Broadway

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I love the music of Rent, but I think the book is dated now. It's almost a cliche. My mom and boyfriend went with me to see it last year and they didn't get its appeal at all. Living with AIDS today is way different than it was when this musical was written. For people who are seeing it for the first time now, the story is way overdramatic and unreal.

It's based on La Boheme - written in 1896 - I think it's got the right to be dated.

As for it being overdramatic and unreal - it's a musical, and therefore saying that makes it redundant.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

It's based on La Boheme - written in 1896 - I think it's got the right to be dated.

As for it being overdramatic and unreal - it's a musical, and therefore saying that makes it redundant.

I think you know what I was getting at.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I think you know what I was getting at.

I do, but look at West Side Story, which keeps having revivals and is still often playing in high school and community theatre as well.

Romeo and Juliet lives, as does La Boheme.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

I do, but look at West Side Story, which keeps having revivals and is still often playing in high school and community theatre as well.

Romeo and Juliet lives, as does La Boheme.

I recognize that both musicals are based on old stories.

West Side Story is about race relations, and the racially segregated gangs in the story are still around today - and when you combine that with the debates going on in this country today about immigration and race, WSS is just as relevant as ever. But, a major part of Rent's storyline is AIDS, and although it's still a serious issue in this country, the attitude about it has changed since the early 90s. The majority of the main characters in Rent have AIDS and go through the whole thing acting as if their days are numbered - and for one of the characters, it's true. That may have been the way it was when the story was written, but people diagnosed with AIDS nowadays can actually live their whole lives with AIDS - the treatment and prognosis is completely different...it's no longer a death sentence. So now the story comes off as cliched. The storyline is a little too literal to be able to apply its lessons to life today.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I recognize that both musicals are based on old stories.

West Side Story is about race relations, and the racially segregated gangs in the story are still around today - and when you combine that with the debates going on in this country today about immigration and race, WSS is just as relevant as ever. But, a major part of Rent's storyline is AIDS, and although it's still a serious issue in this country, the attitude about it has changed since the early 90s. The majority of the main characters in Rent have AIDS and go through the whole thing acting as if their days are numbered - and for one of the characters, it's true. That may have been the way it was when the story was written, but people diagnosed with AIDS nowadays can actually live their whole lives with AIDS - the treatment and prognosis is completely different...it's no longer a death sentence. So now the story comes off as cliched. The storyline is a little too literal to be able to apply its lessons to life today.

They pretty well establish that the story takes place in the 90's. It's not one of those shows that they play off as present day, no matter how old the show is. If there was a show set in the late 1800's, would it be too literal and cliche if someone in that show died of a simple disease that we now have treatments for, like influenza or dysynystry (Ok, that just made me decide that someone needs to write "OREGON TRAIL, THE MUSICAL")??

[DeltAlum]

I think it's overly simplistic to say that RENT is "about AIDS."

It's also about human relationships (hetro and homosexual) and economic (class) stuggle.

I don't think those have gone away.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

I think it's overly simplistic to say that RENT is "about AIDS."

It's also about human relationships (hetro and homosexual) and economic (class) stuggle.

I don't think those have gone away.

I said "a major part of the storyline" is about AIDS. Not the whole thing obviously.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

They pretty well establish that the story takes place in the 90's. It's not one of those shows that they play off as present day, no matter how old the show is. If there was a show set in the late 1800's, would it be too literal and cliche if someone in that show died of a simple disease that we now have treatments for, like influenza or dysynystry (Ok, that just made me decide that someone needs to write "OREGON TRAIL, THE MUSICAL")??

Okay, Gypsyboots just broke into "You just diiiiiieeeedd of dysenterrrrrrry" - I think she should be the lead.

[jitterbug13]

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