RENT 2005

[00:00:00] La Vie Bohème! We're diving headfirst into the vibrant, chaotic world of 2005's RENT.

[00:00:06] It's time to measure your life in love as we get ready to sing along while exploring

[00:00:11] the timeless message of love, loss, and finding your voice.

[00:00:16] For more Late Fees podcasts, I'm Danielle.

[00:00:31] And I'm Jackie, and we're just two best friends and ex-blockbuster employees re-watching some

[00:00:35] of the best and worst movies from the late 90s and early 2000s.

[00:00:39] This week we are talking about the 2005 rock musical RENT.

[00:00:45] But before we dive in, let's get into some housekeeping!

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[00:01:49] the late 90s and 2000s.

[00:01:50] And this week we're thrilled to have honorary little sister Alyssa joining us to discuss

[00:01:55] RENT.

[00:01:55] Welcome, Liz.

[00:01:57] Welcome!

[00:01:59] Thank you.

[00:02:03] If you want to learn more about Alyssa, because she gave so much just now, check her out later

[00:02:09] this week on our bonus episode as we talk all things musical.

[00:02:14] It's going to be a fun one.

[00:02:15] We love ripping on our, so it should be good.

[00:02:18] I didn't know I was supposed to do a thing.

[00:02:20] I just thought...

[00:02:23] Hello!

[00:02:24] Hello!

[00:02:28] Well, Jackie, tell us about RENT.

[00:02:32] It is a soundtrack that I can perform every song to.

[00:02:36] And she did it with stunning accuracy.

[00:02:40] Thank you.

[00:02:40] Liz and I watched this together a couple days ago.

[00:02:44] Ken was confused and kind of bored.

[00:02:46] But RENT is a rock musical that follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished

[00:02:51] young artists and activists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City's East Village

[00:02:58] under the shadow of the AIDS epidemic.

[00:03:01] It stars Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia,

[00:03:10] Idina Menzel, or Adele Dazeem, if you know you know.

[00:03:15] So, Taye Diggs and Tracy Toms.

[00:03:18] It was directed by Chris Columbus.

[00:03:21] That man.

[00:03:23] Like, even without knowing he's the director, you know he's the director.

[00:03:27] Like, there's just something about his cinematography.

[00:03:31] The play was written by Jonathan Larson, and the screenplay was written by Stephen Chabosky.

[00:03:39] And you can watch it for free on Hoopla.

[00:03:41] You just need your library card.

[00:03:44] Or you can rent it on Amazon.

[00:03:47] But before we start, let's get into our ratings rewind.

[00:03:50] So, you know the drill.

[00:03:51] Before we get into the movie, we'll reveal the rating our Y2K versions of ourselves would give.

[00:03:56] Then at the end, we'll see if our current selves agree with our initial rating.

[00:04:01] Our scale consists of, would buy it, would buy it again.

[00:04:06] The best, would play on repeat.

[00:04:08] Five-day rental.

[00:04:10] Would watch again.

[00:04:11] Two-day rental.

[00:04:13] Okay, but nothing to write home about.

[00:04:15] And same-day rental.

[00:04:18] Trash.

[00:04:18] Straight-up dumpster fire trash.

[00:04:22] All right, Alyssa, we'll start with you.

[00:04:24] For me, it was a would buy, would buy it again.

[00:04:27] Definitely owned, like, multiples of it and broke them because we played them so much.

[00:04:33] It's a very nostalgic movie for my family.

[00:04:37] Jackie?

[00:04:40] So, we had the soundtrack and we found out that the movie was coming out.

[00:04:44] And then Danielle, Heather, and I went on a trip to New York City.

[00:04:48] And we got to see the cast perform for Broadway in the Park at Bryant Park the summer before the movie came out.

[00:04:56] So, that was super exciting.

[00:04:58] And then we always went to the movies on Thanksgiving Day.

[00:05:01] And so, Rent was our Thanksgiving Day movie in 2005.

[00:05:05] And our friend Patrick, who I met at Blockbuster, we worked together.

