Comments on: RENT http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65 Thoughts from the Weston Playhouse Theatre Co. Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:06:19 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Camille Peasley http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-71 Camille Peasley Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:29:01 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-71 i went to the performance along with the Summer Transition Program (STP) with Castleton State College and i cannot get over how amazing you all performed!! i've seen the movie twice and the broadway performance (the one they filmed) a few times, but you guys were by far my favortie!! Roger's character (played by Kristoffer Cusick, i believe) was portrayed SOOOO much more like he should be instead of just having him be brooding. Besides, the mohawk was awesome and so was your voice!!!!! I think "Light my Candle" or "Will I?" was my favorite of the songs, I can't decide.... but they were both really great, so no sweat!! speaking of "Will I?", the guy who started it off (Paul Rawlings, I think?) had such a powerful voice, which just made the song even more deep and meaningful. but you were all just so great and the show was well put together so, instead of rambling on, i guess what i'm trying to say is: BRAVO!!!!! i went to the performance along with the Summer Transition Program (STP) with Castleton State College and i cannot get over how amazing you all performed!!
i’ve seen the movie twice and the broadway performance (the one they filmed) a few times, but you guys were by far my favortie!!
Roger’s character (played by Kristoffer Cusick, i believe) was portrayed SOOOO much more like he should be instead of just having him be brooding. Besides, the mohawk was awesome and so was your voice!!!!!
I think “Light my Candle” or “Will I?” was my favorite of the songs, I can’t decide…. but they were both really great, so no sweat!!
speaking of “Will I?”, the guy who started it off (Paul Rawlings, I think?) had such a powerful voice, which just made the song even more deep and meaningful.
but you were all just so great and the show was well put together so, instead of rambling on, i guess what i’m trying to say is: BRAVO!!!!!

]]> By: Patricia http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-70 Patricia Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:16:45 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-70 While I enjoyed the production very much, I must add myself to those who found the sound level just too high. Our group doesn't seem to be represented here but absolutely everyone I spoke to who has seen this production in Weston mentions this. Why such a fabulous production was allowed to have such a poor mix is a mystery to all of us. I do not go to the theater to lose my hearing. While I enjoyed the production very much, I must add myself to those who found the sound level just too high. Our group doesn’t seem to be represented here but absolutely everyone I spoke to who has seen this production in Weston mentions this. Why such a fabulous production was allowed to have such a poor mix is a mystery to all of us. I do not go to the theater to lose my hearing.

]]> By: Kathy Bottomley http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-69 Kathy Bottomley Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:27:58 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-69 What a performance. My husband and I attended the Playhouse for our first time Thursday, 8/20 and it was a one hour drive from our home in Chesterfield, NH. What an overwhelmingly terrific surprise. We have seen RENT in NYC and Boston and this was by far the best performance ever! There was not a weak actor in this show. We began talking about how great "Roger's" singing and acting was but then that just led us to every other character who were equally as wonderful. From Collins, to Mimi, to Angel, to Joanne, to Maureen, to Mark and Benny as well as the supporting cast. What a talented, talented cast with wonderful choreography. Thank you to the outstanding performers who not only did RENT proud but knocked our socks off. You are a top notch group and I truly hope that we will enjoy this kind of quality show again! I wish I had seen it earlier in the season because I would definitely go again. Thanks to all for a wonderful night of musical theater. What a performance. My husband and I attended the Playhouse for our first time Thursday, 8/20 and it was a one hour drive from our home in Chesterfield, NH. What an overwhelmingly terrific surprise.

We have seen RENT in NYC and Boston and this was by far the best performance ever! There was not a weak actor in this show. We began talking about how great “Roger’s” singing and acting was but then that just led us to every other character who were equally as wonderful. From Collins, to Mimi, to Angel, to Joanne, to Maureen, to Mark and Benny as well as the supporting cast. What a talented, talented cast with wonderful choreography.

Thank you to the outstanding performers who not only did RENT proud but knocked our socks off. You are a top notch group and I truly hope that we will enjoy this kind of quality show again! I wish I had seen it earlier in the season because I would definitely go again.

Thanks to all for a wonderful night of musical theater.

]]> By: Kalleen http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-68 Kalleen Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:08 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-68 AMAZING!AMAZING!AMAZING! It was my first trip to the Weston Playhouse and I loved it. What a fantastic show with a stellar cast!! Thank you!! AMAZING!AMAZING!AMAZING!
It was my first trip to the Weston Playhouse and I loved it. What a fantastic show with a stellar cast!! Thank you!!

]]> By: Patrica Russo http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-66 Patrica Russo Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:40:23 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-66 Edgy...brilliant... Run...to RENT! Edgy…brilliant…
Run…to RENT!

