re: feeling like you're "missing" something and thinking that rent takes the subject matter far too lightly- I think it's important to remember that this musical came out In the middle of the AIDS crisis, people probably went to rent to see themselves represented onstage, but also to forget about their troubles and embrace the message of enjoying life while you can and accepting the inevitability of death. I definitely agree with a lot of the points you made though, and Rent certainly isn't my favorite.
Actually it came out off Broadway in 96 which was after the epidemic. I’m sure some of the sentiments still ring true, but it’s so historically inaccurate and misrepresentative. Angels in America debuted in 91 and covered the same topic in a much more nuanced way.
They accept angel immediately because they are leeches who will use anyone to their benefits, they are given an amazing opportunity to continue living there and produce their art (also for free!) But they don't wanna "sell out" god I fucking hate these characters!!
That’s why I like the Neil Patrick Harris cast of Rent because they somewhat play into the negative aspects of the character which changes the show completely. I want a cast to lean into the bad things they do and have it be a sort of homage to Falsettos. Might as well since the shows have the same subject matter.
Tango Maureen is a metaphorical dance that Maureen does with everyone that she’s with. She drives you nuts, while continuing to make you want her. Mark and Joanne realize the similarity between their experience... Maureen led them both in the dance. And Over the Moon is actually a real crowd pleaser, especially with the crowd participation element.
I found this video because I went with my wife to see this. I wanted to make sense of this nonsense and see what it was that I was apparently missing. Turns out I'm not crazy, it sucked. These characters are terrible. At no point did I enjoy myself in the 8 hours it dragged out.
Concerning Tango Maureen, yes the tango IS a dance for two people. That's why Mark and Joanne are rather annoyed that Maureen kept bringing other partners into the mix. Or at least that was understanding of the number.
I'm late to the party but liking your work here. My opinion, most people who like this these days don't know much about musical theatre and/or were in a production of this that probably wasn't any good or was passable. I saw a tour production and was entertained but this doesn't rank highly amongst other musicals before or since for me. I refuse to even give the movie version a chance.
The song “Rent” doesn’t just mean paying rent, but it means forgetting your past. Like the lyric ‘How can you leave the past behind, .....’ and ‘we’re not gonna pay last year’s rent (the past’s problem), this year’s rent (the present’s problem), next year’s rent (the future’s problem).’ If you could’ve absorb the lyrics and understood these contemporary issues, you would relate to the pain they’ve been through. Like AIDS, HIV, Poverty, addiction, suicide, etc.
that kind of makes it worse , instead of just being entitled morons they are now trying to deny the realities of their own existence? pretty sure that is not going to work out at all.
I love rent and disagree with some of the stuff you said but that being said, this video is fucking hilarious and I'm glad I can laugh at my guilty pleasure
I think you have to be an AIDS and HIV suffer to understand why it's popular. By what I'm getting from RENT's Wikipedia article, it's popular because it was (arguably) the first musical to discuss the AIDS crisis. I guess the fan base mainly conceived of those who lived through that terrible time, and could connect with the characters who have it. They were glad to finally be represented in musical theatre. The fan base probably also includes people who endured what the characters went through: poverty, loss, addiction. People who probably lived a similar life as Larson did. In short, I guess the reason to RENT's popularity, despite the hugs flaws, is owed to people who took one look of the story and said "That's my life too" or "That was my life too".
I believe you don't need to be someone with AIDS/HIV to get it. But the story that can be universal. Anyone who was/is suffering from other illnesses like leukemia or liver disease can watch this and be able to get it. And the audience who aren't suffering from such illnesses can watch it and understand it's real
I agree with this 100% .. yes, the musical does have its flaws, but I am a fan because I connected with the characters due to having experienced one of the major themes, that being poverty.. I was eight years old when the big economic recession happened.. my dad lost his well-paying construction job and we had to move to a smaller more affordable house.. it was tough
looking forward to Assassins- also wondering if you plan to talk about any european musicals? your reviews helped get me into der glockner von Notre Dame and Dracula das musical, which led me to numerous others and then to my own translating and english subtitling project of Elisabeth das musical, so I'm always super keen for more german musicals being discussed!
