“Rent” the musical broke social norms with its taboo subject matter and mixed up musical genres (dance pop, R&B, salsa and rock ‘n roll) when it debuted on Broadway in 1996. The powerful story encompasses artists’ experience with love, friendship, AIDS, drug addiction and death and is loosely based on the opera “La Boheme.”
The movie version was released in November of 2005. Many of the orignal actors from of the broadway production performed in the movie. The cast included, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Jessie L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Tracie Thomas and Taye Diggs.
“Rent” takes place between the years 1989-1990, when the AIDS epidemic was at its height. All but two characters, except Joann and Benjamin (Tracie Thomas and Taye Diggs) who are a lawyer and a business manager, are bohemians as indicated by their costumes.
Mimi Marquez (Rosario Dawson) dances at the Pussy Cat Club to pay for her drug addiction. She is bold, in your face and so are her colorful clothes. Mimi pairs silver shirts with turquoise tights, purple, red and green skirts, a leopard print coat and an endless parade of mini skirts. All fabrics that look itchy but fun. She matches perfectly with her rock star boyfriend Roger Davis (Adam Pascal), who grunges it in jeans, tees, and a leather jacket daily.
The caring, supportive Angel Dumott Schunard (Wilson Jermaine Heredia) is a drag queen who looks attractive as either sex. His most out landish costumes are a furry mini zebra and red Christmas coat and a pink and black plastic new years eve outfit. You’ll never know what wig she’ll be wearing next. Her costumes provide a solid contrast against her significant other Tom Collins (Jessie L. Martin), fired MIT professor, who boasts a rough male image with baggy jeans, flannel plaid button down shirts, and courdory vests.
Maureen Johnson (Idina Menzel), is the bisexual flirt who leads everyone on. Her pleather skin tight pants and studded jacket look inexpensive and are accompanied by her ripped logo t-shirts. Judging from here costume alone, she was too much to handle for ex-boyfriend, Mark Cohen (Anthony Rapp), a quiet Jewish boy who wears coudory pants and sweaters. Maureen opted for the lawyer JoAnn instead who typically wears suits.
All costumes are very late 80s early 90s and as tacky as these costumes sound, the film versions are better than those worn in the Broadway show.
The original show closed on Broadway in September of 2008, but it continues to tour and can be seen on DVD.
(www.siteforrent.com/)
No comments:
Post a Comment