[00:05:11] He wasn't going home for Thanksgiving.

[00:05:13] So, we were like, oh, just come to our house and we're going to see this movie.

[00:05:17] And he was like, okay.

[00:05:18] He had never heard of Rent.

[00:05:20] So, poor Patrick.

[00:05:22] I just sit through this movie about, like, just very sad but to a happy beat.

[00:05:30] The whole time, like, he was so confused.

[00:05:33] And he was just like, oh.

[00:05:35] When we get out of the movies, he's just like, didn't realize it was a musical.

[00:05:38] And we're like, yes.

[00:05:39] Sorry about that.

[00:05:41] Were you all singing in that movie?

[00:05:44] I think we were quite.

[00:05:45] I think we were respectable because you honor the movie as it's made.

[00:05:52] The Conleys are rule followers.

[00:05:56] The Clarks are rule breakers.

[00:06:01] So, yeah.

[00:06:02] That's my little long-winded story about how it would be a would buy it, would buy it again.

[00:06:07] I loved it.

[00:06:09] I can't say anything really bad about it.

[00:06:14] Yeah, I own this would buy it again.

[00:06:16] Yay.

[00:06:17] I mean, would buy it.

[00:06:18] I mean, because it's today's rating.

[00:06:20] I mean, YGK rating.

[00:06:22] All right.

[00:06:22] Let's get into box office.

[00:06:24] So, the budget for this movie was $40 million.

[00:06:31] That's a lot.

[00:06:33] That's a lot.

[00:06:35] Jackie put all these zeros on here as if I was going to know numbers and shit.

[00:06:39] I'm like, wait.

[00:06:40] Carry the.

[00:06:41] Carry the.

[00:06:42] We already know it's not my strong suit.

[00:06:45] Mat, math.

[00:06:46] All right.

[00:06:47] World Gross.

[00:06:48] It only made about $31.6 million.

[00:06:52] Domestically, it made $29 million.

[00:06:55] And internationally, only $2 million.

[00:06:58] But it's opening weekend.

[00:06:59] Most in translation there.

[00:07:01] Yeah.

[00:07:04] But to be fair, it had a lot of competition.

[00:07:09] It did.

[00:07:09] So, let me just tell you what the top six were at this release.

[00:07:14] So, we had Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

[00:07:16] One of the best Harry Potter movies, by the way.

[00:07:19] Agreed.

[00:07:20] Rent.

[00:07:21] And Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when it opened, it made $14 million that day.

[00:07:28] I think it opened.

[00:07:30] That's crazy.

[00:07:30] Then Rent.

[00:07:32] Then Walk the Line.

[00:07:34] Then Yours, Mine, and Ours.

[00:07:36] Then Chicken Little.

[00:07:38] And then Just Friends.

[00:07:41] That's why we have six, because I wanted to include.

[00:07:43] I, girl, I already knew.

[00:07:48] The movie is based on the Broadway musical.

[00:07:52] It is an adaptation of the hugely successful Broadway musical by Jonathan Larson.

[00:07:57] And if you ever, if you know anything about this musical, that Jonathan Larson passed away right when they were going to have, I think.

[00:08:09] Before the show began previews off-Broadway.

[00:08:11] Yes.

[00:08:12] I was reading about that.

[00:08:13] And I think, like, a lot of critique around the musical.

[00:08:18] I've personally never seen the musical.

[00:08:20] I'm one of the people who really only know Rent from the movie.

[00:08:23] Mm-hmm.

[00:08:25] There's a lot of criticism around it just being okay because he passed away right when they were starting to do previews and dress rehearsals, which is when you would sort of refine musicals typically.

[00:09:03] Mm-hmm.

[00:09:08] Yeah.

[00:09:08] And this one was really tackling a lot of socioeconomic big topics.

[00:09:16] But it was his lived, you know, lived experience.

[00:09:20] And we'll get into that more.

[00:09:21] But, you know, him building this was people he knew, friends he knew, you know, all a culmination of all of his hard work.

[00:09:30] Because he had been working on musicals and other projects for a long time.

