RENT Will Get the Live! Treatment
Friday, May 12, 2017 at 6:16PM It's upfront season, which means that for the last two weeks we've had never-ending news on renewals, cancellations, and pickups. But for the musical theater candle burning inside me, one announcement shines the brighest:
FOX revealed earlier today that it has acquired the rights to put on the 1996 groundbreaking musical RENT as a live television musical, following the NBC tradition since 2013.
Few other details have been announced, like an air date or any casting, but it followed their previous announcement that they will be producing A Christmas Story this December. Both shows will be produced by veteran Marc Platt, who was also behind the 2016 hit and Carly Rae-Jepsen vehicle Grease:Live!
The developing news are sure to start a cultural conversation. The show originally garnered a lot of attention for its raw depiction of AIDS and sexual identity, and the live musicals produced before have been thematically tame (with the exception of the ill-received Rocky Horror reboot). Its casting should also spark some interesting buzz, as it famulously contains many characters of color, different sexual orientations, and gender identities. It will be interesting to see how it translates into broadcast television.
So, while we wait for more, who would you cast in this production?
Reader Comments (9)
Someone suggested Naya Rivera for the Jesus Christ Superstar Live! but she needs to be the Mimi here!
"Rent" is a cultural event I could just not appreciate. I don't think it's a very good show, and I've seen it twice. I'm the right age for the show when it came out, and I recall seeing other audience members in tears during the show, but all I kept thinking was that the characters should just pay their damn rent.
Hope is better than movie in which everyone seemed too old and healthy
It's amazing to me that these things are making money, such as they are. Maybe the Sound of Music Live put me off all live network musicals, but I can't believe people actually watch them. Good for the producers/actors/copyright holders! If a lame rehash puts network money in John Waters' pocket then who cares about quality.
Hayden - As with almost everything these live network musical have a range of quality from poor (Sound of Music, Peter Pan) to pretty damn good if not great (The Wiz, Grease, and Hairspray). I don't think any of them were perfect, but a few have been spectacularly enjoyable. I don't blame you for being put off by Sound of Music I think many of us were.
@ Bushwick - that someone was me. I like the idea of Naya as Mimi as well. I feel like she was given a short shrift in Glee, but still managed to outshine most of the overhyped cast members. Kinda like Megan Hilty in Smash.
@ Raul - I never got the over the top brouhaha over Rent, either. It is only ok, really. But truth be told, La Boheme is my least favorite Puccini opera, also, so maybe I have a blindside for it.
I know some dislike this trend, but while I don't think they've all been great, I like that musicals are a tradition again at least in this form. RENT is a curious one, but its success could lead to more musicals of its type being produced in this form as well as on the big screen. So far they've all been pretty family friendly. It'll be interesting to see how this one develops.
Yes to what Glenn says. I'd rather get more MUSICALS out there than whatever hot new reality show starring some D-list person or some singing competition.
As for casting... I'm just curious as to which of the original stars show up for a cameo and what they'll be doing. When I heard this news yesterday the only thing I could think of would be some of them appearing in "Will I?"
ok so since we're casting for fun:
Mimi: Janelle Monae
Roger: Jeremy Jordan
Mark: Andrew Rannells
Maureen Johnson: Alex Newell
Angel: Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Tom Collins: John Benjamin Hickey
Joanne: Hailee Steinfeld
Benjamin: Taye Diggs, reprising