Rent @Campbelltown

Headed out to Campbelltown fri night as I read they were doing my fave show of all time, RENT!, nervous and excited to see what they had done with Larsen's brilliance... Not only did they far surpass two previous productions of RENT! I have seen recently, but made me laugh, cry and moo! They didn't just play roles, they appeared to be LIVING them... Voices were varied, but beautiful, raw and passionate, relationships unfolded before and I actually believed them - Maureen and Joanne were just perfect, not butch and sterotypical, angel and Collins ripped my heart apart and Roger and Mimi burned me! The ensemble came together tightly, voices meshed in hot harmonies which tingled the spine... all up a fantastic performance! No day but today!

I completely agree. I'm a big fan of the show and I saw it on Saturday night. I think there was an understudy doing Maureen's role, but she didn't let my expectations down at all. It was hilarious. She had me mooing and laughing my head off when she forgot that line, no one in the audience could tell if she was supposed to do that, but if not, that was one hell of a save. The cast was great together - you could tell there were really strong vibes so when they sang as a whole, it took my breath away. I recommend for everyone to come see it! Its a shame that they're not doing what Penrith is doing - they should have done it instead if you ask me - and travel round to different suburbs.

They don't belong in Campbelltown, bring on Star City!!

wow, what can i say... RENT last night was awesome!

the ensemble vocal tracks were so full and stunning, you have got yourself an amazing cast! it really was powerful with all vocalists beltin it out downstage!

the set was great, you did a wicked job on that!and i loved the pole! )

all the leads were well cast and it was hard to know where to look cause everyone could demand the audiences attention just by being there!

Maureen was hilarious, she is fabulous on stage. and Mimi, my god, that girl can sing! her voice is amazing, im in love with her voice.

Roegr and Mimi - the two of you made me cry in the last scene where she dies, it was so gentle. awwww!

you have done an awesome job with this, the only thing i noticed was that you couldn't hear the vocalists over the band at times, but other than that it was a great show!

you should be very proud of it, and a big congratulations goes out to you and the cast!

chookas for the rest of the season!

Hey guys
Im part of the Rent cast.....We have so much fun doing it ...
Thanx so much for coming to see it and suporting us...

D
xxx and the rent cast

hey guys im the md, and i had a ball doing it too. thanks heaps for coming to see it. tell all your friends what you thought, cos only 4 shows left, and the cast have done such a great job they deserve to have a good sized audience for the remaining shows! cheers!

OK everyone

I have seen Rockdale. I have seen Penrith and then the same cast in Chatswood. I have seen Canberra.

I am a ginat RENT fan and I know the show backwards.

I have one thing to say.

If you are a fan of the show RENT and you miss out on seeing this production, you will miss out on the best production ever of this great musical.

The setting is intimate and the cast is casual to begin with. It was a little unnerving to see the cast roaming about the theatre and talking to the audience at first but it adds to the great feeling of the show overall.
The theatre is small and the stage is smaller than other productions but their set is outstanding and their use of the stage imaginative and flowing.

Jonathon Anderson (director) has somehow managed to cast 8 leads who all belong as leads. The direction itself is powerful, provocative and imaginative. (One Song Glory with the use of April is one of the most powerful and innovative interpretations I have seen of this particular song.)

As for the leads - what can I say...I noticed two flat notes in the whole show, which fopr an amateur show is way beyond my expectations Maureen - a fantastic characterization and her acting surpasses every Maureen I have seen. Joanne - a new interpretation - no longer butch or even overtly masculine, Joanne is powerful but vulnerable.

Roger and Mimi - this pair is by far the best - and I mean THE BEST Roger and Mimi I have seen. Their chemistry is papable and when they create harmonies together, it absolutely belongs on a CD. I would pay to hear Mimi sing Without You and I would pay to hear Roger sing One Song Glory. Angel (my favourite character) is fantastic - a dancer, a singer (a great singer too) and the only Angel who does his own drumming. Angel's death made me shudder and literally convulse in tears - why? Because this is the only Angel who has made me care about him.

Collins - probably one of the best leads on stage. His voice echoes through the theatre and you can hear every emotion from joy to heartache, not only for the character but also for the actor himself. Mark - a younger Mark than I have seen, a little inexperienced in comparison to the rest of the leads, but his character shines through in Tango Maureen and You're What You Own. Finally Benny - ( I read in the prgram that the actor playing Benny came into it three weeks before they went on) - if this is the case, I couldn't tell. Benny is by far the strongest characterisation on stage and a new way of playing Benny. No longer arrogant, he belives he is truly helping the group with his actions.

The ensemble are strong and powerful and when the entire cast sings, it sends shudders through my spine. Each person plays characters in the show with fun and honesty.

And technically a great show. Sometimes the band gets a little over zealous but the cast compensate with tempos and volume. The lighting is fantastic and the sound levels are exquisite.

In all honesty, this is THE BEST production of RENT to ever have hit NSW and I also include the professional version. This particular cast is awesome and the one thing that sets them apart from the rest - their consistency in their acting. When each character sings, they show their emotions and rawness of the character and that is what RENT is about - ENERGY. RAW ENERGY

If you love this show, I urge you to see this production and do not miss out or you will regret it. It may be in Campbelltown but is worth every drop of petrol and every cent for the ticket (and $25 for this quality of show is a bargain, they should be charging $70)

I will be seeing it again I know that for sure. I really do advise seeing this show if you want professional performances for the price of $25.

If there are awards for amateur shows, this one would surely win.

Congrats to all involved. I loved it all!

I saw Campbelltown's RENT too last Friday night.

I knew nothing about the show, I was dragged along by my friend and her husband to see it for a night out.

After seeing the show in Campbelltown, I now want to know everything about the show. I loved it so much. It made me cry and it made me laugh, The actors are brilliant and I was able to follow the story easily. (I did need some hep now and then in all honesty about characters) but I am now a Rent fan thanks to these guys.

It was brilliant!
If you can go see it, its worth it!

Anderson and Burdon's production of RENT is chilling. I can't think of any other word.

I saw it on Saturday night with Jennifer Hill understudying Maureen.

It blew me away. I have seen all other productions of RENT and this is by far the best interpretation ever of the show. The show is creative, poignant, loving, soulful, energetic and when the cast sings you can hear every bit of their hearts pouriing into the audience.

Jonathon Anderson who directed the show plays Roger and he is by far the best Roger ever t have hit the stage. When he hits the notes up in his high register, his emotion and obvouos love for the character rose up over everything else.

Special mentions have to go to Shan Brown as Mimi and James Glynn as Collins. Again, by far the best interpretations of these characters I have ever seen.

Please, please, please everyone go see it. You will hate yourself if you dont. And I agree with Jack - you guys belong in the Lyric Theatre. I would pay $150 a ticket to hear you guys sing again.

Totally brilliant!
Jacob

Oh my gosh,
How good was RENT at Campbelltown.
I loved it...best show ive seen in ages.
Must say that Maureen and Angel were my fav...but the rest of the cast were great too...well done guys.
I'm coming back this week to see it again.
Everyone should see it.
Although the cast was great the band was amazing!....Not one bad thing to say about this show only that it had to end!....
Chookas guys!
Tegan*

Jennifer Hill, that's the one. Should have grabbed a program!

Great job again guys! I'm gonna try bring a heap of us Rent frieks down this weekend to catch the Sat matinee. (As Sydney-siders, it's a shame its all the way out on Campbelltown, but it's without a doubt worth the trip)

Jonathan, let us know what other productions you're doing in the future, if they're as good as Rent - and from what I heard about Copacabana, count me in! Post it on here, I'm always on!