I wonder how old you guys are. I grew up in the 90s when this show was popular. I agree with you on your criticisms. It's very dated. Mark is the worst. It sold on energy and appeal to 90s attitude. It brought a new generation of fans to Broadway.. while I think it's better viewed as a relic of its time... maybe you had to be in the 90s to understand the appeal
Oh contrare, mon frère! Despite the giggles this analytical commentary is spot-on of a superficial pop-culture pseudo-woke musical of it's time...a period piece that has not aged well. I know all to well since I lived through the devastating AIDS epidemic with many friends who have died only to be trivialized by this hack non-conformist show...awards or not.
17:53 So you did not watch the musical. He says it IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE FUCKING MUSICAL. “We begin with Christmas Eve, WITH ME MARK AND MY ROOMATE ROGER”
Rent was revolutionary for IT'S TIME. I think that is a lot of context that is lost here. I'm not going to keep going ..I was an OBC Renthead soooo. Thank you Jonathon Larson.
It's so weird b/c I loved Tick Tick Boom and it really resonated with me, but I've tried to watch RENT twice, and I can barely make it through the first 30 min. It's just kinda dull to me
Light My Candle is a good song. I just wish it was in a different musical 🤣 Rent is so overrated and in my opinion, purely unnecessary. The plot makes zero sense to me.
The show has flaws, but seeing in on Broadway in 2000 was a massive rush. Nothing else sounded like it at the time. Plus, there are 4-5 bangers, which is 4-5 more than most musicals.
It's an important musical and Larson had talent... but the characters are awful, and it treats its themes very poorly. I own it because i like musicals, but i must admit that i watched it only a couple of times.
Just finished the movie for my first time. It's not bad but I hated it lmao I can't stand musicals. So many freaking songs 😂 Tango Maureen & the Goodbye Michael song are the only ones I remember. Couldn't follow the lyrics from one to the next, just became forgettable where I couldn't follow any of the movie. Like the guitar guy & Mimi had no relationship buildup, there was barely any focus on them, I thought he was her sponsor 😂 So I had 0 investment in their relationship. Like it felt rushed, where as Angel & Collins had an actual storyline. Plus, how are they gonna pay rent? The ginger is the only one with a job. Is he just gonna be everyone's sugar daddy? & why did they start singing at the end instead of bringing Mimi to a hospital? Like, Angel went to the hospital... He could afford it somehow & he just played a bucket on the streets. Idk, maybe I missed something but yeah, the endless singing was incredibly distracting 😂 Oh, & I thought it crushed the Oscars, so my expectations were very high, now I just saw it got 0 noms. Now, I feel like I'd have enjoyed it more if I didn't expect so much 😞
LOVED your analysis. ALSO, the wealthy, old, white, guys who are supposed to be villains, are most “woke” of ALL for accepting African American Benny into the patriarchy and family!
If you want a really good breakdown of why Rent is terrible. Watch Lindsay Ellis’s Look Pretty and Do Nothing. It’ll infuriate you more about this musical.
Hmmmm...this is rather de-context-ualized. Musicals are just that. You kinda gotta be into the genre to understand what might or might not make it work. As you all did state the longevity of the musical, I think this speaks over the death of the writer. I am wondering if this review isn't (oblique angle) somewhat homophobic? I think the approach does need to be rethought.
Thank you. I've always really disliked the hype around this musical. It's objectively not good and the only reason people praise it is for social status and woke points on their status.
A work that constantly stresses the bright line between those who will die and those who will live (and who will witness the deaths) being created by a man who drops dead the night of the premier seemed almost mystical to the rent heads. My favorite characters were always the ones like benjamin Tracy and alexis -- you know the ones with jobs.
