Finally Seeing A Popular Show (or It’s “Rent” Time!)

There have been so many shows this season at the Pantages that are either classics or very popular shows. I’ve been loving the season, especially since it is letting me see a bunch of shows that I hadn’t seen before but have been wanting to see for a while. And no matter what show we are seeing, I love going to live theater and I can’t imagine what it would be like without having shows to see on a regular basis.

The current season is almost over, although the next season starts soon so it won’t feel like a big gap in time between shows. And the show we got to see this past weekend was one that I was so excited to see because I had never seen it on a big stage before.

I feel like “Rent” is a show that every theater nerd has seen at some point. And technically, I had seen it too. But I had only seen it in a small community theater production and in the film/live tv versions before. So I was familiar with the show, but it is still different seeing it in a large theater compared to on a screen or in a small theater where they didn’t have sets and I believe they may not have done all the songs.

My group for seeing the shows this season has been 4 of us, but one person in the group couldn’t make it so it was going to be 3 of us. Then, at the last minute, another person from the group couldn’t make it and they asked us if we knew anyone who wanted the ticket. We started texting our friends and a friend of mine wanted the ticket and was able to get to the theater in time. And it turned out, all of us were new to seeing the show this way so it was even more exciting!

Since I had seen other versions of the show before, I was familiar with the plot. And the live tv version wasn’t that long ago so I was more familiar than I have been with most shows even though this was kind of a new show for me. It was an interesting way to see the show since it was new and familiar at the same time. I also think it allowed me to not feel as confused in the beginning as I have with some new shows. I was still able to be into the show and not expecting what would come next, but I wasn’t shocked and had to get past anything.

The show was exactly how I expected a full production to be. It had the set that I had seen in photos from other big productions and the performers were awesome. I will say this is one of the first shows that made me feel a bit old because all the performers were adults but young (when it’s a show full of kids, I don’t feel old). There were a few moments I didn’t love and some characters that didn’t have the chemistry I was expected to see, but overall it was a great show.

This tour is technically the 20th-anniversary tour (the tour started 3 years ago when the premiere was 20 years ago) and even though the show is not current it still feels that way. The AIDS crisis isn’t the same as it was back in the early 90s, but there are still so many health issues that feel just as hopeless or overwhelming. And the idea of not being able to afford bills and affordable housing being torn down for expensive homes is a current issue that I feel I know well. I have said that I literally cannot afford to move because every place near me is significantly more expensive than what I pay right now.

And of course, the idea of being an artist and wanting to have your work out there is something very close to me. I understand the frustration of trying to make something and wanting to make sure that your legacy includes the work that you created. That concept a big focus of the show, but I think it hits even harder considering that the writer of “Rent” died the night before it opened. He worked so hard on writing the show and getting it seen by others. And it’s so sad that he never got to see what “Rent” became and how it is a must-see show according to most people who like musicals.

This was one of the few shows that did make me cry. I don’t usually cry when seeing a musical, but I think when something connects so well with me I can’t help it. I was moved by what I saw and when I feel like that I can’t hold it in. And I think all 3 of us in the group felt the same way. We left the show a bit emotionally drained and a bit motivated to get out there and work hard on what we love to do. It was an incredible way to leave a show and I loved it.

There’s only one more show this season and it will be this weekend. And it will only be 2 of us going due to scheduling issues. And then next season, it will be me and my friend Dani. But shows are awesome to go to with just 2 of us or with a big group. For me, as long as I have one friend to go with, I have an awesome time. And I’m so happy that this will keep going for at least another year and I can’t wait to see how the last show of this season and all the shows next season will connect with me.

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The End Of My Musical Season (or Finally Enjoying Phantom) And Another Season Of Musicals (or The Next Season Will Be A Bit Different) An Unexpected Musical (or Seeing A Show At A Different Theater) Another Wicked Night Out (or Seeing A Show From Up High) Another Round Of A Repeat Musical (or Seeing A Show A Different Way) Taking Time For A Show (or Seeing Summer)