Rent sucks and you know it.

In keeping with the theme of beguiling my readers and friends about my sexuality I took The Pretty Girl to see Rent on stage last night. I had some idea of what to expect as far as quality is concerned given that I've seen the movie. I knew it was going to be an over rated, storyless, mediocre musical, but I thought the stage show would be more enjoyable than the film.

I was wrong. I know it's rare, but even someone as wise as myself can error in judgement.

There's only one likable character in the play and the show was less than stellar. When I saw the movie I remember thinking how unfunny the jokes were given that no one laughed at any of them, but at the play the crowd reacted as if they were at a George Carlin show. I know that people are far more forgiving at stage productions then film, cause after they spent a good amount of money to be there so they're almost desperate to be entertained.

Then again I was sitting with one of the most easily amused audience ever. They were hooting and hollering throughout the show, even when there was nothing to warrant any cheers. For example Mimi was strutting her stuff to 'Out Tonight' where she starts shaking her head in a Slayer fashion and people in the audience started cheering.

It got worse as the show went on. Lots of people from the audience were cheering inappropriatley and even making noises not heard since the days of Arsenio Hall. It made it really frustrating cause they kept drowning out the lyrics which to someone who's never seen it before made it more difficult to follow. Good thing the plot is so simple it's not like you're missing anything really deep.

Still after watching a bunch of pretencious jukie artists suffer self inflicted faux poverty was sort of like watching Springer. I had my Pretty Girl next to me and life seemed really great at that moment. We had a good dinner and we were dressed up, which is a rarity for me. The money and time spent just to see her was worth it.

"Rent is commodified faux bohemia on a platter, eliciting the same kind of numbing soul-sadness as children's beauty pageants, tiny dogs in expensive boots, Mahatma Gandhi in Apple ads." - Carina Chocano