"No Day But Today"

So Rent was last night at Gammage and I was sitting pretty in great seats in the Grand Tier with my dear friend Teresa with me. We have become quite the Theater buddies, having seen Les Miserables, Aida, Doubt, and now Rent together! Last night's performance of Rent was incredile... I had been told that Rent on the stage was so much better than the movie (and I didn't disagree) but I had no idea how vast the degree of difference was - the stage version is 100,000X better than the movie!! I laughed, I cried... I even mooed (which only "Rent-heads" will understand. What a show, what a cast... everyone blew me away with their talent! I was even pleased to see the original costuming - Rogers plaid pants being a highlight. I wanted to start singing along with all the music, but I knew that the people around me did not attend the show to hear me sing, but it didn't stop me from humming during intermission. The clincher and proof that I loved the show was me crying during curtain call... hahaha, I know it sounds silly, but I cried during Les Miserables and got choked up during Dirty Rotten Scoundrels so I have learned that if I love a show, I cry during the curtain call. Totally didn't fail me this time... I just couldn't get over how much I loved every second of it.

So the guy who played Roger - Declan Bennett - definitely caught my attention... everyone's voice was very reminisent of the original cast (not a bad thing by any means, but Maureen's voice was along the lines of Idina and Mark was Anthony Rapp all the way), but Roger's voice was so new and original... and pure. Adam Pascals voice is so Rock Star-ish, but Declan really added a new sound to One Song Glory (listen here) as well as Roger's other songs... I swooned, I'll be honest. What really took the cake was he's from England... straight off the boat! I swooned further! He didn't have an accent in the show, but sometimes it would slip. I just thought he was awesome.

Now I am sitting in my room with the soundtrack playing... it'll probably be playing for a few days!!

P.S. Declan totally just commented on my myspace page!!!! Check out his stuff on his page... great voice like I said.