What can I say about RENT? It was an amazing experience to be able to see THE most popular Broadway show on screen! I was not able to see the musical while it was on Broadway so I was so glad that they filmed the final show for those of us who could not see it onstage. The film was amazing!! It felt as if you were right onstage with the actors. I can't wait for the DVD to come out on FEB. 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will watch it over and over again!!! I will never get tired of watching this amazing show!!

I have seen the play 5 times, I saw the first movie version and of course I had to see the latest movie version of the taping of the play. The latest movie version was as good, if not better than the play! The only thing missing from the movie version was the audience particapation, although I and a few others cheered & clapped during many of the scenes. How do you not get excited when Angel performs for you? I actually saw expressions and tears that I did not see from my seat when I was in the audience of watching the play(and I had close seats a few times). One of the many most incredible captured moments on film was at the funeral scene when Angel is "leaving". He turns his head and smiles. I never saw that before! The close ups and the camera angles where captured in a creative/artistic manner that you don't see as the audience at the play. I enjoyed this version of RENT as much, if not more than the play. I hope it will be out on DVD & of course, I hope to see the travel cast :)

Overall, I enjoyed it. I've seen the play on stage in NY and LA. I also own the soundtrack, and saw the movie version that was made recently with much of the original cast. In that sense, it was very clear to me when choices were made to sing or act the show differently. As an actor, I appreciate making a character your own, but as an audience member, part of me would have liked to hear songs with the phrasing more like the original casts. It took a bit of time to get in to "we are watching a staged production on film" aspect. For a while I felt like I could have been at home watching a PBS showing of the musical. But after a little while I felt like I was really in it. I liked hearing the audience reactions of those attending the recording, and myself and other movie audience members were inspired to clap after some songs as though we were really there. I liked that filming was done from many angles so you could see up close reactions of characters. I giggled at the 'intermission'.

This show is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and having the chance to finally see it performed was wonderful. The cast was amazing and the live-action aspect made you feel like you were right there in the theatre with the performers. What was even greater though was that with film you could see the individual expressions of all the actors and notice details that you probably would have missed sitting in the balcony of the theatre. This film was a wonderful representation of Jonathan Larson's work and I am glad that it can be preserved in its most powerful, raw form.