Not to change the rather bizzare subject, but speaking of musicals, has anyone seen the absolutely ridiculously florid review of RENT by AO Scott of the Times this week? Now, I'm a fan of Lawson's original--but I'm a queer, so I don't expect all you heteros to understand--but the fawning and backwards bending demonstrated by Scott is absolututely inexcusable.

I have not read the review. I've seen the musical only once and it was in London. Kind of a weird experience seeing this show so desperately wanting to be about the New York experience being done by people with really, really poor American accents.

I have, however, worked with Anthony Rapp who will be playing the blond guy with the video camera in the movie (as well as on Broadway). Is his name Mark? I don't remember.

I didn't care too much for the musical when I saw it. There were a few points that really sparkled, but I wasn't a big fan of that half singing/half talking thing they did a lot. I also wasn't too drawn into the plot... but I'll give it another chance. The movie looks intriguing.

they don't half-sing/half-talk in the movie, but that doesn't exactly save the movie. but i was in some ways a sucker for it.

i was a sucker for it only in the sense that i was forced to endure all two hours and forty minutes of this steaming horseshit under group/familial duress. everyone else, whose hearts are apparently bigger than mine own, seemed to like it just fine. i felt nauseous from the first hackneyed duet, and it was hard to keep an eye-roll sustained for so long. anthony rapp, jesse martin, and rosario dawson were all endearing, but i wish i had been watching them in something ELSE.

i've never seen it, but i guess i'll see the movie. i am, of course, familiar with the music because i grew up with theater kids and in the 90's, wherever there were theater kids (and even worse, a piano), there was RENT.

my impressions are that it is full of pretend-rock and pretend-bohemia. like when people go to a costume party as "a punk." oohh, grrrr, look, green hair and metal studs. or when ashlee simpsons "plays guitar" because she's "a rocker."

i don't mean to be derisive, it just sounds that way. i do enjoy some of the music, and there's nothing ultimately wrong with catchy, safe pop music acting like rock 'n roll. but let's face it; tony kushner wrote the play about aids. jon larson treated us to a candy cane.

anyway, i should really see things before i review them.

the producers is going to rule.

"the producers is going to rule."

I admit that I made the comment that I'm about to make about the musical before I saw it, and it turned out to be completely untrue, but The Producers is going to suck.