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| Opening quote (photo lovingly stolen from my friend Aubrey) |
There has been MUCH discussion, complaining, judging, etc. regarding the events which occurred on Fox for this production last night. I always feel the beginning is the best place to start so if you are out of the loop here is what happened:
Rent Live was scheduled for Sunday, January 27 at 8 ET/7 CT. A few hours before the production news broke that Brennin Hunt (set to play Roger Davis) had broken his foot, but the live performance would go on. Well, actually, the reports said he had injured his foot, but didn't go into details. I didn't think too much of it figuring they would wrap it and call it a day or maybe modify some choreography, but things would go on as planned.
When the broadcast started the words 'previously recorded' appeared on the screen. This was my first time to watch one of the 'live' musicals so I didn't really know how this whole game went. I thought maybe it meant they recorded it live and then showed it (think Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake wardrobe malfunction...). I had also seen something in a Broadway group where someone had gone to the dress rehearsal and said that the recording would be amazing. I was slightly disappointed, but figured they needed time for editing or something. Whatever, no big deal.
We make it to the first commercial break and the whole cast appears, live, to explain that Brennin had severely broken his foot thus they were using the recording from the previous night, but there would be a live finale with the original Broadway cast. While I was a little disappointed I was still looking forward to seeing the OBC at the end.
The last section of the show was live (and you could see poor Brennin's cast propped up on a chair) and the finale was fantastic.
There was lots of discussion last night, but then today happened...
We found out today that there was a concert style performance for the audience who were there waiting to be present for what was to be telecast live.
You would think that someone burned down Broadway...
I am not going to go too far into the comments and analysis of why this was 'wrong'. I am simply going to give my reason for why I am 100% okay with what they did.
I teach middle school drama in a Title I school. That means that a good chunk of my kids live below the poverty line. We have free breakfast and lunch for the whole school because of this. My kids' families do not have the money to go see shows and broadcasts like these are all they have access to (along with what I show them on BroadwayHD).
I have seen so much backlash about these live performances in general. People don't like the casting, they don't think the quality is perfect, and dozens of other things. What I see about these is a whole lot of people who don't have access to theatre getting to live these stories, and regardless of your opinion on Rent the musical itself, the message of friendship and living is beautiful and something that should be out there for the world.
Now, a lot of people have complained that they should have had an understudy. This is a one time performance, not Broadway with eight shows a week. Financially it is a gamble that the network took, and I don't blame them. I mean, it's live theatre, but what are the odds of someone breaking their foot in a way that keeps them from performing? Probably pretty low.
Another complaint I saw was that they should have just shown what was happening at the sound stage. Okay, I'd be lying if I said I don't wish I could have seen that. I say that as a serious theatre person who has seen this show staged before. For the general population, however, who may have not seen this show, to get to watch the staging of this show is a gift. I am a technical theatre person and I thought the set and use of the sound stage was brilliant. It was immersive and I wish I could have been there to see it because the cast was all over the place and it was fantastic. I would have felt more cheated missing the direction and choreography than watching a previously recorded rehearsal.
I did make the comment that they could just show it next Sunday because there's not any major event it might clash with... hehe...
Overall, I am glad they did what they did.
Where there some issues with certain actor's performances because it was a dress rehearsal? Yes.
Do I forgive that? Considering the amount of shows I have seen and the amount of shows I've done, yes, yes I do. So much can go wrong at any live performance: actors changing before a show or at intermission due to illness, technical issues shutting down a show mid-performance, so many things can go wrong.
At the end of the day though, how much did you or I pay to watch this show reimagined in 2019? Not a penny.
All that being said, I also liked one other thing about it...
For those of you are not familiar with the history of this show:
Like it or not, Rent was a game changer to Broadway in 1996. Rent changed the scope of theatre. It became a cultural phenomenon very quickly and they established a lottery in order for people to be able to see it for a reasonable price. This still goes on today.
Rent opened Off Broadway January 25, 1996...that morning the playwright/lyricist/composer passed away unexpectedly. The last performance he saw of his show, which would take Broadway by storm, was a dress rehearsal. I found the parallel between the dress rehearsals lovely. The night that the show premiered the cast started with a concert version, but by the song La Vie Boheme the actors were up on their feet doing the choreography and completed the show full out. It was an intimate and legendary moment in theatre.
Say what you will about the decisions Fox made, but it had to be made quickly and I'm certain it wasn't made without a lot of thought. Do I think the cast and crew is disappointed things didn't go as planned? Absolutely. I'm sure they felt awful, especially Brennin Hunt. Anyone who has been part of a production would be.
This is a moment in theatre to allow for grace and thinking outside of ourselves.
PS
Jordan Fisher and Brandon Victor Dixon make my heart happy...and I'm glad I saw them together in Hamilton a few years ago...
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