RENT reviews

here are my reviews of rent stuff i have seen and heard

i maintain this web page as a guide to amatuer videos of the play RENT that circulate on the internet--

please keep in mind the unprofessional extremely nerve wracking conditions most of these videos were made under--the videographers are not only amatuers but are trying to deal with a camera and the people sitting around them while trying to maintain some sense of focus-not to mention holding the camera steady for over two hours-

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VIDEO

broadway
october 98
matt murphy-mark
norbert leo butz-roger
marcy harriel-mimi
wilson cruz-angel
michael mcelroy-collins
gwen stewart-joanne
full show
missing one song-you'll see boys
hi8 recording
stabilized
superior sound and video
the best i have seen

i would rate this one:
A

VIDEO

angel cast
4.30.98
detroit
known as the "simones last"
simone-mimi
christian anderson-roger
cc.brown-collins
dwayne clark-benny
kristopher cusick-mark
evan d'angeles-angel
erin keeney-maureen
kamilah martin-joanne
lambert moss-will i soloist-squegee man
danny robbins-gordon
shot from the front row
rush seats-
act one only
stablization
beautiful video
great close-ups
zooms
sound
very fun to watch and the audience is
really into it
you can pick up lots of stuff you cant even see in a lot of the other rent videos
one of my personal favorites

i would rate this one
video- A
sound-A-

VIDEO

angel cast
4.29.98
detroit
known as the "simones second to last"
simone-mimi
christian anderson-roger
c.c. brown collins
dwayne clark benny
evan d'angeles-angel
trey ellet-mark
erin keaney-maureen
kamilah martin-joanne
full show shot from the front row of the balcony
a little blurry at first but this is a great video
a few zooms
a few closeups
bright blur the actors in some shots but no
head obstruction
stabilized video
another one of my personal favorites

i would rate this one:

video A/B
sound A/B

VIDEO
benny cast
8.5.98 costa mesa
act one only
scott hunt-mark
adrian lewis morgan-roger
mark leroy jackson-collins
d'monroe-benny
very nice picture
very nice sound
shot from the balcony
bright lights blur actors
in most of the shots
some annoying head obstuction
in about four songs
three songs are missing:
sante fe
i'll cover you
over the moon
and the video cuts off in the middle of
la vie boheme
short but very sweet video

i would rate this one:
video-B
sound B+

VIDEO
benny cast
8.15.98
costa mesa
mark-scott hunt
adrian lewis morgan-roger
d'monroe-benny
full show
good sound
until half way though act one then it gets
sort of muffled then gets good again
nice picture in some shots-
stablized video
some head obstruction in some shots
bright lights blur the actors in most shots
the color is not that great in some songs
real similar to the 8.5. costa mesa except full show-just missing the first
few minutes of tune-up
actually the color is better in the 8.5 video
but this is the best benny cast video so far!
you can see the play acted out
very nice in this one

i would rate this one:
Sound B
Video B+

VIDEO

benny cast
1.9.98 l.a.
neil patrick harris-mark

owen johnston 2-roger*
mark leroy jackson-collins
d'monroe-benny
andy senor-angel
julia santana-mimi
leigh hetherington-maureen
laura dias-joanne*
this video is missing about four songs shortly after act one gets going (after rent)
the camera is VERY shaky in this one and is pointed at the ceiling a lot-sometimes it is like riding a roller coaster
very bright lights blur the actors faces in most shots
heads of audience can be seen occasionally and obscures the shots
sound is good
has a nice part from will i to the end of i'll cover you
the video ends when roger says "mimi......" during finale b

I would rate this one:

sound-B
video-varys from a high of B to a low of D-everything else is in between there

VIDEO
angel cast 6.7.98 detroit
full show
excellent sound
trey ellet-mark
josh greene-roger
alan mingo-collins
dwayne clark-benny
evan d'angeles-angel
laura dias-mimi
erin keaney-maureen
kamilah martin-joanne
the first ten minutes are unstable because the person taping keeps moving from place to place
filmed from balcony but rail hardly ever shows much

no head obstruction
very bright lights blur actors in most shots
no closeups but some good zooms
second act has some really good shots
video gets a little shaky at the end of act two
but this flaw is easily overlooked