]]> By: Statler http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-61 Statler Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:10:09 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-61 The sound was atrocious during the first week when I saw it, but I understand this is the theatre's 1st show using them. And the sound mixing for this show is a tactical nightmare for any technician. Critically speaking, I thought the set was dull and the costumes were predictable. The performances were uneven (with the exception of Maureen, Collins and Mark). The general direction seemed very monotonous in tone, all anger and angst with no sweetness or light to be found. The emotional center (Angel) was off-balance for the first act and looked truly frightened to be up on those platform shoes. He did, however, make up for it with a beautiful 2nd act. Mimi and Roger sounded good, but both performances were limp (literally as Mimi drapes herself backwards over a ladder and Roger's chin never seems to leave the floor when he's singing). The show itself is heavy enough without your actors being directed to play it heavy. What should be an uplifting show has been turned into a death-march dirge. The sound was atrocious during the first week when I saw it, but I understand this is the theatre’s 1st show using them. And the sound mixing for this show is a tactical nightmare for any technician. Critically speaking, I thought the set was dull and the costumes were predictable. The performances were uneven (with the exception of Maureen, Collins and Mark). The general direction seemed very monotonous in tone, all anger and angst with no sweetness or light to be found. The emotional center (Angel) was off-balance for the first act and looked truly frightened to be up on those platform shoes. He did, however, make up for it with a beautiful 2nd act. Mimi and Roger sounded good, but both performances were limp (literally as Mimi drapes herself backwards over a ladder and Roger’s chin never seems to leave the floor when he’s singing). The show itself is heavy enough without your actors being directed to play it heavy. What should be an uplifting show has been turned into a death-march dirge.

]]> By: Bill Walters and Christine Tattersall http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-60 Bill Walters and Christine Tattersall Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:55:11 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-60 Christine and I saw the performance on Thursday, July 30th. So why am I now just getting around to writing about it? Well, to put it simply, I was so awed and dumbstruck by the show that it has taken all this time for my brain to start functioning again, and write this review. We have been coming to the Weston Playhouse for more than 20 years, and I can say most honestly that this was the best performance we have ever seen at WPTC. Period. End of report. Thank you Bill Castellino, thank you members of the cast, and thank you all of the other folks at WPTC that made this show so wonderful. We were absolutely blown away by the performance, and will remember the evening of July 30th forever. Bill Walters and Christine Tattersall Christine and I saw the performance on Thursday, July 30th. So why am I now just getting around to writing about it?

Well, to put it simply, I was so awed and dumbstruck by the show that it has taken all this time for my brain to start functioning again, and write this review.

We have been coming to the Weston Playhouse for more than 20 years, and I can say most honestly that this was the best performance we have ever seen at WPTC. Period. End of report.

Thank you Bill Castellino, thank you members of the cast, and thank you all of the other folks at WPTC that made this show so wonderful. We were absolutely blown away by the performance, and will remember the evening of July 30th forever.

Bill Walters and Christine Tattersall

]]> By: Alye http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-59 Alye Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:11:44 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-59 Wow. I was lucky enough to see the original cast shortly after the production moved to Broadway, and I always compare my Rent experiences to that first magical show. This production lived up to my lofty expectations. I was blown away last night. I had seen a sweet, well acted production at the playhouse three weeks ago and I expected that Rent would be good - it was phenomenal. Congratulations to the cast, the crew, the director etc. I loved loved loved it. (my only slight distraction was that one of the cast members - who often played a drug dealer - was in a production here last year. I had a hard time taking him seriously, because every time he graced the stage, I remembered him as Farmer Brown in Click Clack Moo - surely he will look like a shifty drug dealer to everyone else. . .) Wow. I was lucky enough to see the original cast shortly after the production moved to Broadway, and I always compare my Rent experiences to that first magical show. This production lived up to my lofty expectations. I was blown away last night. I had seen a sweet, well acted production at the playhouse three weeks ago and I expected that Rent would be good – it was phenomenal. Congratulations to the cast, the crew, the director etc. I loved loved loved it.

(my only slight distraction was that one of the cast members – who often played a drug dealer – was in a production here last year. I had a hard time taking him seriously, because every time he graced the stage, I remembered him as Farmer Brown in Click Clack Moo – surely he will look like a shifty drug dealer to everyone else. . .)

]]> By: Lynne http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-58 Lynne Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:13:56 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-58 Oh My Goodness! What a fantastic experience. The music, the set, and especially the actors were Broadway quality. We didn't want it to end. At the end of the show, we were lucky enough to speak with "Angel" and "Roger" outside. They could not have been nicer or friendlier, even posing for pictures with us and chatting about the show. Thank you Weston Playhouse for yet another gem! Oh My Goodness! What a fantastic experience. The music, the set, and especially the actors were Broadway quality. We didn’t want it to end. At the end of the show, we were lucky enough to speak with “Angel” and “Roger” outside. They could not have been nicer or friendlier, even posing for pictures with us and chatting about the show. Thank you Weston Playhouse for yet another gem!

]]> By: Abbie Holden http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-57 Abbie Holden Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:11:09 +0000 http://www.westonplayhouse.org/blog/?p=65#comment-57 I decided to come see RENT to celebrate my 18th birthday, and I am so glad that I did! This production was incredible. I found myself completely enraptured and quietly singing along. There were a few sound problems and there were some points where I thought the mics were too loud, but overall I enjoyed the entire performance and thank all of the cast and crew for providing me with a wonderful things to remember my 18th birthday with! I decided to come see RENT to celebrate my 18th birthday, and I am so glad that I did! This production was incredible. I found myself completely enraptured and quietly singing along. There were a few sound problems and there were some points where I thought the mics were too loud, but overall I enjoyed the entire performance and thank all of the cast and crew for providing me with a wonderful things to remember my 18th birthday with!

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