Thanks
Jack

Hey Jack and everyone

Thanks for the kind words. it means a lot

Our company is doing Noises Off (a play) in July this year and then either Little Shop of Horrors or The Wild Party and the end of the year in November in case anyone woul dlike information on either.

Cheers
Come see the show and again, thenaks for all the kind words.

Catch ya
Jonathon Anderson

This is directly to Jonathon Anderson and the cast and crew of Rent! I've seen alot of amateur and professional musicals and plays and I have never seen a cast that is more togther than you guys were on Sataurday. Being a matinee, I thought it would be really flat. But I could not fault one part of of the show. Jonathon Anderson (Roger) was absolutely awesome amd starred directed and choreographed. I especially loved One Song Glory and loved the fact that April was on stage for part of this song and was playing out that part of the story. I had friends with me that had never seen Rent and they said that it made them undersatnd Roger a little bit more...and for myself it made me feel for him!
My next bit of praise goes to James Glynn(Collins) and J'son Paulo(Angel). they could have easily been a couple. The onstage chemistry was amzing. I LOVED I'll Cover You. they made me smile and made the song into one of those feel good moments in the musical. I have seen Rent many times and have never felt this way during this song. Both voices were absolutely mesmerizing and I loved Today For You, Tomorrow For Me. J'son Paulo did and awseome job and I found myself cheering and laughing at him the whole way through!
collins reprise of I'll cover you(after Angel dies) was haunting. James Glynn's voice sent echoes through the theatre and straight to my heart. The emotion that came from that man was heartwrenching!
Last but certainly not least Shan Brown (Mimi) was one of the best portrayals I have ever seen! She had an amazing voice that pulled on your heart strings every time! During the emotional and intese moments between her and Roger it seemed as if she was really pleading with him and and really did love him. There chemistry was something you would want to bottle!
Everyone else in the cast was amzing. From the leads to ensemble everyone was so passionate about this show and what they do as an artist. I can not express andymore how much I loved this show and recommend everyone to see it.
To the cast and crew well done and wish you success for the rest of the season and your careers!
xxx

Yeah.. I saw Closing night of RENT.. and I have a few things to say.

Firstly.. I have to commend the cast of the wonderful job they did and the brilliant interpretation of musical because it was very fantastically done. So kudos to Jonathon Anderson...

However I did have a very big problem at times with the vocals.

Exclusing Mark, Collins and Angel who were able to stay on key the whole time, the other leads really let their voices slide.

I am not trying to be negative and discourage but I really do have to say that some parts of the show truly were cringe worthy... I understand that it was the last night and their voices were tired, but I think there was just a little too much off singing. This was noticable mainly in "I Should Tell You" which became dissonant everytime there was a harmony between the two... Joanne and Maureen sometimes sounded screechy and a little hard to listen to maybe because the songs were too high.

Having said that, I couldn't flaw the acting much. Collins and Angel were fantastic with eachother and I was very pleasantly surprised at how well the chorus did. Big praise to them, especially the one playing Marks mother, (Jessica Bell I believe?) who absolutely lit the stage up with her presence, talent and undeniable beauty!

I am sorry if any of my review sounded at all negative, but I was just giving my honest opinion of the show.

Congratulations to the cast.. Especially the stand outs; Mark, Angel and Collins! A job well done and we look forward to seeing you in you next production.

I saw both the Wednesday night (15th) and Saturday night (18th) shows and I just wanna say brilliant job to you all.

The person above, I agree that i noticed a few off harmonies, but that didnt take away from the show at all. Everyones voices were up to standard, and most of the cast beyond what i expected for an amatuer production.

The guy playing Roger, on the closing performance. You're either very good at pretending to cry or they were real tears.
"Your Eyes" was so emotional, I've never actually seen anyway play the character of Roger break down and cry. I thought it was so moving.
A very strong actor who understood the character he was playing.

Mimi...you have an amazing voice. Your level of emotion was outstanding. I was almost in tears to hear you sing "Goodbye Love". Incredibly heartbreaking.

Well done to the band as well. They sounded fantastic.

So yes, although there was some harmonies that didnt quite sound right (I Should Tell You and Take Me or Leave Me mostly)... for an amatuer production it was outstanding and passed all my expectations.

Can't wait for your next production.
Congratulations to all the cast, crew, band and anyone else that made this production happen.

Hey guys thanks for all your awsome reviews :) i would like to thank the cast for all the hard work they put in. Even tho i yelled, swore, swore more, and told them off more times than i can count, they pulled through, and in my opinion pulled off one hell of a show. i had several professional agent friends of mine, as well as some of the vocal dept of the conservatorium come to the show, and they were all stunned at how good everything was. yes, there were a few off harmonies at times, but all things considered, i would just like to say personally to the cast, well done, and you guys rock the world! also, an extra note to the band if any of u guys read this. thank you so so much, you guys played like monsters!!!!!! i have never had more fun in a pit in my life, and i have seriously done pro gigs that were not as good :) thanks everyone!!!!

hey guyz..this is j'son and i played angel..first of all i just want to say, thankyou to all the people on here with the words of love...it makes all the hard work,worth it in the end. ..To our MD..paul...you bloody ROCK!!...the band!!!....you guyz are amazing..had me dancing all the way thru the show!! it was sweet jam'n with ya'll!!!

john...you know how much love and respect i have for you!!

the beautiful cast...what can i say...i have never seen a more talented and crazy group of people...i loved every second on stage with you guyz.....still being new to theatre, i learned so much from you all....and now musical theatre will play a big part of my life, just from being around youz...the love and passion you all have for this art is fantastic..

jim...i had heapz of fun work'n with you..i dont think anyone could have played collins as well as you did...every show we had, i couldnt wait to get on that stage to sing with you!!!.....

ohhh...big thanx to the stage crew!!! from now on,every time i perform on a stage, ill be look'n for you guyz in the wings...i alwayz look to the side for surport...sarah and marley were there time afther time cheering me on!!! mwah mwah..

.....but yeah thankyou all once again..for the love and suport and hope to see youz in the showz to come!!!!......

love ...j'son quincey paulo p.s to everyone in the cast...i love you and miss youz like crazy!!!!!!xoxox

