Entertainment Blog
The features desk discusses everything from weekend happenings to the latest movies, music and celebrity gossip.
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Recent posts
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Youth should be involved in theater
I’ll admit it — I’m a theater geek.
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Reality TV entertains during summer months
It’s sad when reality TV is more real than my life.
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R. Kelly hopes to bump tainted jurors as trial grinds
There seems to be a holdup for the jury selection in the R. Kelly child pornography trial.
In light of a recent Chicago Sun-Times article surrounding the case, the attorneys and judge involved feel it’s unlikely to find unbiased jurors who can deliver a fair verdict. After the article was released, the defense is hoping for yet another delay in jury selection.
Mainstream musical 'Rent' still hasn't worn out welcome
Earlier this semester, I wrote that “Rent,” everyone’s favorite (and my least favorite) musical, would be closing shop on Broadway come June 1.
Well, guess what “Rent” fans? You get an extra three months to sing the songs you have memorized.
Producers announced Wednesday the show now will close Sept. 7, giving fanatics a bit longer to indulge in some “La Bohème” sing-a-longs.
Now, I’ll take this announcement as an opportunity to clarify my feelings about “Rent.” Apparently, last time readers didn’t feel that I backed up my dislike for “Rent” with enough reasoning.
Essentially, there’s one huge reason why I don’t like “Rent.” It’s the fact that before the movie, the show garnered a great status among theater lovers, but then transformed itself into a mainstream smorgasbord. Before the movie, you never saw girls dressing up as “Mimi” for Halloween, and you never heard the songs on “American Idol” auditions. And that was great.
For me, “Rent” has turned into the mainstream musical to like. You ask random people what their favorite show is? You get “Rent.” It’s the “High School Musical” for adults. The “blue” of favorite colors. The “London” of study abroads. It’s the ultimate in cliché.
I think that’s really sad. I wish people could step away from “Rent” and build something new.
Comments
Ryan
03/27/08 @ 8:44pm
Well, Rent might have gone all over and a little overboard, but it gives people a chance who can’t afford tickets to a Broadway show to see Rent all the time if they buy it. We should still build something new, but Rent‘s message should always stay in our hearts. I found out about Rent by looking at the movie case on a rack at Blockbuster, and now, I think differently on so many things. I wouldn’t have known about it if it had just been a live show, and I would still be a bigot.