I would rate this one:
sound-A
video- high of B to low of D

VIDEO

angel cast
12.25.97 chicago
full show
good sound
dan robbins-mark*
manley pope-roger
c.c.brown-collins
dwayne clark-benny
shaun earl-angel
mimi-simone
kamilah martin-joanne*
amy spanger-maureen
the camera is pointed right at the back of some guys head throughout most of this one
bright lights blur the actors in most shots
filmed from the balcony-
no zooms or closeups-
the sound is better on the spoken parts then it is on the songs
life support turned out pretty good but
simone is totally blurred in out tonight
and the camera points directly at the ceiling during over the moon

i would rate this one:

video-high of B- to a low of D
sound - same

VIDEO
angel cast
6.12.98 detroit
good sound
trey ellett - mark
christian anderson - roger
erin keaney - maureen
kamilah martin - joanne
evan d'angeles -angel
dwayne clark -benny
cheri smith- mimi *
john eric parker-collins
josh greene- gordon
alan mingo- mr. jefferson*
this video is missing everything from
will i---la vie boheme
and seasons of love
then everything from happy new year b--contact
also missing is i'll cover you reprise--halfway through what you own
your eyes is also gone
too bad because this is a pretty good video otherwise
shot from the balcony

some head obstruction
a little shaky in some parts
a few good zooms
the camera points directly the ceiling
in some shots
bright lights blur the actors faces in most shots
some shots are quite good though
and the sound is excellent

i would rate this one:
video B- to D
sound B+

VIDEO
angel cast
4.10.98
detroit
full show except first five minuites
okay sound
Christian Anderson - Mark
Manley Pope - Roger
Erin Keaney - Maureen
Evan D'Angeles - Angel
Dwayne Clark - Benny
Cristina Ablaza - Alexi
Dan Robbins - Gordon, The man

Karen Olivo - Mimi*
Kamilah Martin as Mark's Mom*
filmed from balcony
totally dark in spots and has head obstruction
a few zooms
lights blur actors
rail shows in some shots
camera is shaky
act two is not that great of quality

i would rate this one:
video-C+ to a D-
sound - B-

VIDEO

obc preview 4.29.96
known as the "opening night"
you know the cast
full show,but----a big chunk of act 2 is really bad quality ( at least on the copy i saw)
most of act two is very fuzzy- with lines through the actors
and it is in black and white
i still like this video
sound is good
nice steady shot from a tripod
very fun to see the actors from the cd do the songs live

good zooms
excellent closeups
act one is actually quite good quality wise

I would rate this one:
sound B-
video-act one A to C
act two B+ to D-

VIDEO

broadway cast
6.10.97 act one
6.11.97 act two
marcy harriel-mimi*
sherri scott-maureen*
norbert leo butz-mark*
micheal mcelroy-collins*
roger-adam pascal
shot from rear side
full show (one of the few good things about this video)
no real zooms

lights blur actors
okay sound
fairly steady in most shots
dark and grainy from many dubs
this is one of those only for people who must have everything

the quality is lousy

I would rate this one:
sound C+
video C-D

VIDEO

broadway cast
12.8.96
yasmine alers-maureen
darius de haas-benny
full show
this tape has a pretty good sound
the video is unstable in some parts and is shot
from the balcony with few zooms
at some points the video doesnt have much color
bright lights blur actors in most shots
heads obscure a few shots
camera points at ceiling alot
act two has some pretty good moments but also has some dark spots
a little blurry in some spots

i would rate this one:

sound- B
video-ranges from B- at some points to D in others

VIDEO

7.24.97
broadway cast
full show
except for a few small cuts
marcy harriel-mimi*
sherie scott-maureen*
micheal mcelroy-collins*
mark setlock-gordon

darius de haas-squeegie man
like most of the others this one varies wildly from being shot straight at the ceiling to some really nice zooms and full songs that are steady
bright light blur in most scenes
and there is some head obstruction
shot from the balcony
good sound

i would rate this one
sound B
video varies from B to D