Yeah, but I just meant like, while HIV/AIDS is still a HUUUUGE problem, there isnt that same death sentence attached to it that there was back then, and I think that is the reason the whole "Their dying!" thing works. Because that is the main thing. Also, the village isnt the village anymore. And performance art and that kind of bohemian lifestyle isnt as prevalent anymore.

I didnt mind CC changing it to 1989 as much (although I didnt love it either, its not exactly the end of the millenium either, and the characters mention the internet too muchc) because the village stuff still fit.

Also, I agree that Rent is a classic and really says something about that time period, that I think its just weird rearranging the time. I mean I dont have a problem with the changing other things (I loved Doyle's reimagining of Sweeney Todd), but that just seems needless and unnecessary.

Listening to the recording of Curtains and it's really good. I didn't realize Rupert Holmes ("If you like Pina Coladas") wrote musicals as well as books (Where the Truth Lies). I wish David Hyde Pierce was a little stronger singer, though. In some cases he's drowned out by more powerful singers.

katesi, how was Spamalot? Who's in it now?

One of Rupert Holmes' books comes with a free cd of swing music which apparently is essential to solving the crime.

I saw David Hyde Pierce in Spamalot and while I don't remember anything about his singing (don't think it had to be particularly good) I was surprised to find he can't do a British accent to save his life.

My parents saw Curtains with David Hyde Pierce and my mom said that she really enjoyed it and that the cast was very good. She also got to meet him at the stage door (my mom stage-doors!) and she said that he was extremely gracious and kind to everyone who waited to meet him. They have some great photos with him.

Did anyone else watch Legally Blonde: the Musical on MTV today? It was fabulous. And they will be re-running it tomorrow at 7 PM- obviously my evening plans are set.

I watched it! I went in thinking it was going to be the dumbest thing ever and jeez if it wasn't so freaking cute. I mean so cute. I had to watch it again today so I could catch the "something right" song again.

I'm not sure it's really my thing. I'm gonna watch it again. But the cast is great.

I thought it was just okay. There wasn't a single song that I found to be memorable, but the cast did well with what they were given. I just really wish that they'd film more shows for the general public -- even if they didn't release them until after the run was up. I cherish my Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park With George DVDs, but I still buy tickets to those shows when they come around.

Oh, I know right? It's not like people aren't out there making bootlegs anyway, so they might as well tape it and let people pay for it, because they would (pay for it I mean). As you say, even if it's after the show's over.

I agree with you. Bravo showed Kiss me Kate and Contact in the late 1990s, and PBS' great performances will take a musical on occasionally (its doing Company next, and the last two I saw were A Light in the Piazza and an awesome staging of Passion with Michael Cervais, Patti LuPune and Audra McDonald), but I do wish they would put them on dvds and sell them. It could be a good market too.

sniff. I recorded that, and now I can't find it anywhere! It's quite distressing.

I saw another recording of Passion on DVD, it's with Donna Murphy, Jere Shea and Marin Mazzie. The women were good, I remember I hated the guy. I didn't really like the show itself though.

ETA: More Rent Remixed stuff for anyone who's interested. "What You Own" I guess, is alright on its own, but the Mark sounds weird (and not just because he's using a Brit accent.)

They changed the location too? But Rent is such a NYC musical!

I really liked the Light in the Piazza showing, but the dude (while cute) was no Matthew Morrison.

And that might have been the original you saw. I think Donna Murphy won the Tony for it.

I also saw the revival of Oklahoma (with Hugh Jackman) on PBS and I see it at Blockbuster for rent all the time.

I was waiting to see what people who hadn't seen Blonde live thought of the MTV thing - glad y'all liked it! The broadcast version definitely exceeded my expectations, but there were a couple little things that bothered me. Like some of the line deliveries were WAY over-the-top; I guess they figured the MTV audience had less of a chance of picking up on subtleties than a live crowd. At any rate, it's nice to have Orfeh singing on my TV now whenever I want.

Completely unrelated: I have become re-obsessed with Aida and I blame all of you and your Adam Pascal talk in this thread. Send help!

You know you wants to steal him from his wife and kids and make him your broadway boyfriend. That way he could sing to you and you could hang out with with Jesse L. Martin.

Apparently half of them talk with American accents, the other Brit. From what I could gather at the broadwayworld.com boards, they left the setting vague, or still in NYC, but took out a lot of the Americanisms. I dunno. This whole thing is bizarre. You should read the descriptions in one of the comments of "Without You" about what they do during that song.

muahaha. Although poor Adam is stuck with a lot of the clunkers. Well, "Fortune Favors the Brave" isn't so bad, but "Radames' Letter" makes me fall asleep.