HI. I really don't want to be the awful one who comes on here and says all negative stuff but i will give an honest opinion of the show...
i have just read all the reveiws on here and all i will say is self praise is no reccomendation!! its obvious who wrote all those reviews!!
Honestly guys.. i came and saw the show as i went and saw all... and im sorry but you were no where near the most pro, polished or by far no where near the best!! although you had some nice moments and you your ensemble sung well.. over all it was a mess!!
i almost felt like you were taking the piss out of RENT!!! you didnt even try to be professional i mean i had Benny sell me my ticket which might i add was a 50c reffel ticket???? really?? you could have tried a little harder than that, i mean i understand you have a budget but i mean even print them out at home.. seriously. then the cast was all out over the stage before the show started... have you ever seen a show with cast members befor the show hanging around OUT OF CHARACTER.. not even at high school were we being that un-professional!!
Now Casting??? wow... ok... i'll start with the possitives.. Mimi was good, nice voice little bit void emotionally but quite good over all!! Collins was good, beautiful voice but a bit too much with the "emotions" bit over acting but well done. Angel again beautiful voice bbut acting a little dull, beautiful voice but. and joanne was ok too. and ensemble even though a little lost at times vocally nice.
the weakest thing about this show was the direction or lack of!! half the time people didnt know what they were doing... i just dont think that was fair on them.. they had potential but NO direction. Now i do alot of professional work and even if your the most talented person it wont show without good diretion!!
ROGER??? ok... i'l try and be tactful here... you were not very good. your pitch, your acting you understanding of the character and most of all your attitude was just all wrong. This really pulled the show down. Roger.. a young stuggling "rock star", sexy, sad, intimate, caring, rough looking.. you didnt fit any of these.. you sung it operetic and very out of key i dont know how mimi did it at times and i was certain you were going to come out in that santa dress too. now i dont want to appear homophobic and if your gay thats fine but Roger isnt and you played him like a little puncy gay man who had no emotion at all. very bad casting by the director!!!
MAUREEN??? ok, vocally could not cary this role at all... over the moon although full of energy was in at least 17 different keys. again just bad casting. the understudy although a little young seemed better for the role.
MARK. this guy has a lot of potential really nice voice... way too young and inexperienced to play this role.. you didnt really understand it did you?? its like everyone especially roger just tried to over shine you and the role of Mark then appeared as a featured ensembble not THE LEAD!!
Look i know your a musicall society and i didnt walk in the doors and expect full on professional but i would have liked you to try a little harder just simple things like the tickets and being back stage at the beg and intermission in character.. you just didnt seem to take it seriously! and the fact that you put down other productions that were done... its not cool. i deliberately didnt compare you too penrith, rockdale or chatswood cause you all have diffent casts, interpretations and budgets it wouldnt be fair to compare!! but i will say at least they tried to be as professional as they possibly could!!
i was less than impressed with the lack of preperation and professionalism of this production. I feel sorry for some cast members... mimi, would love to see you do that role with a differnt roger where you can really work off some real emotions!!
well done ensemble. and just remeber self praise is no recomendation.

Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion and that is great. I am sure the rest of the cast is greatful you came to see the show (yes, I am a cast member).

For starters, the cast did not write the reviews, so you can rethink that 'obvious' assumption.

All I will say is that all other people that have responded to this show have found it to be a wonderful production that brought new and emotional interpretations to Johnathon Larson's brilliance.

Perhaps you should try to take in other people's interpretation of character. This show is about raw human emotion, that was delivered in abundance in this production.

Thank you to everyone who came and saw the show.

Well after reading all that!! WHERE do I start --

To whoever the viewer is ..... well you sure have a problem with the director/Roger ... don't have to be einsten to work that one out!! what happened?? did you want the part as Roger & got turned down.. Is that what this is all about!!! don't YOU have a problem???!!!

I attended the show & no I am not part of the cast !!! I must admit the only thing I knew of RENT was: that it was a broadway musical about a gay community, drugs sex & alcohol & people dying of Aids-- Now me being a good Christian & over the age of 50 give me a good reason why I should see it & with a title RENT what the......???!!!

Well that was the attitude I had, when I reluctantly went along to it with friends who actually wanted to see it.....the point I'm getting at is this......... You DO NOT have to be an actor or a director or to be in that profession to know how good an actor is ....(or is not... as in your case admirer) Why would? not only myself! but other people around me feel so differently about this show to you!! we loved the show .... it was so moving & the actors were passionate & it did show (hey even if they were flat in some of their songs!! who cares???!!) The important fact was the overall -- they portrayed their characters beautifully!!! The story & everything about it did justice to Larsons brilliance. I am now an instant fan because Campbelltowns rendition of RENT & the band!! ;) well!! if I was young I'll be their groupie for life - they were awesome!!! I take my hat off to you all for such a great show. Congratulations to all - & thank you ......

well actually you are quite mistaken Sir... i dont have a personal problem with the guy that played Roger.. i dont know him from a bar of soap... i didnt know a single person in the show.. and No i did not want the part of Roger as i am a female... but nice thought.

to be honest i wouldnt have bothered to write anything about this production but due to the attitudes of alot of the cast when i had the "honour" of meeting them i thought id give them my honest opinion of the show as you have yourself sir!!! its just my opinion... no need to get all up tight about it. you liked it.. i clearly did not!!! and i just felt very un welcomed by the cast as i just said hi and tried to introduce myself and yes even congratulated them all i got was attitudes left right and centre... and they constantly put down other productions which is just un called for.

as i say in my first note i didnt go there with the highest of expectations as i know it was community theatre... but i expected alot more than i got!! I did community theatre for years and have as of last year started in the professional scene so i do, believe it or not Sir have alot of experience and wanted to pass on my thoughts of the show in a professional manner i wasnt picking on anyone i didnt know them... i was just my thought and my opinion of this show!!

I don't think itÂ’s fair to bash somebody because they didnÂ’t enjoy the show.
ThatÂ’s their opinion and we should be grateful that theyÂ’re sharing their view on the show with us. ThatÂ’s the point of a review. To let other people know what they thought of the production. If they didnÂ’t enjoy something, they say so. ThereÂ’s no point in saying they liked an aspect of the show when they really didnÂ’t. That doesnÂ’t achieve anything.

I guess it sounded a bit harsh in some parts, but in the end, this is what one person thought of the production and IÂ’m sure they werenÂ’t the only one who didnÂ’t enjoy it. But on the other hand, there were also a lot of people who enjoyed the show (AKA myself) and who said what they enjoyed.

You canÂ’t please everyone obviously. Take it on board and I look forward to your next production.

Hi everyone!!

I've been meaning to come onboard to express my thoughts!! But I thought I'd just read for now the different reviews .... but after reading the latest ones I felt I needed to comment!! Yes I do agree with "everyone is entitled to their opinion" & as I said to J'son (who was shattered by some of the review) he is going to kill me!! It is to be expected! It's not going to be everybodys 'cup of Tea' that's show bizz for ya! But after the hard slog... the time & committment put in by these VERY talented young people .... hearing something negative is a bit gutwrenching!!

I should tell you.... I should tell you.... that I thoroughly enjoyed the show -- I cried through the whole show the first time I saw it (opening night) - such an emotional brilliant show!! J'son you did us proud as did the rest of you & I send out to you all ..... "one thousand sweet kisses " for a job well done!!!!

Everyone we know who has seen the show has not stopped talking about it ... the songs are permantly drilled on my mind.... if only I could sing in tune (don't know where jase got his voice from).

I haven't finished singing praises yet but I'm at work & I'm on my way out to go home.... I'll finish this off later..... bye for now

To viewer. i played in every single amatuer production of rent in sydney, except for the chatswood one. If you had something constructive to say, that would be all well and good, but to just post on a forum bagging out a production, and saying this could have had a more professional attitude, like rockdale etc, i must suggest that u dont kno what the @!#$ you are talking about. for a start, i do actually do serious professional work, im not just someone who comes onto forums bragging about having done stuff. and some of your comments dont make any sense at all. collins, overdoing the emotion? lol that was pretty funny. the show a mess? that was pretty funny too. at least you didnt say anythign about the band cos then i would have been like what the @!#$! and got really pissed off. this, in my PROFESSIONAL opinion EASILY ranks with rockdale as the top two rents done thus far. sure there were some off moments, especially with some of the lead singing at times, but to just come onto a forum and pay out a production, not giving any helpful advice in the process...what do u think people think about that? of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but having said that, it would be nice to hear some suggestions, as opposed to "oh that was just crap".
And one more thing, some of the sydney conservatorium vocal staff came to see the show, and they were impressed with most of the singing. and these guys are some serious hard asses, having done stuff with german opera, aus opera, etc etc. and whilst im sure you know what you are talking about, i definately rate these guys opinions.

thank you so much for your comments about the band everyone! they often dont get recognition, but i seriously feel like these guys deserve it, they did awsome! and average age of the band members was 19! it was wicked!!!! ok il stop posting now!

