about what everybody else
thinks and feels, and they're so intertwined. And then Angel
comes in and Colin an Angel, and you're like, oh
(39:08):
my god, Like it just didn't visually, I think hit
the way and it was a little slow. You're right,
that so hard.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
I'm not saying like doing this is easy. I don't
have a solution to it, because I think, but.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
You're coming from something really really excellent, and.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
Maybe it is to some things don't translate translate maybe.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
And also like the live tangible feelings in the theater
with Ren, the grittiness, the emotion is just so honest
that like, did you see the NBC Live I don't remember.
I think I thought there were some great moments in it.
I felt more from that.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Oh really, But I also think that was still like
a little too glamorous, where there's something about like you
know how I think back, Like I keep wondering if
it's like a the eraror in which this was made
with like remember that MANI series Angels in America, which
is also an incredible play.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Yeah, but like oh yeah that mini series yeah unreal
yeah and dark? Yes, And if you set this in
that style of peace, how how impactful those numbers, like
you can see those numbers? Yeah, And like I think
(40:36):
you could have the everything sung and I think, I
don't know, maybe it's hard.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
It's hard. It's really hard. Because I was going to say, oh,
the Hollywood Bowl version of ret that they did, did
you go to that? Of course I did. Skylar Aston
was Mark and Aaron Tobay was Roger, and thoughts it
was still a little too bright, but I still bought
it because it was live.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
I under if this is one of those movies and
maybe the swile Mis did it of where singing live
lives would really help.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Yes, I don't know, Kevin, I don't know. This is
a tough one because I also Okay, I know we're
just like sort of poo pooing on it. Yeah, but
I also you know, when I watched it, though, I
didn't mind, Like I wasn't bored because of it was slow.
I wasn't bored like I was like, oh, this is
(41:31):
a little slow. Maybe it was just the pacing of
it because it usually is sung, but that music still
made me feel something. But you're I think because you
are able to fill in the pieces. Yeah, no, no, no,
I could faster through this whole movie and tell you
exactly what's happening at what part and probably what they're saying.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Yeah, and you could like feel it immediately because you
have that response to it because you know it. If
you're coming into this movie with no experience to.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
It, I don't know, but I don't know.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
And again that's not to say that like everyone was
so good.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
No, I know, that's the thing, Like they were great.
It's just I think it might have been the pacing
and the brightness of the tone and the lack of
the music for the dialogue, like it all just it
didn't all the pieces didn't magically connect like they did
on Broadway.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Here's the thing, like Jonathan Larson's sister said, I do
think what is beautiful about this is that it is
it does exist, and it is a documentation, another documentation
of this great piece. Yeah, and that lives on for
(42:51):
forever and this form and the theater form and the
film theater form like that's never going away. And then
that since I liked it, they had most of the
original people in it. Yeah, I just don't know if
it served ultimately, you know, the the real story as
best as it could. Do you want to talk about
(43:21):
some of these numbers. How did Seasons of Love starting
this off make you feel? You know, Tracy is singing, Oh,
she's saying.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
I don't. It didn't bother me that it was the beginning.
It bothered me that it was different from the how
the it opens initially, like it opens with like the
tune up right on Broadway. It is like Zember twenty fourth,
and like he's doing that, he's singing that whole thing.
(43:55):
See that's what I want. And I'm and I was like,
where how dare you? Because how dare you also just
in it immediately? How dare you? Like the worlds were different?
And I was so I was like, what Seasons of
love is just seasons of Love, and it's not even
(44:15):
that special to me anymore. It's just the overdone song
from Rent. And I was like, you just let that
live where it is. We see we heard a hundred
times in the musical. We heard one hundred times. We
did it for a glay sadly like it was just
like it's around, right, So it is what it is.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
But that's the thing, if you I was really trying
my hardest, and I think I was able to like
step back from any of my like associations are sick,
you know, I'm tired of hearing it sort of feelings. Yeah, yeah,
it is just beautiful and it summarizes what this entire
show is about so beautifully and emotionally.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
All right, So maybe that's why they opened up with it,
But I don't summarize it.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
But do we need a summary? The Rent song is
the summary.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
I think they just like we are in a commercial
feature film where perhaps they are not giving the audience
the benefit of the.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
Here's what I want?
Speaker 1 (45:13):
What do you want?
Speaker 2 (45:14):
I think Linn Manuel, who directed Tick tick boom, Oh.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
He did an incredible job.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Yes, because I think he deeply, deeply respects and understands
Jonathan Lars.
Speaker 1 (45:27):
Yes, I would love to see what he would do.