So what? Cope and seethe, it's the worst musical of all time because it considers behaving irrationally and purely emotionally without reason to be good traits.
re: feeling like you're "missing" something and thinking that rent takes the subject matter far too lightly- I think it's important to remember that this musical came out In the middle of the AIDS crisis, people probably went to rent to see themselves represented onstage, but also to forget about their troubles and embrace the message of enjoying life while you can and accepting the inevitability of death. I definitely agree with a lot of the points you made though, and Rent certainly isn't my favorite.
Actually it came out off Broadway in 96 which was after the epidemic. I’m sure some of the sentiments still ring true, but it’s so historically inaccurate and misrepresentative. Angels in America debuted in 91 and covered the same topic in a much more nuanced way.
They accept angel immediately because they are leeches who will use anyone to their benefits, they are given an amazing opportunity to continue living there and produce their art (also for free!) But they don't wanna "sell out" god I fucking hate these characters!!
That’s why I like the Neil Patrick Harris cast of Rent because they somewhat play into the negative aspects of the character which changes the show completely. I want a cast to lean into the bad things they do and have it be a sort of homage to Falsettos. Might as well since the shows have the same subject matter.
Tango Maureen is a metaphorical dance that Maureen does with everyone that she’s with. She drives you nuts, while continuing to make you want her. Mark and Joanne realize the similarity between their experience... Maureen led them both in the dance.
And Over the Moon is actually a real crowd pleaser, especially with the crowd participation element.
It's superficial musical making a parody of the issues if claims to address without actually addressing them.
@@joncerda351 WHA-BAAAAM! You just nailed it.
I found this video because I went with my wife to see this. I wanted to make sense of this nonsense and see what it was that I was apparently missing. Turns out I'm not crazy, it sucked. These characters are terrible. At no point did I enjoy myself in the 8 hours it dragged out.
Concerning Tango Maureen, yes the tango IS a dance for two people. That's why Mark and Joanne are rather annoyed that Maureen kept bringing other partners into the mix. Or at least that was understanding of the number.
"Will I" has alway been my only favorite song from Rent
I saw the film before I saw the stage show and I still could barely understand what was happening...
Video Title: Rent is an OVERATED Musical!
Everyone in the comments: "And I took that personally." 🤣 🤣 🤣
Since falsettos recently got a proshot, id love to see your takes on it! Or any Bill Finn show in fact. Not enough love for that guy here on youtube.
Perhaps one day we will! Bill Finn never gets enough love!
I'm late to the party but liking your work here. My opinion, most people who like this these days don't know much about musical theatre and/or were in a production of this that probably wasn't any good or was passable. I saw a tour production and was entertained but this doesn't rank highly amongst other musicals before or since for me. I refuse to even give the movie version a chance.
The song “Rent” doesn’t just mean paying rent, but it means forgetting your past. Like the lyric ‘How can you leave the past behind, .....’ and ‘we’re not gonna pay last year’s rent (the past’s problem), this year’s rent (the present’s problem), next year’s rent (the future’s problem).’ If you could’ve absorb the lyrics and understood these contemporary issues, you would relate to the pain they’ve been through. Like AIDS, HIV, Poverty, addiction, suicide, etc.
that kind of makes it worse , instead of just being entitled morons they are now trying to deny the realities of their own existence? pretty sure that is not going to work out at all.
👍 ok
I love rent and disagree with some of the stuff you said but that being said, this video is fucking hilarious and I'm glad I can laugh at my guilty pleasure
LOL. I’m a Rent-head too and their take is hilarious!
I was 18 when this hit broadway I don't get it.
I think you have to be an AIDS and HIV suffer to understand why it's popular. By what I'm getting from RENT's Wikipedia article, it's popular because it was (arguably) the first musical to discuss the AIDS crisis. I guess the fan base mainly conceived of those who lived through that terrible time, and could connect with the characters who have it. They were glad to finally be represented in musical theatre.
The fan base probably also includes people who endured what the characters went through: poverty, loss, addiction. People who probably lived a similar life as Larson did.
In short, I guess the reason to RENT's popularity, despite the hugs flaws, is owed to people who took one look of the story and said "That's my life too" or "That was my life too".