HI MD!! so sorry you took this to heart so much... i actually thought the band was great prob better than rockdale if i must compare ... was very tight!!!
"oh that was just crap" ??? ok for starters i never wrote that, or ANYTHING LIKE THAT!! i started with the possitives.. ie i thought mimi was great!! and i complimented collins voice i really enjoyed hearing him sing.. i really did think he over acted just a little - thats my opinion - you know you can take that constructively!!! and a ngels voice - beautiful!! just not experienced in the acting side of things!!HE even admitted to that! and i just read the message posted by angels mum - and just so you know i really do understand how much work they have put into this show.. i do!! i wasnt slagging out on the cast just the direction (and roger... didnt do it for me sorry) you could tell the cast worked hard.. its a HUGE show they would have had to to even get it up and running i know!!
back to MD - some constructive critisism or suggestions?? i gave them if you bothered to read my reveiw again with an open mind you might see that!! simple things like tickets... being back stage before the show... not bagging out other shows in front of your paying audience.. it really turned me off! and my comments about some pitch issues, you just agreed to!! so dont just get on here and swear at me and accuse me of being (to quote) "someone who just gets on here bragging to have done stuff" and say the show is "just crap" cause i NEVER said that!! it wasnt CRAP it had a lot of potential as i said but it also had alot of bad things IN MY OPINION!! like direction, casting, attitudes!! and i'll say it again - i know your a musical society not pro - BUT if you had the balls to put down other Societies in they way i heard you do it SURELY you can take a little back and on board!! I will if you like compare productions.. i havnt at all yet as i said it wouldnt be fair having different casts, venues, interpretations and budgets!! But if it will make you happy MD i will write a review about All 3 (Rockdale, Chatswood, and Campbletown) i didnt see penrith sorry so couldnt do that one!!
you shouldnt take it so personal... trust me if a paper of some sort came along and reviewed you show it would have been alot worse!!

hi guys,
wow, ive been following this forum thread on&off for a few days now..
and there's been some biiig developments obviously lol

i'm a part of the cast from Campbelltown and i'd like to thank everybody who came 2check out the show..always appreciate the support :)

Also, thanks to everybody who's posted us a review (the good / the bad / the ugly lol). It was really nice to have so many positive ones, but i think it's also important to know what people liked and DIDNT like.. Peter_Martin (i think it was you) had a good point: "you can't please everyone".

i wont get all "OMG!! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT US!!" because everybody is entitled to their own opinion.. and a review IS meant 2b a personal opinion.. and feedback is feedback. So thanks for sharing.

Personally, the experience of being in the show and working with this company was a total BLAST and it's not something i'll forget ever :)

It's a shame that not everybody enjoyed how we did the show, but.. even the people who commented on things they didnt like had good stuff to say too, that's what matters!

Anywho, i'm off
Thanks again to everybody for their comments and taking the time to see the show and review us here! See you @ the next show..

peace out

I attended campbell towns production of RENT, and i unlike "viewer" and mr "md" I do not have any proffessional experience in the theatre, so i believe that it is people like me in which community theatre is aimed at.

So with me and people like me being the target audience i believe that the company producing the show should try to do as much as they can to convinced us "inexperienced folk" of what the theatre is about, allowing them to experience the full audience experience. And i suppose that is what i was expecting from campbelltown.
I was horribly let down in this category. I got there and bought my ticket or should i say raffle ticket off a guy in a booth wearing make-up and a mic, who handwrit 'admit one' on the ticket.
walking through the doors, to find me self struggling for space as more people with microphones and make up barged passed me shoving me and completly ignoring my presence.

Finally recovering from my shock, me and my partner found a seat and took a breath thinking "ahh the show is starting soon", well i mean a show did start, i suppose it was a sort of meet the personality behind the character- we sat there in complete amazement, as we watched the cast sit on the edge of the stage dangling their feet into the orchestra pit having a good ol chinwag to the band, watching cast members muck around on the stage and play with the props and set.
So i suppose this wasnt a good first impression. the show started, and first half i am totally supporting 'viewers' perception on the first half so i suppose its a waste of time sitting here rewording all her valid points.
But next up comes Intermission, i thought hmmm maybe they have calmed down a bit since the show started, but no, the guy who sold me my ticket who i soon learnt was benny was now selling me my can of lemonade, hmm.

the end of intermission alarm went off and we all shuffled bak in there to sit through the second half once again being trampled but cast members.

Now i dont know if i have put across me point but here it is in a nutshell.
If you are going to put on a show and advertise it to the wider community, the aim of the gaim is to entertain the audience who are paying 25 a pop to come and watch you.
Instead Campbelltown made me feel incredibly unnoticed un appreciated and uncomfortable, which made me have a negative attitude to everything else.
thanks for your time, and letting an inexperienced audience member have the'r little say :-)

So lets all play nice, be honest and take all opinions on board because in this world there is always room for improvements and let us not foget thats first impressions last, so when involved in a show have respect for those who come and support you.

i didnt say you said it was just crap. that is just an attitude people exhibit. i did read your review with an open mind. i am seirously not a biased sort of person. besides how could i not look at your post and go, wow she must hate everything. you expressed some pretty strong sentiments in there. yes i can see where you are coming from, and sorry my last message was so uptight. i guess i am just seeing it from my point of view. when the show first got together and i was askd to md i was like wow rent awsome i want to do it again. then i heard the cast and was like omg they totally totally totally suck ass. like i was seriously what the hell have i gotten myself into. but then the weeks went by and they workd their asses off so so much. sure, i yelled and threatened and swore (more swearing than anything), but in the end they pulled through, and considering it was pre cast and no auditions, i thought they did a remarkable job. sorry if i went nuts before. i am usually not like that. i guess it just caught me by surprise after all the awsome reviews that someone actually didnt like it.
ps the band was def better than rockdales. mainly cos we have all played together before, and they are all psychos individually :)

To Agreeable,

I'm really sorry that you didn't enjoy the show.
I've been reading through the string of conversations and yes for the record, I too, am a cast member.

I needed to let you guys who didn't understand why we were walking around the auditorium before, during and after the show understand.

When he was directing, Jon came to us with ideas for the show and said what kind of impression he wanted to make on the audience. To give it a different feel from the typical production of Rent he wanted to go out on a limb and try something new. So he thought the dramatic illusion of "bringing down the fourth wall" would make the audience question it and create a different impression, which from what I can see, has happened.

I don't really apolagise for that, as studying drama, I appreciated the fact that instead of learning about the "isms" (realism, naturalism, absurdism etc) that I could finally test it out.

What I do apolagise for, personally, is that you didn't feel at home, or all that welcome, as you said. We had a very lively, warm, caring cast and we were very tight as a group, and from what I noticed we did meet and greet the audience when we could. It's also the same respone for whoever said we were saying things about other productions of Rent. I went to see Rockdale and Chatswood and I was impressed with both, but I don't judge, as although they're all the same musical, it's definitely not the same show, as each had a different director who had something original and amazing to bring to the show.

I do hope you come back again to see another A&B production, because the line up for the next few is TOTALLY amazing and I can't wait to be as much apart of them as possible!

Thankyou so much for coming 'agreeable', I'm really glad I could hear your opinion and hopefully if you come to see another show, you'll enjoy us, and it, just that little bit more :) :p :D

To everyone who was in rent, I REALLY miss you all. You're amazing and I've learnt so much from you. Drop me a line sometime. I love you guys so much!!!

With all my love
Jen xx

I've seen all the Rent productions (both professional and amatuer) in Sydney, went to Canberra to watch theirs, saw Melbourne's one and I also had the opportunity to see Campbelltown's...

