[janne716]

I just saw the touring company this Saturday, and thought I would share some opinions. I'll break this down by character.

Mark (Jed Resnick): I thought he was great. His Mark reminds you of Anthony Rapp, but he was a little more subdued. I loved his voice and his movements. He was able to show this awkwardness that made him extremely relatable. His "La Vie Boheme" was hilarious, even though he almost fell off the table he didn't break. "Halloween" was very sincere and touching. Very impressive.

Roger (Bryce Ryness): Great voice, but that's where it ended for me. For most of the show, it was almost as if his arms were bolted to his side. At some points, especially during "What You Own," it was hard to not yell out "Move your arms!!!" His "One Song Glory" was mediocre. He didn't seem to connect with what he was singing. The one time he appeared to give in to the role was during Mimi's and Joanne's duet before "Goodbye Love." He popped at Mimi and I thought "Wow, he does have it in him!" Then "What You Own" started that was the end of it. This was amplified because he was playing against such a great Mark.

Collins (Warren G. Nolan, Jr.): The best performer in the cast. His voice is very reminiscent of Jesse L. Martin. Played the part as is he was Collins. His characterization never faltered. His reprise of "I'll Cover You" was absolutely heart wrentching. It was hard to tell, but I think he was singing through tears. I don't think I could have asked for a better Collins.

Mimi (Arianda Fernandez): Very powerful voice, dominated most ensemble songs. Played Mimi as more innocent than others have. Moved very well. Her "Out Tonight" was good, but she tended to lose her breath. "Without You" was her best number, and was one of the best moments in the show.

Angel (Ano Okera): Did well, considering that Angel is probably the hardest part to tackle. Vocally good, except needed better breath control. "I'll Cover You" was dead on, neither missed a note. "Today 4 U" was hard to understand because he kept running out of air, but with all the dancing during that song it's understandable. Pretty shallow characterization.

Joanne (Chante Carmel Frierson): Played the part very well. Came off as kind of a spoiled brat, which is different from what I would expect. Her voice was very cutesy, but powerful when necessary. "Take Me or Leave Me" was done very well. Only complaint is that she have been a little too silly when interacting with Maureen, which kind of takes away from Maureen.

Maureen (Tracy McDowell): Initially, she came off as more subdued than Maureen should be. "Over the Moon" was very funny. "Take Me or Leave Me" was her strongest song. She's fine when she's the center of attention, but when she is part of the background, it's pretty obvious that she's just waiting for her next line rather than being engaged by the situation.

Benny (Michael Ifill): Suitable Benny. He voice was a little too pop for the role, in my opinion. He just wasn't a very intimidating Benny, but he also wasn't sincere in the other parts, after Angel's funeral for example.

Ensemble: Great as a group. At some points they sounded exactly like the OBC recording because their harmonies were so dead on. Steve's (Ben Roseberry) "Will I?" was breathtaking. He come off as so sincere that I was blown away. The lady with bags (Altamiece Carolyn Ballard) was pretty weak on the "Who the ---- do you think you are?" part. She was better during the "Seasons of Love" solo, but she seemed a little intimidated by what she was singing. "La Vie Boheme" was great.

Overall, the show was very good. The only character that took away from the show was Roger.

Just a little side note. After the show we went to the stage door to meet the cast. Warren G. Nolan, Jr. was just as sweet as could be. I didn't have a pen for him to sign my program and he asked until someone loaned us one. He seemed truly humbled by his experiences. Chante Frierson and Arianda Fernandez were just adorable to watch interacting with the fans. My favorite was Jed Resnick. He was so sweet and humble. When I told him that I thought he was amazing, he got really shy and was almost overwhelmed by the complement. He was just adorable. I think Bryce Ryness wasn't getting the attention he wanted, so he kind of sulked away from the fans at the stage door and hailed a cab and left.

Just my opinion.

[matonad44]

Thanks for this.
I'm seeing Rent on tour in a few weeks, and
I have heard great things about the cast. I was just curious about how each one of the characters was portrayed.

[The Very Angry Woman]

[rock_musicals]

[<3Wilson<3]

I would have to disagree with the Angel review. He was a very good Angel when I saw him two weeks ago. He must have improved from the time you saw him to when I saw him.

[Gwen]

Lucky you got to see it... Glad to hear it was good.
I wanted to see it but I didn't have time or money.

"My favorite was Jed Resnick. He was so sweet and humble. When I told him that I thought he was amazing, he got really shy and was almost overwhelmed by the complement. He was just adorable. I think Bryce Ryness wasn't getting the attention he wanted, so he kind of sulked away from the fans at the stage door and hailed a cab and left."

Aaaaah!!! That's really cute! I haven't heard of many cases like that.
People like that really are awesome in my opinion, because even if they
have discomfort around crowding fans, who can really blame them? I think
it might be because they live for the stage and not for the fans, ya know?
I'd take that attitude, personally.

[convict24601]

Glad you enjoyed the show! I wish I saw it when it was here.

[theonetowatch]

I saw the same cast about a week ago and the guy who played Roger annoyed me. His voice kept cracking, especially during Glory. At times it seemed appropriate, like it added a more emotional quality to the song, but it happened waaaaay too much.

I liked the Mimi, and Joanne's voice was amazing. Overall though, I thought the show lacked energy in many places.