I'm so pissed. You know. He was in our rehearsal last.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
Week so many times when we first when they first
started rehearsing, Yeah, I love you song. He like talked
to us during lunch for a while. Then he's like,
let me know when you're going to rehearse he I
love your song. And then he came in and just crying. Oh,
I mean when I should have should have just I
should have asked him.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
I should have you should have We have to get
him on here. Oh my, Kevin, do it anyway. Some
of the favorite favorite numbers in general from the musical
itself Another Day, Oh yeah, Santa Fe, I'll cover you,
(46:15):
I'll cover you. God, there's so many bangers. I'll cover you, Rupries,
Halloween fan Fase, what You Own hands down one of
the songs, and Love Everyone of course in the movie context, yes,
oh yeah, this is all in the movie. Which ones
do you did you like? Or did you find yourself?
Speaker 2 (46:40):
I thought Adina has never been better?
Speaker 1 (46:43):
Oh god, you so.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
I there's something so magical about her in this part
that Maureen is her role. Yeah, like I forgot because
now she's become like so much more famous, She's and
so much more stuff. Now you see her do this
and it is like she is like she is living
(47:06):
that every movement.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
Like I loved Over the Moon.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
I was like, yeah, you are in it, but there's
I think there's also something different about her because she
felt really comfortable on camera.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
To me, hmm, interesting.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
And I could just be the blocking of like you know,
her scenes, but there was something about her comfortability. Obviously,
all these people are comfortable in the roles because most
of them have been playing them for forever, and you
feel that. I do think that makes a huge difference.
So I I thought take me or Leave Me?
Speaker 1 (47:39):
Was also shocked, really that was that.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
Was one of the things. I'm like, Oh, I'm actually
feeling what this what this.
Speaker 1 (47:49):
Song is about? Yeah, yeah, yeah, And it doesn't feel
too clunky, I know. I think That's the hard part
about this is like most of my favorite songs in
the show did translate for me, like I still wanted
to listen to what you Own? But did I really
want to see them like traveling across the US? No? Right,
(48:12):
what I mean? And I half of those favorite my
favorite moments are also like the tune ups and the
moments where they're singing but they're not they're talking, and
it's just so special.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
I thought Love Love You Bohem was great. Yeah, I did,
and I genuinely laughed. I still didn't think it was
shot incredibly well, but mm hmmm, I had a good time.
I thought it was one of the better numbers.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
It's definitely one of the best members in the show,
I think, and one of the most famous numbers from.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
And I just mean in the movie. I think it's
one of the better.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's hard, Tom, it's hard to like,
you'll see it's talk. They talk and then they sing,
and it's like the whole thing should have just been sung,
and they just I don't know. I thought I thought,
(49:09):
uh uh Rosario did a very good job with out tonight.
I think that is incredibly difficult to take something that
has been so it's just so famous and iconic from
Daphne and to re or to reinterpret, not recreate, because
(49:29):
you can't but reinterpret it. And I thought she did
a beautiful job with the character and with that.
Speaker 2 (49:38):
For those of you who have not seen Daphne and
Something by the way go watch her in the Heights movie.
She's powerful and like she doesn't have a traditional like
theater voice.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
No. Once on Glory also Roger does Once on Glory,
and I think there's a flashback of April in that,
and I was like, no, no, it's weird figure out,
you know, figure out, So I don't. I didn't love that.
Speaker 2 (50:12):
And I think, look, you always have to make some
usually some changes for the screen. But I don't think
any of these changes made anything better.
Speaker 1 (50:25):
No, that's the thing. I think you're right. I think
it's like it was it was. You don't need anything else, right,
and of course you have to switch things, but you don't.
You don't need it. So I'm just sad, just I've
never heard you laugh like that. Just uncomfortable because I
just love this is just really very deep in my soul,
(50:46):
this musical. And I don't think I was prepared for
watching the movie again and not like revisiting the actual.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
The recording, like the Broadway recording.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
No, but I saw when I was searching and I
was like, oh, I need to I don't know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:03):
Maybe tonight watch it. It's everybody else you should watch it.
It's really really good.
Speaker 1 (51:10):
Adam Cantor, Oh my Adam Candor, will Chase Renee Goldsberry. Okay,
I'll watch it. It's Eden Espinoza. Wow, it's very good,
very good. Okay, great. You know I got like three
callbacks for rent once. Oh go on Broadway. Yeah, Pach
part Alexi Darling and they play like multiple roles as well.
(51:34):
But and the mom like she does the voicemail? Are
you so sad that you didn't get it? I was
really sad. I was writing in my journal. I was manifested.
How old are you? I was in college. I must
have been. It must have been like two thousand and six,
right before Spring Awakening. Yes, right, we're skeeting. That's right,
see you gouty Spring Awakening. Hey, here we are, here,
(51:56):
we are Okay. I don't think we can grade into
these performances. So I think that was sufficient. But let's
do some tarty takes, okay, so cringe moments.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
And that thing felt really offensive.
Speaker 1 (52:12):
No, I mean I think well I thought was.