I'm not at affilliated with anyone from the Rent productions, however, I myself have performed and directed amatuer theatre and been in a handful of professional musicals/shows..
I read the reviews on Campbelltown's show prior to seeing it and my gut feeling at the time was that these reviews were a little bit too "praising" and quite possibly biased.. Nearly every review did not have one negative thing to say about the production - which is always a little suss. Regardless, I went to Campbelltown (took the M5 + $3.30 toll there and back) open minded about the show, getting ready to enjoy it, but unfortunately finding out that my gut feeling was right.

Overall, I you guys seemed to work well together and had fun doing the show, in that sense as whole I automatically took a liking to you guys.. which is why I am taking the time to write this, otherwise I really would not have bothered. But if you want an honest opinion.. One that isn't biased. One that isn't written by someone involved in your production or a friend, a family member or the like.. Then here it is. Take it or leave it. Up to you. But I believe that as a performer, you should accept both negative and positive criticism and learn from it. It's the only way for us performers to better ourselves and grow.

First of all, if you want people to take your production seriously and respect it.. especially in the theatre world, these are things to note
* Have a program. That is important. I want to know who I'm seeing up on stage. Also a program is important to officially credit the work of every single person in that production, cast and crew to the general public. Maybe you guys may not have had the funds to produce a program?? To be honest, I wouldn't have given a @!#$ if you guys only had a single flyer as a program.. But do the general public (and yourselves) the courtesy of producing something at least. Director/Producer, you should know better..
* DON'T have members of your cast sell tickets (in costume with their mic on!!), serve tea and coffee during intermission, chat to friends and family in the audience during intermission or be visible to anyone in the audience before the show starts!! These are all very silly things the cast members did! Oh my God - I could not believe I saw the majority of your cast before your show even started! I was shocked and mortified to see them hanging out casually at the front of the stage, going down to talk to people before it even started... Guys - high school musicals conduct themselves better than that! And next time, get one of your mums or a family friend to sell the tickets at the door.. not one of your lead cast members in their costume!

Okay.. I forgave all that - pushed it out of my mind and decided to concentrate on the performances.

Overall, the singing was quite okay. Yes, there were some dodgy harmonies and some weak singing, but there is potential and some talent in your cast.

Out of the leads, the best performers were Joanne and Colins.
Joanne you need a bit of work on the voice department, but go and see a great singing teacher and develop it. I can see that you are a natural actress, you have a spark and you looked great on stage.
Colins - seemed like an experienced performer, but at same time also seemed to be holding back a little or thinking way too much. Technically good but did not connect..

Mimi - great voice, develop it. Don't let nerves get the better of you cos it affected your performance and because of it you didn't shine. There was a lack of emotion in your acting, don't know if that was the director's choice but it did nothing for your character. You do have talent and with more shows, you'll only get better.

Angel - fab voice, but you looked really uncomfortable on stage the majority of the time and you seemed really self conscious or going in and out of character which made your overall performance very unsteady. In future, make sure you commit to your character the whole way through and don't give a @!#$ about what people in the audience might think..

Roger - Sorry your performance was void of any real emotion.. Good singing voice but it would have been better if you had given this part to someone else and concentrated on the directing of the lead and ensemble performances which really needed it.

The ensemble cast were okay. The ones that were good and stood out were the The Dealer, who also played other roles and Mimi's mum (the girl with the curly hair).

There is a certain amount of professionalism that is expected in Amatuer theatre nowadays. Sorry to say, this production did not have an ounce of professionalism. Because I have seen the recent amatuer productions of Rent at Rockdale, Penrith and Canberra - I have to say Campbelltown was the WORST out of the lot. I'm not a big fan of the other 3 amatuer productions who also had their flaws, but out Campbelltown just had too many weak links in all areas, including the performance department.
Others whom I know have seen this production have all felt the same way about it, including people who have never seen RENT before Campbelltown's.

This may seem harsh. But I am speaking very honestly and truthfully about this show. As I said, take it or leave it.. But Campbelltown at least, you have an honest, non biased and somewhat a constructive critique of your show..

Next time you put on a production.. Bring it! Prove us wrong. Prove to people that there is real talent out west. I know there is.

Wow all I can say is..........ticket's seem to be a central point of amateur
performances. I can see the points that have been made and I apologise for the inconvenience, I also would have liked there to be more programs.

However the curtains have closed and the show has ended, therefore nothing else really needs to be said. A review is written to encourage or in some cases discourage people from seeing a show. Now that the show is over and it is quite impossible to see our version ever again, it seems to me that any review that has been posted, has been posted to intentionally bitch about or praise the now passed show.....Enough has been said.

As a cast member, that has not been mentioned in any above posts (Thats right I'm not Mimi or Roger or any of those), I would just like to say thankyou to all those people who came to see the show, Campbelltown is a bit of a trek for most people, and I hope you really enjoyed it - for those who didn't sorry bout that.

To me amateur theatre is about making friends, expressing yourself, having fun, entertaining and learning. I think when reviewing it's important to remember that word amateur....it implies certain things like untrained actors, low budgets etc etc...... and remembering this I really cant see certain 'points of view'.....(Excluding the tickets and programs.)

To all of the cast and band and any and every one somehow and somewhere involved in RENT! I love you and miss you all already... we all worked so hard as a team to make this work and I would say that about 60% or more reviews have only said how much we rocked.

Cast, Crew, Band - After you read all of these reviews look back on the last Friday night and remember that crowd - undoubtbly the best crowd ever - remember them all standing and clapping and dancing, Jen and I think Trevor - remember racing around the theatre clapping - embrace that moment and the feeling of it all - that's what theatre is about.

Viva La Vie Boheme!

Wow, the claws are flying here it seems!

Viewer, I for one would find your review of all three productions a great read. I'll keep my eye out for it. Also if you could include your opinions on the set, sound and lighting designs/operation.

In regards to the comments on here of late, guys I think a lot of you are missing the point. It's not a competition here. We sing, dance, and in my case design/operate lighting rigs (amateur & Professional productions), for the love of theatre. So put your claws away, take on board the criticism, move forward and look forward to your next productions.

The attitude that I have seen on this forum of late is quite disgusting. People really need to remember, you may have the best singing/acting/dancing ability to go far in the industry, professionally. However, I have seen it time and time again where artists are overlooked, black labled if you like, because of their attitude. And no, I'm not attacking a particular production. I'm just telling it how it is.

Oh, one last thing. Not a good idea to knock people who offer their genuine opinion of your show. You have to remember, these are the people that are paying their hard earned money to come and see you perform. You could almost say it's their right to voice their opinion. You crush these people and their opinions, they'll remember and play their part in crushing the ticket sales on your next show. They don't forget! Without them we have nothing, whether that be professional or amateur.

Now back to lovely warm posts. Maybe we could all get together and sit around a camp fire singing songs from the Carpenters or something... hmmmm, maybe not that warm.

Cheers :)

AMEN 2THAT :) - Lx Boi
I am an outsider that do not have any proffessional experience in the theatre/stage productions. So far from what I've seen, I absolutley loved it - Just the whole excitment ("Yes I know Theatre Virgin") of watching young performers perform with all their heart. As far as i'm concerned, "Can't wait 4the next 1".

Its heartless to think negative opinions need to be added when everythings over and online - couldn't you just say it after a show while in the cast's presence - that way they could've improved more and please every1 better.

I say (and along with 4others that attended the show with me Pauleen, Nathan, William and Jack) that we really admire these young people you go out of their way (with other commitments) to learn and enjoy what they love and "who knows" may carryout in futur professionally. They did their best what more could we have asked4 :(

peace N

I have read all of the previous reviews, both good and bad, and no, I didn't see the show. But I do just want to comment in response to the last post by ".... Enough has been said" regarding the whole purpose of a review.

