I want to go owwwwoouuuuuut tonight.

Considering Rent started in 1996, I got hooked pretty late in the game. Last spring I was browsing the new nonfiction books at the library and Anthony Rapp popped out at me. I had a little giggle -- that's the dude from Adventures in Babysitting! So I grabbed it and took it home, not really knowing it was mostly about his experience as the original Mark in Rent. Because the movie was my only real option, I rented it, fell in love with the music, and bought the soundtrack. I've been driving Brad nuts with it ever since. So when I happened to see that the show was coming to Saginaw (SAGINAW?!), there was no way I wasn't going to see it.

Which leads us to last night, when Tracy, Birgit, and I hit the road and headed north. We made a pit stop in Birch Run for some giganto sandwiches at Tony's (grilled cheeses and reubens oh my!), then we were on our way to the lovely Dow Event Center. We had main floor seats, row W, center, and the theater was on the small side, so once the show started, you could see mouths moving.

I knew I'd love it, but I also thought it might take me a while to get used to the new voices because I only know the movie soundtrack, and I know it so well. But as soon as it started, I was so wrapped up right away that I immediately loved everyone. Well, except Joanne -- that casting was way off (although she sounded great). I also missed the hunky manliness of Jesse L. Martin as Collins, but the new Collins is someone I remember seeing on American Idol, so that bit of amusing made up for it. I even gained a new appreciation for Maureen, who I can't stand in the movie (come on, Taye Diggs... you can do better than that, can't you?) -- the tour Maureen was super cute and funny and the role just made so much more sense this go round.

I was really really sad that Anthony Rapp wasn't going to be Mark -- I mean, of course he wasn't, but I love him so! When we opened the playbill and saw, gasp!, a brunette cast as Mark, I was totally annoyed. But from the first words he spoke, I was hooked. He was fantastic. I want to pinch his cheeks. I'm more neutral about Roger -- I don't have the special feelings for Adam Pascal personally, just am used to him. So I was open to the new guy, especially since he was named South Africa's Hunkiest Hunk.

Oh, and Mimi kicked ass! I love love love Rosario Dawson in the movie.... but after seeing a stage Mimi? Wow. When she's singing "Goodbye Love..."??? Heartbreaking.

And Angel. Always cute. :)

"weeeee!"

I do love the movie, but I knew the play would be different. It ended up way more different than I thought it would be. The intense parts are more intense, the funny parts are more heartwarming, and just the tiny things really caught my eye (Mark's little quirks during "La Vie Boheme" were just too cute). The connections between characters were clearer, the plot moved more logically, and there was no silly engagement party for Maureen and Joanne.

I did make a little wtf face during the scene that has Angel dying... all the main characters were underneath this clear sheet flipping around and there were like 10 different choruses going on at the same time... Angel popped up from the top and sang a little... then he was dead. Very odd.

Long story short... I heart Rent. A lot. And I'm so glad I got to see it before it ends it's 12-year run. Kinda like the Spice Girls -- a once-in-a-lifetime experience, right? :) But I'm so sad the show has come and gone. Without youuuuuuuu.......