I believe you don't need to be someone with AIDS/HIV to get it. But the story that can be universal. Anyone who was/is suffering from other illnesses like leukemia or liver disease can watch this and be able to get it. And the audience who aren't suffering from such illnesses can watch it and understand it's real
I agree with this 100% .. yes, the musical does have its flaws, but I am a fan because I connected with the characters due to having experienced one of the major themes, that being poverty.. I was eight years old when the big economic recession happened.. my dad lost his well-paying construction job and we had to move to a smaller more affordable house.. it was tough
Hey guys you should see "Dancer in the Dark" by Lars Von Trier and Bjork.
looking forward to Assassins- also wondering if you plan to talk about any european musicals?
your reviews helped get me into der glockner von Notre Dame and Dracula das musical, which led me to numerous others and then to my own translating and english subtitling project of Elisabeth das musical, so I'm always super keen for more german musicals being discussed!
It's very hard to find watchable subtitled proshots of European musicals. I've heard Elisabeth is amazing though.
I wonder how old you guys are. I grew up in the 90s when this show was popular. I agree with you on your criticisms. It's very dated. Mark is the worst. It sold on energy and appeal to 90s attitude. It brought a new generation of fans to Broadway.. while I think it's better viewed as a relic of its time... maybe you had to be in the 90s to understand the appeal
Oh contrare, mon frère! Despite the giggles this analytical commentary is spot-on of a superficial pop-culture pseudo-woke musical of it's time...a period piece that has not aged well. I know all to well since I lived through the devastating AIDS epidemic with many friends who have died only to be trivialized by this hack non-conformist show...awards or not.
@@cliffbunsam I dont think you actually disagree with me
“Nobody’s first work is the best thing”
True, but ALW’s second work is his best one
My favorite character is the ex roommates dog
LMAO 😂 😂 😂
Good review! Can't wait to see your review of Assassins!
Thank you so much for watching.
thank you for this review. RENT is an AWFUL musical that has 3 memorable songs!
what songs do you remember
@@i-think-i-need-help la vie boheme (a and b), seasons of love, take me or leave me.
The title RENT used the lesser know definition .... "to be torn apart emotionally"
A musical theatre nerd who loves Hedwig and Passion, and hates Rent and Hamilton.
YESS Assassins is lovely! Definitely do a video on The Great Comet
Perhaps one day we will! Thank you so much for watching.
Yay! You're back! Ya'll should do Newsies
+Ruby Blue Perhaps we will one day!
I love Rent but this is hilarious oh my god
You are able to disagree with us as long as you have a good time!
I don’t love RENT but I feel the music is good for the most part, the characters are all kind of assholes, but it seems to be intentional.
17:53 So you did not watch the musical. He says it IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE FUCKING MUSICAL. “We begin with Christmas Eve, WITH ME MARK AND MY ROOMATE ROGER”
No, we watched it, it just sucks.
Rent was revolutionary for IT'S TIME. I think that is a lot of context that is lost here. I'm not going to keep going ..I was an OBC Renthead soooo. Thank you Jonathon Larson.
Well said!
Andrew has the most infectious laugh 😂
Man I agree. When he starts, I can't help myself.
It's so weird b/c I loved Tick Tick Boom and it really resonated with me, but I've tried to watch RENT twice, and I can barely make it through the first 30 min. It's just kinda dull to me
I’m liking all your videos because I just listened to the end of your Little Shop of Horrors review :) thanks for what you guys do!
Light My Candle is a good song. I just wish it was in a different musical 🤣 Rent is so overrated and in my opinion, purely unnecessary. The plot makes zero sense to me.
I miss you guys, do more stuff! :(
+Aimee M I promise we will
The show has flaws, but seeing in on Broadway in 2000 was a massive rush. Nothing else sounded like it at the time. Plus, there are 4-5 bangers, which is 4-5 more than most musicals.
I live in the city, I'm lazy, I'm poor, I have AIDS, I'm dead... There I saved you 2 hours of your life.
Omg do Great Comet
Perhaps one day we will!
Good video.
You should do Hedwig eventually.