I do not believe that the sole purpose of this review forum is to provide feedback to cast members etc whilst the production is still in progress. I believe that the forum is here to provide feedback about a show, irrespective of whether or not it is still in production. This way, everyone else who has seen the show can then offer their OPINION about whether or not they agree with the review, hence opening up a forum for discussion, which is what this whole forum thing is about - discussions and sharing opinions.

Enough said :-)

To begin with your opening comments...

"i have just read all the reveiws on here and all i will say is self praise is no reccomendation!! its obvious who wrote all those reviews!!”

You expect readers to take your educated and revered review seriously, how about giving others who wrote reviews the same respect? As a cast member I did worry that perhaps it was a cast member giving us a rap, but after openly questioning all I have come to the conclusion that no they are not written by cast members, and people have apparently enjoyed the show enough to jump on line and comment. So your profound wisdom of “self-praise being no recommendation” is probably very true, perhaps you could give other people recognition for THEIR honest opinion, rather than expecting everyone to share yours.

Taking the piss out of rent? Far from it – personally I heard rent first when I was 16 – 6 years ago and have listened to it every day since – I don’t believe it is actually possible to play a cross dressers/dancers/junkies/struggling artists/dying of aids and take the piss… to sing lines like “will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare” or “I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be” without feeling every word and BELIEVING what you are singing. You can’t PRETEND when you sing words like that.

As to “you didn’t even try to be professional”
what truly is professional? Is professional the right way of doing it? I have been sold tickets at Pact theatre, the New Theatre and at Theatre Nepean by actors in the shows I was seeing that night, and two of those were professional productionsÂ… The key is to differentiate between the actor and the characterÂ… And regarding the raffle ticketsÂ… I like to collect tickets of shows that I have been to, so I probably would have been upset too, however, would maybe focus more on the themes and issues of the show as Larsen intended rather than how I got into the theatreÂ… how is it possible, when people are asking you to question how you measure your life, that you can be sitting there, thinking about the crumpled up piece of paper in your pocket?

In regards to the hanging around before the show started I have seen it only once before, yes, unusual and yes, Jon’s choice. I wasn’t comfortable with it as an actor, and stayed off stage until my first entrance and can understand why it may have been a little off putting, I certainly found it a little confronting the first time I came across it. However, in various types of theatre, different directors and writers – such as Dario Fo - use methods to remind audiences that they are in a theatre, that there is a point to what they are watching, there are themes and issues to be addressed, questions to be asked, which to me was what the actors in the audience as themselves before the show and prior to seasons of love was about, because although I wouldn’t classify it as POLITICAL theatre, but still full of things to think about.

As to “Now i do alot of professional work even if your the most talented person it wont show without good direction!!”
That can’t be as all-encompassing as you make out, perhaps a matter of opinion. I have seen talented actors, with misguided “directors” turn out brilliant performances, and you did point out a few posts later that you are “NOT by any means THE most Professional or experienced person asi said in my first post " i just got my big break in the professional scene last year"”.

Tact? LOL. That’s an interesting word… to me it means discretion, it means skilful delicacy, it means insight – your comments directed at Jon were about as tactful, as discrete, as insightful as a smack in the head with an iron pole. I’m all for personal opinions but why try and dress up a catty slagging like that with
“I’ll try and be tactful…?”

As to “and the fact that you put down other productions that were done... its not cool”
no, viewer, it’s not cool, it is quite upsetting and disappointing to hear that this was done, (especially to an unknown audience member) as most of us did make an effort to go and support both productions of rent and putting them down was not a consensus, hopefully you misheard, as most of us thoroughly enjoyed them. And as to being met with attitudes that IS odd to hear from the inside because working with this particular group of people has to me been the most rewarding experience I have had in theatre as there were no egos, there were no “cliques”, there were no issues and attitudes, and as to your childish comment regarding “people dont care that you have.. pashed some guy in the cast..” really? Is that “pass[ing] on [your] thoughts of the show in a professional manner”?

In response to the accusation “You guys were not serious... and for people like me who love and adore the musical.. i hated seeing it like that!!” That exceptionally devastating to hear as most of us did take it seriously, do love and adore the musical and would NOT want to ruin it for anyone as we appear to have done for you.
Most of us, myself included can see parts of themselves in the characters, parts of their family in the characters, parts of their loved ones in the characters. A lot of us have been through the highs and lows, the heartaches and the joys, the @!#$ ups and the victories which the characters go through during the course of the year. To say that we didn’t take it seriously would be to say that we didn’t take ourselves and our lives and the themes and issues of the production seriously, which really isn’t true. I have tried to remain as unbiased and fair in reading your reviews as possible, but when you plead innocence, when you say “it was just my thought and opinion on the show”, I can’t help but take it somewhat as a personal attack. How is it possible to be confronted with your own morals, values, beliefs, sexuality and mortality every night and not take it seriously… I’m confounded that you felt it wasn’t taken seriously… that we were void of emotion… that you didn’t see the tears shed onstage (and backstage) for friends lost, for friends dying, for friends and loved ones living in pain or in fear, that you didn’t here our voices breaking with our hearts. I would imagine it would be an incredibly hard show to do without connecting with the issues raised within, and as I said am devastated you thought this was the case.

In the end viewer, I hope you did take something away other than unwelcoming, negative attitudes, a crumpled raffle ticket and a boosted ego.
viewer wrote:
>
> HI. I really don't want to be the awful one who comes on here
> and says all negative stuff but i will give an honest opinion
> of the show...
> i have just read all the reveiws on here and all i will say
> is self praise is no reccomendation!! its obvious who wrote
> all those reviews!!
> Honestly guys.. i came and saw the show as i went and saw
> all... and im sorry but you were no where near the most pro,
> polished or by far no where near the best!! although you had
> some nice moments and you your ensemble sung well.. over all
> it was a mess!!
> i almost felt like you were taking the piss out of RENT!!!
> you didnt even try to be professional i mean i had Benny sell
> me my ticket which might i add was a 50c reffel ticket????
> really?? you could have tried a little harder than that, i
> mean i understand you have a budget but i mean even print
> them out at home.. seriously. then the cast was all out over
> the stage before the show started... have you ever seen a
> show with cast members befor the show hanging around OUT OF
> CHARACTER.. not even at high school were we being that
> un-professional!!
> Now Casting??? wow... ok... i'll start with the possitives..
> Mimi was good, nice voice little bit void emotionally but
> quite good over all!! Collins was good, beautiful voice but a
> bit too much with the "emotions" bit over acting but well
> done. Angel again beautiful voice bbut acting a little dull,
> beautiful voice but. and joanne was ok too. and ensemble even
> though a little lost at times vocally nice.
> the weakest thing about this show was the direction or lack
> of!! half the time people didnt know what they were doing...
> i just dont think that was fair on them.. they had potential
> but NO direction. Now i do alot of professional work and even
> if your the most talented person it wont show without good
> diretion!!
> ROGER??? ok... i'l try and be tactful here... you were not
> very good. your pitch, your acting you understanding of the
> character and most of all your attitude was just all wrong.
> This really pulled the show down. Roger.. a young stuggling
> "rock star", sexy, sad, intimate, caring, rough looking.. you
> didnt fit any of these.. you sung it operetic and very out of
> key i dont know how mimi did it at times and i was certain
> you were going to come out in that santa dress too. now i
> dont want to appear homophobic and if your gay thats fine but
> Roger isnt and you played him like a little puncy gay man who
> had no emotion at all. very bad casting by the director!!!
> MAUREEN??? ok, vocally could not cary this role at all...
> over the moon although full of energy was in at least 17
> different keys. again just bad casting. the understudy
> although a little young seemed better for the role.
> MARK. this guy has a lot of potential really nice voice...
> way too young and inexperienced to play this role.. you didnt
> really understand it did you?? its like everyone especially
> roger just tried to over shine you and the role of Mark then
> appeared as a featured ensembble not THE LEAD!!
> Look i know your a musicall society and i didnt walk in the
> doors and expect full on professional but i would have liked
> you to try a little harder just simple things like the
> tickets and being back stage at the beg and intermission in
> character.. you just didnt seem to take it seriously! and the
> fact that you put down other productions that were done...
> its not cool. i deliberately didnt compare you too penrith,
> rockdale or chatswood cause you all have diffent casts,
> interpretations and budgets it wouldnt be fair to compare!!
> but i will say at least they tried to be as professional as
> they possibly could!!
> i was less than impressed with the lack of preperation and
> professionalism of this production. I feel sorry for some
> cast members... mimi, would love to see you do that role with
> a differnt roger where you can really work off some real
> emotions!!
> well done ensemble. and just remeber self praise is no
> recomendation.

