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Hey Brad, Netflix finally sent me "Rent." The Broadway version, not the movie.
Hmmm, mixed feelings. I liked it better than the film, that's for sure. It's basically just vignettes to music, and I think that works much better as a stage device. There's really not much 'plot.'
But, for what it is ... pretty much a bunch of songs connected by a thin thread of 20-something AIDS-related relationship drama ... the songs are pretty much all really good. And that's what counts, I guess. I found it entertaining because it was all music, and I enjoyed a good 85% of the music.
BUT ... I was surprised to really hate the way it portrays homosexuals. The lesbian couple was allowed to be lesbian. Two women were shown being in love. The male couple, however, was a boy and a tranny. All the scenes and songs of them together and in love have the imagery of a man and a woman, not a man and a man. This bugged me no end.
In fact, I'm pretty sure the Angel's not in drag for the brief scene where they meet only so the audience can "know" that it's a gay relationship ... because once she's in drag - on stage much moreseo than on film - the character is a girl even if it's played by a boy (and Angel is a pretty convincing girl).
I hated, hated, hated, hated this. One more hypocritical example of how it's "ok" to portray two women together, but two men together cannot be shown.
Yes, during Angel's illness, two men were shown in a care-giving situation very intimately. But the images and musical numbers of Angel and Tom Collins falling and being in love were all boy/girl, and it pissed me off for what is reputed to be such a gay-friendly piece.
Bah.
Oh, plus when Roger confronts Mark near the end of the second act ... I thought he was going to out him. But instead, he just nails him for being detached. Um, he's the gayest character in the show!!! Queer as an eight dollar bill. WTF?
So, I hate the way Rent deals with Gay. But the songs are great!
I think I'd like the CD better than the show.
But, since I never got to see it ... I'm glad I finally got to watch a filmed version of it. I kind of grok it a little at least. The movie version was just a mess.
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