Perhaps one day we will!
Now review Tick Tick Boom! which is only on 1 CD and much less talked about then Rent. Now sing 30/90 30 30 90. What can you do? What can you do?
I would argue tick tick boom is better because it talks about the same subjects with more self awareness
Can you review Fun Home again?
Perhaps one day we will! Thank you so much for watching.
I saw it at the neederlander and loved it
It's an important musical and Larson had talent... but the characters are awful, and it treats its themes very poorly. I own it because i like musicals, but i must admit that i watched it only a couple of times.
This is the most hilarious take on Rent ever, LMAO!
Do either Starkid or falsettos
It’s just horrible. And nothing is accomplished.
PLEASE DO HEDWIG I'M BEGGING YOU
Perhaps one day we will! Thank you so much for watching.
Just finished the movie for my first time. It's not bad but I hated it lmao I can't stand musicals. So many freaking songs 😂 Tango Maureen & the Goodbye Michael song are the only ones I remember. Couldn't follow the lyrics from one to the next, just became forgettable where I couldn't follow any of the movie. Like the guitar guy & Mimi had no relationship buildup, there was barely any focus on them, I thought he was her sponsor 😂 So I had 0 investment in their relationship. Like it felt rushed, where as Angel & Collins had an actual storyline. Plus, how are they gonna pay rent? The ginger is the only one with a job. Is he just gonna be everyone's sugar daddy? & why did they start singing at the end instead of bringing Mimi to a hospital? Like, Angel went to the hospital... He could afford it somehow & he just played a bucket on the streets. Idk, maybe I missed something but yeah, the endless singing was incredibly distracting 😂 Oh, & I thought it crushed the Oscars, so my expectations were very high, now I just saw it got 0 noms. Now, I feel like I'd have enjoyed it more if I didn't expect so much 😞
i really enjoy this podcast!! i hope you guys will still do hedwig eventually haha
Perhaps one day we will!
Chaotic bisexuals exist. Maureen is flawed; but aren’t we all when we’re that young?
Yay! I love Assassins!
Then the next video is just for you!
@3:59 holy fuck that HIV positive joke lmao
I feel like this is the musical for kids in their late teens and early 20s. I am 27 now and wow do i feel stupid for liking this
Its ok to grow and change.
LOVED your analysis. ALSO, the wealthy, old, white, guys who are supposed to be villains, are most “woke” of ALL for accepting African American Benny into the patriarchy and family!
If you want a really good breakdown of why Rent is terrible.
Watch Lindsay Ellis’s Look Pretty and Do Nothing.
It’ll infuriate you more about this musical.
Hmmmm...this is rather de-context-ualized. Musicals are just that. You kinda gotta be into the genre to understand what might or might not make it work. As you all did state the longevity of the musical, I think this speaks over the death of the writer. I am wondering if this review isn't (oblique angle) somewhat homophobic? I think the approach does need to be rethought.
Thank you. I've always really disliked the hype around this musical. It's objectively not good and the only reason people praise it is for social status and woke points on their status.
A work that constantly stresses the bright line between those who will die and those who will live (and who will witness the deaths) being created by a man who drops dead the night of the premier seemed almost mystical to the rent heads. My favorite characters were always the ones like benjamin Tracy and alexis -- you know the ones with jobs.
And don't get me started on how unlike able my namesake is
RENT is my favorite musical of all time and your opinions don’t matter
So what? Cope and seethe, it's the worst musical of all time because it considers behaving irrationally and purely emotionally without reason to be good traits.
@@CT-6210 Hey man that comment was from 3 years ago it’s ok if you’re not a fan.
Saw it and wish I hadn’t. Trash story trash performance ( Melbourne ), trash casting, staging. Don’t go.
It’s trash everyone. Don’t go.
It’s not, though.
Luv Rent but this review funny
the fact that they're commenting on a musical that they obviously have never seen because of the hesitation 😭😭
This is trash. Don’t watch.
Rent is the best musical of all time solely due to the fact that John Larsons ghost continues to live on through the show.