WOW ha ha ok "cast member".. settle down!!i could say so much... but by your message its clearly not worth my time or energy!!

Thanks for the poset "collins"... and ah, no i was not ULA... that would have been totally un real though!! I was in the show though and do know Chloe - Now she is AMAZING!! Thats professional for you!!! A true star!
i think you would have ben great as Javert.... Look forward to seeing you arond the traps!! Take it easy x

Hey viewer. Yes Chloe was absolutely amazing! I have two 6 ft tall blonde sisters who (for laughs) would put on Swedish accents to impress guys at pubs (silly yes). So I laughed hard at Ula...and kept laughing on the way home and the next day and on the train to work that week. The Producers was a very slick show and I'm a huge fan of Mel Brooks. Bring on Blazing Saddles the musical! I heard Brooks praised her as the best he had seen. She certainly blasted Uma Thurman into the weeds.....woooo and legs! lol

Anyway good luck to you. Post stuff so that we at least know what shows you are in.

P.S. get a copy of today's Australian Financial Review. P21 has a feature article on the state of theatre in Australia. You would be interested in the information about the financial state of potential employers out there.

Regards, Jim alias Collins, Javert, Diesel, Caleb and high priest number two

We took two car loads out to Cambelltown last Friday to get the best dose of Theatre that we have had in a long time. We laughed, we cried and we too mooed!What a company! The energy between the leads was good but even stronger in the ensemble pieces. A week later, the music and the characters are still in our heads! La Vie Boheme!

Hi guys
Wow...what a reaction hey! Some not so good but hey, you can't please anyone. For those who don't know I'm Marlee and I was part of the back stage crew for rent. So having no emotional ties with the show and not knowing much about it coming into it..I loved it. Sure as Paul and some others have previously mentioned some of the harmonies were 100% but if everyone could experience what happened "backstage" or "behind the scenes" of rent they would realise what an awesome bunch of people this cast was and just how much effort, emotion and energy went into this show. Every night I laughed, cried and moo'd with you guys and had an awesome experience being back stage! You guys made me feel so welcomed even though it was the first time meeting alot of you!
I love all you guys but I just have to say J'son you cracked me up so much and I loved watching you every night! You would add something new to "Today for You, Tomorrow for Me" every night and Sarah and I would mealt into the wall when we heard "You Okay Honey".
So guys thanks for an awesome experience. I'm sorry some people don't agree with about how truly great this show was!
Hope to see you all soon. Don't be strangers and John don't forget about me if you ever need anyone to back stage again!
Love you long time...
Marlee
P.S I can not get the songs from this show out of my head!!! Grrr I'll have "Without You" in my head...sing that through then all of a sudden it just pops up..."SPEAK..Mark Cohen..Alexi Darling...ETC" Grr It's as if the show is just plaing in my head!! Hahaha

Ok

Firstly, this is the director and the guy who played Roger in the show. If you have any feedback or constructive criticism or suggestions or ideas then please feel free to email me at the address above because I am always willing to hear thoughts and suggestions on how to better shows.

I had no idea this production had suddenly caused so much flared up emotion and ideas. However, does anyone remember the Rockdale vs Penrith forum that went for three pages? I believe that RENT is one of those shows that a lot of people feel strongly about as it speaks to them in a personal way and thus they have very strong ideas.

Just to set a few things straight. Noone in my cast ever bitched about any other casts. Most of went to support Rockdale and Penrith and then the Penrith cast in Chatswood and the support was returned. Yes we all had differing views on productions but we never ever turned around and bitched about other productions behind other casts' back. If anything, the cast members who saw other productions of RENT became excited about our interpretation of the musical and it began a healthy discussion between our cast of what we saw the musical as being.

The cast knew every word they were singing and what it meant to them. Yes, harmonies went off at times and yes, interpretation of character and scenes differed to others. But the cast were well aware of what the meaning of the show is and the messages that were portrayed within the musical as it was pounded into them on a daily basis and many leanrt about their own values and belief systems and I hope to some degree I challenged the cast about what they believe in.

To viewer - thank you for your opinion and your input. I value everybody's thoughts and ideas as I stated before. I know that a production will not please everyone. I dont believe personal attacks are necessary but nonetheless I do understand what you have been saying in your posts and I will take that on board. Again, please feel free to drum up a dialogue or send me an email with your thoughts and ideas of what you would like to see in the future. I wish you luck in your own professional work in the future.

Thank you to all who saw the show and for those who have the courage to post their veiws on the forum as it gives me a better insight into what we need for the future.

So some people have said its the best show to have hit the Campbelltown stage - others have said its the worst show they have seen and you know what? In the long run that is what theatre is about - to create discussion and thought and provoke ideas and get an audience thinking about what they like and what they don't. RENT is such a passionate show, full of energy and emotion that it is hard not to have strong opinion about it.

Thank you to the cast, crew and band and to the people who saw the show. I hope it challenged you and made you think about your own views and by the sights of the forum, mission accomplished.

For those who are interested, if you would like to be informed of Anderson & Burdon's future productions please feel free to email my address above and I will add you to our mailing list. Our future program for 2006 includes NOISES OFF in July, SILENCE (an original play) in September and possibly LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS or THE WILD PARTY in November. It would be great to hear from some of oour audeince members what they would like to se eour company perform next.

Thank you to all for your input and honesty and I hope to see you again at one of our shows or to deconstruct the production of RENT one on one with you.

Cheers
Jonathon Anderson
Director - RENT (Anderson & Burdon Productions)

Hi guys it's Jim. So you are reading this email. hahaha...no venom here!

I just wanted to say some stuff that I didn't get a chance to at the closing night party. Being the elder statesmen of the cast and crew, I think I began to flag earlier than the rest and the bourbon took hold and next I knew I was flaking out and heading home.

I enjoyed the Rent experience immensely. I can strut about now and tell people I played Collins (picture me strutting chicken like up Queen St and hi-fiving strangers....oh yeah....moon walking in the mall by myself for no apparent reason). My Collins beanie now hangs proudly with the Javert baton on my wall. I had a blast and I love Rent (even if if does mystify) and our production was great.
I want to thank Jon for directing with such passion and imagination. I think the cast realised early that this particular show was a special one for you and I hope we delivered what you wanted. I'm quielty confident that you got everything you could out of us. The show was not perfect (no show ever is), but I know that people went away from that theatre truly moved by what took place. That's what matters. Good and bad reviews are life in the theatre....as everybody on this website knows.
And to the ensemble. It was wonderful to be on stage with such talented group. There were many occassions at rehearsal when I would sit and just listen happily to Christmas bells and other parts. You guys were the show!
To the other leads...well done...well done!
To the band...I know I go on, but what a bunch of musos!!!!! And great people too. Sorry if our introduction was rocky. Singing on stage with you in support was just a dream.

