RENT

What better way to close out the New York chapter of my culture blog than with the tale of my most recent visit to the Nederlander Theater. Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal have been back in the roles of Mark and Roger for the past six weeks (and their run has just been extended through October); I was lucky to get to see the show a few weeks ago with Jamie, Meghan, and Parisa. The two of them really brought a vibrancy to the show I hadn't experienced in years. Given that they created these roles, they play them so naturally and it was really a joy to see it. Sorely missed was Jesse L. Martin, or really any decent Collins for that matter. The Collins was so distant from Angel that it hurt what is typically the most intimate and beautiful of the Rent relationships.

The audience was phenomenal. It was clearly filled with fans who knew when to moo, when clap along, and when to cheer. When each of Mark and Roger came on stage, the audience erupted in applause that sounded like teenage girls at a boy band concert. Parisa joined in like the true fan she is.

After having loved Rent for so many years, I don't think I'll forget this amazing performance of it.

River to River: Paul Taylor Dance

I can't pass up an opportunity to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Last night they had a free performance at Battery Park as part of the River to River festival. They performed Polaris, De Suenos, and Company B. I liked the set of pieces less than the previous three performances I've seen, but the dancing was of course fantastic. Company B was a great closer (though I'm still partial to Piazzola - which I'll hopefully be back in March to see).

After the show I got to go to the dancers' after party with Eran and Parisa. It was fun to see everyone up close after having seen them dance a few times! Yay.

Curtains

On my last day in New York, Meghan, Larry, and I went to see Curtains. It was a fun show and a great way to spend this last day. It's a fairly classic musical with light hearted music and a murder mystery plot. It was slightly self serving (Larry strongly disliked the song Show People which was essentially a pat-on-the-back song about "show people"). The dancing was fun and I thought David Hyde Pierce did a great job. I've only ever seen one or two episodes of Frasier, so I can't say whether he played his Frasier character or not. Not my favorite show, but an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

All I Ever Needed...

I saw A Chorus Line for the third time since the revival opened on Broadway last fall. It's such a fun show. I went with Michelle, Eran, and Parisa. It was fun to get the dancers' perspectives on it afterwards. Parisa noted that she really felt a connection with Bebe's comment "I have a headache" as a really real part of the audition process. I am not sure any show has a finale quite like A Chorus Line's. The dancing and costumes and shiny are such a spectacular way to end a show.