Speaker 2 (52:14):
A little clunky. Was when Mark goes to the meeting,
like the first meeting of the people with HIV or AIDS.
Speaker 1 (52:24):
Man, I just can't explain to you how uncomfortable that may.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
Means, and he was like, can I film and everyone's like, uh,
I don't remember how that feels on the show, but
in the movie it felt like such an invasion.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
He doesn't ask in the show, he is just he
sings it Mark Mark, you know, like it's just it
works so much better. It's just not meant to be spoken,
and for him to be there like that, but he's
just kind of there form afar, and it just I
(52:57):
think in the movie they're like, we have to explain
why here. You know, I can't remember exactly, but it
never felt like that. You okay, yeah, oh, can we
talk about the tango? No, I don't want to talk
about the tank okay, exactly, Okay, thank you. I was
floored when there's one hundred tango dancers on the floor
and then Adina shows up, and I would like, get
(53:18):
off the stage right now, just leave. Same No, but
today for you, yes is great. I thought over them,
but I thought over the moon was great. I thought again,
love people am. I thought that was qureaographed really well.
Best song. Oh my god, that's like Sophie's.
Speaker 2 (53:44):
I don't think Okay for the purposes of the movie,
I think I'm just gonna go with take me or Leave.
Speaker 1 (53:51):
Me, Okay, because I liked that well shot number. I
don't know. I think Another Day is still a favorite. Okay.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
Best performance by a prop obviously Mark's camera obviously, or
like burning a barrel fire in the apartment.
Speaker 1 (54:13):
It works on stage, you.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
Know what I you know, it felt too much like
a Glee set, like a.
Speaker 1 (54:21):
U the loft, and also like the steady cam round
shot of them around the fire felt. I was like,
get out of here, and.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
I think that works for a TV show. This is
not a TV show, a comedy TV show on Fox.
Speaker 1 (54:38):
Right right right?
Speaker 2 (54:41):
Best line, I mean there's so many zoom in am
I emty wallet, you're flirting with the woman in rubber.
There will always be a woman rubber flirting with me.
Give me a break.
Speaker 1 (54:54):
I thought.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Tracy and Adina's chemistry.
Speaker 1 (54:56):
Was also great. Yes, definitely. Oh I rewired the ATM
at the food Emporium. How you need as a code
A Geyah Angel is an incredible character, incredible, one of
the best, and they're all really incredible performance MVP, Oh gosh,
(55:16):
how do you even choose?
Speaker 2 (55:20):
Before we go, we have to talk about Adam Pascal's voice.
Speaker 1 (55:25):
One for the ages, I mean really, Adam Oscal was
also one of those voices that raised me, and his
voice stupid. I mean him doing another musical that really
(55:47):
also raised me was Aida Yes and God, I love
that album so much, and him doing that also was
It's very His voice is so distinctive that like when
you put him on something, you're like, we're putting out
on a frescos, right, and it is, but it is
so it's perfect, It's perfect. It is ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (56:10):
I wonder what it's like to be a real tenor
you know, MVP. All of them, yeah, as an ensemble,
the whole team, but special special shout out to Adina
because you know she's fam Yeah. And also like Anthony Rap.
I've run into Anthony Rap so many times and Tracy
(56:33):
over the years and they're just like always so sweet
and just great and gracious and they're obviously just like
legends and yep, wonderful.
Speaker 1 (56:45):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (56:48):
Side note we found on TikTok just to diverge from
you know, where we are. We're getting a little growth
doing a mashup of Hammile and and Beyonce. He goes into.
Speaker 1 (57:06):
And to hold up by Beyonce, and.
Speaker 2 (57:10):
I just I really appreciate being a part of the behive.
That is so funny because just when I think I'm
the biggest Beyonce fan, Groff is just right there and
he may yeah, he may be in front.
Speaker 1 (57:28):
That's very funny, amazing, Yeah, wild Well, we love grath
oh so much. I need to go see a show. Okay,
So coming up, we are talking to the one and
only Ana Pascal Star stage and screen full full fan
Girl Full fan Girl will be coming out, and then
(57:49):
soon we'll also be chatting with our our dear friend
Tracy Toms, who has been a part of Rent and
a part of the Ride and refew World and a
part of just everything. She's in. Everything she's in, deverish,
I know what some saying she's in.
Speaker 2 (58:02):
Like every so many iconic things.
Speaker 1 (58:06):
I love her. And you're assigning for next week, you guys, Kevin,
what does everybody supposed to be watching? How we're doing it?
We're doing it.
Speaker 2 (58:14):
Tomorrow, Annie, the nineteen eighty two version. Get into it,
Get your wigs out, And that's what you really missed.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and
that's what you really miss pod, make sure to write
us a review and leave us five stars.
Speaker 1 (58:29):
See you next time.
Host
Jenna Ushkowitz
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.