So that's it. I will see you guys around the traps as usual. Until the next great adventure.


Beware the strutting fool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Jim

This has nothing to do with a salesman but it caught your attention right? Because I know this is where most or probably all of the Anderson and Burdon junkies are talking these days I thought I should post this here so you can read it as a group.

For those doing noises off - unless John is putting it on, it will not be going forward. The heart i once had for theatre has faded away into nothing. There is nothing left of me. So I suppose that it will have to be Anderson and ............. productions now. Sorry to those who were doing noises off - i let you down. Dont worry for those who want to do little shop because I'm sure john can still put it on. Hey this doesn't mean we can't still be friends. I don't believe that in saying "good luck" you will get bad luck and therefore you have to say that stupid bloody chookas or what ever the hell it's called. So good luck.

My last thing is to Mr honest critic... if that is your real name. All i have to say to you is this.... *clears throat*....
This whole "i cant believe someone in the cast was giving tickets in costume and mic" (quick the end is a near, we're all gonna die), I was that person you are talking about who also happens to be the owner of the frickin company and i did the tickets because quite frankly i dont trust anyone else with MY money, that's right i said MY money. And when your just starting out a company there are not many people you are going to trust with money in general.
Second of all - your programme complaint. When you are starting a company from scratch and you don't have a huge baudget there is only so much you can pay for. It is not like we didn't get any done they just got sold out because we could not afford to make heaps of them. Coming back to that nice little word i like to call MONEY.
Now if you have directed and performed as you claim to have you will know that every director has their own vision, assuming they are good. And if their vision is to have the audience see the cast before the show starts that is their choice. It doesn't make it unproffessional at all it just makes it a different idea.... Actually i have seen the idea performed before so it wasnt even a new one.
Now everything you said about the SHOW itself i have no boggle with. I am the most critical person you will ever have the pleasure of talking to so your comments in that degree were fine. You did however forget to mention how poor benny's role was and the twit should learn to stand up straight on stage cuase he looks like an ogre walkin round with that hunch.
Lastly (if i dont think of anything else), dont tell me you sore this show with an open mind - if you are as critical as you sound (which is not a bad thing mind you) then you went in to pick it to death, and it's what you did from the moment i gave you your ticket (IN COSTUME MU HA HA... And ill do it again). I'll tell you the people who liked it were the one's who sat back and enjoyed and the one's that didn't were to busy judging and annalyzing it to enjoy it.

My Regards,

THE PRODUCER - and i dont need to know better thank you mr ive done a handful of professional work which was probably saying hi mum as an extra.

Actually if you could give me your name because i would love to see you some time - or perhaps you could prepare a musical piece with a monologue squeezed somewhere between it that i could watch just to see if you do know what your saying or your just..... i dont know (for the noises off people)
and remember - i do thank you for what you had to say about the SHOW - but how bout you leave the other stuff to the big boys.
Here ends the lesson.

Well,
As you may read later to mr honest critic himself - i would just like you to know that i Benny sold you a raffle ticket because i own the company and trust only my hands to be safe with the money. if it was thousands of your dollars im sure you would like it to be safe to. And if i had of known the can of lemonade would stir you up so much maybe i would have given you that can of diet coke (just 1 callorie you know).
For you not liking the show well thats your business but thank you for your opinion, as any theatre person knows you can not please everyone. So my apologies for this disappointment. All i want to add is you have to have respect for the cast as they only do what they are told. NEVER forget or blame them.
Here ends the lesson.

Hey there viewer,
I just wanted to say with the getting attitude left right and centre from the cast.... I played Benny and i dont know if i did that to you but you do have to understand something: Now i'm speaking more for myself here so i aint talkin bout the whole cast. If after a show you try and come and talk to me - yeah i probably will give you attitude because to tell you the truth i dont really care, i only care when im stage. When im on stage you the audience are all that matters to me and i do my best (even if it is crap) to whisk you away from your own life. Once im off stage you mean nothing more to me than a stranger. But as i said thats me - because i dont do praise and quite frankly if your coming to meet the cast thats what i figure. Sorry if thats harsh (again i dont know if it was even me that did it, but maybe some others feel like me or they were stressed cause they had a bad show or whatever the reason). Dont hold it against them.
Here ends the lesson.

Burdon said
Date: 27-02-06 13:43

*Hey there viewer,
I just wanted to say with the getting attitude left right and centre from the cast.... I played Benny and i dont know if i did that to you but you do have to understand something: Now i'm speaking more for myself here so i aint talkin bout the whole cast. If after a show you try and come and talk to me - yeah i probably will give you attitude because to tell you the truth i dont really care, i only care when im stage. When im on stage you the audience are all that matters to me and i do my best (even if it is crap) to whisk you away from your own life. Once im off stage you mean nothing more to me than a stranger. But as i said thats me - because i dont do praise and quite frankly if your coming to meet the cast thats what i figure. Sorry if thats harsh (again i dont know if it was even me that did it, but maybe some others feel like me or they were stressed cause they had a bad show or whatever the reason). Dont hold it against them.*

and then he said

27-02-06 13:33

*As you may read later to mr honest critic himself - i would just like you to know that i Benny sold you a raffle ticket because i own the company*

Not a good attitude to have for someone who owns the company Mr Burdon. I did not see your production of Rent, as I live elsewhere in the state, but I believe that if you are the figurehead for this company you should change your attitude. And just remember, that that stranger who you don't want to have anything to do with could just badmouth your company in to non existence. And now that i have had the time to read your other posts I believe you have just put your company in to non existence. So I believe take the money and run is the word of the day.

and here ends YOUR lesson.

Carolyn carolyn carolyn you're...... not good. Number 1. I never made myself a figurehead - just someone (who at the time) wanted to put on shows. never in my life have i ever put myself higher than someone else.... well except for you right now. My attitude is fine - if someone has a problem with it than they don't become a friend of mine, simple as that. If you wish to befriend an audience thats your doing and your doing alone - if your in the business to only entertain and not socialize - why is that a problem? People bad mouth other people everyday! Take Jim Carrey - how many bad reviews does he get? heaps! But the guy's a millionaire now!! Wesley snipes - also a famous actor won't even let any of the other actors even see him until they are shooting!! so think about the industry before you get all high and mighty on me!!
Here ends the lesson (a Rowan atkinson quote thank you very much... nothing more)

my dear burdon, if you really dislike people as much as it seems i have only one thing to say...

your in the wrong business...

I never said i disliked people - i only said i dont care. There is a difference. And it's only the wrong business depending on the reasons for doing it in the first place.

My Dear Mr Burdon,

I am thinking about the industry,

*If you wish to befriend an audience thats your doing and your doing alone - if your in the business to only entertain and not socialize - why is that a problem?*

It is a problem, because the audience is your business. I don't get how you don't understand that. If you are going to put on shows then your audience is your client, and you have to do everything to keep your client happy. I know that it costs money to mount a production and as a new company it is difficult. Did you consult other members of the theatre community in Sydney for help with different aspects of the show. I am sure there would have been assistance available to you if you are just starting out. I am not trying to bag you out or anything like that, because i understand what it is like to be passionate about something and from what i gather from your previous posts that you were passionate about "Rent". That is great. But always remember that the impression that is given to a customer on their first introduction to either you or your company is a lasting one. As far as comparing what you do, to what Wesley Snipes and Jim Carey do, well let's just remember that they are the ones with the millions, not us.


Regards.


carolyn