[00:09:34] So it's also just, I think, makes it even sadder that he, it's like he poured into this production and then left so early.

[00:09:48] It was really interesting watching some of the interviews back of the cast when they got casted to be in the movie or when they were casted to be in the show.

[00:09:58] And so, you know, Idina Menzel said that experience really helped her frame fame.

[00:10:04] Because she was, you know, they were all like in their 20s when this, the musical came out.

[00:10:11] And she said just being able to be in the moment because after Jonathan passed, it just gave her that clarity.

[00:10:20] So she said after she did Rent, it was almost like 10 years before she got something else.

[00:10:27] I think the next thing was wicked for her.

[00:10:29] And just because they had that experience in the way that they did helped prepare her for everything after.

[00:10:36] And she just didn't take anything too seriously after that.

[00:10:40] Like she didn't get hard, hard up on that.

[00:10:44] Like, oh, I haven't gotten anything because of that experience with Jonathan and the cast.

[00:10:49] And I thought that was really cool.

[00:10:51] A very nice perspective.

[00:10:53] Because death sometimes can be obviously very sad, but it does help you kind of reframe or realign a lot of the times.

[00:11:02] And I just thought that was cool.

[00:11:03] But let's see what Lil Raj had to say.

[00:11:07] Is that looking good, y'all?

[00:11:10] Lil Raj gave Rent 2.5 stars.

[00:11:15] Rent is a stage musical that wants to be a movie musical.

[00:11:19] Many stage musicals from Oklahoma to West Side Story feel right at home on the screen.

[00:11:24] Rent on film is missing a crucial element of its life support system, a live audience.

[00:11:31] The stage production surrounded the audience with the characters and the production.

[00:11:35] It lacked the song, We Are Family.

[00:11:38] But that was subtext.

[00:11:39] On film, Rent is the sound of one hand clapping.

[00:11:44] It's not a bad film.

[00:11:45] It may be about as good a film as the material can inspire.

[00:11:53] And, you know, I can't hate on Lil Raj.

[00:11:57] I never saw the musical.

[00:11:59] But, like, I never saw it on Broadway.

[00:12:02] But there are some musicals that the actual experience of the musical does not translate to movie.

[00:12:11] And that is a difficult feat.

[00:12:14] I feel like this one definitely probably has that element to it.

[00:12:19] It is.

[00:12:21] So I did see it probably over 10 years ago now when Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal returned to the traveling production.

[00:12:33] And it is – the set is very unique where everything is just already on stage.

[00:12:38] So they have, like, a little balcony they go up to and that's the apartment.

[00:12:41] And then they kind of just bring in tables and stuff when they're, like, in the diner and stuff.

[00:12:47] So nothing – the set never really changes except for, like, props within the set.

[00:12:52] Which makes it, like, very intimate.

[00:12:54] Like, you were all together all the time.

[00:12:58] It is different.

[00:13:00] Obviously, I saw the movie before I saw the musical on stage.

[00:13:06] And it's different, but I feel like they both have their merits.

[00:13:13] I think there's, like, a song missing from the movie that was in the musical.

[00:13:18] And I am from the generation that just saw the movie.

[00:13:22] I have not had the opportunity to see the musical yet.

[00:13:24] I want to.

[00:13:25] It's on my list.

[00:13:26] But I think it's kind of funny timing, too, because, you know, Wicked just came out.

[00:13:29] And it's going to be the same thing, right?

[00:13:31] There's a whole generation of people, maybe not necessarily generation, but group of people who now have this exposure to a musical that's existed for so long that they'll only know the movie version of.

[00:13:42] And the songs and the way that they're sung.

[00:13:44] So I'm sure it's the same sentiment when the movie came out for Rent that all of these theater kids who've known and loved the stage version of it, you know, see this movie.

[00:13:53] And they're like, what is this?

[00:13:54] This is not a representation of the live performance.

[00:13:58] And that's the sentiment I got from that review you just read is that they probably were like, there's so much of, you know, audience participation and feeding off of that energy that happens in the stage version.

[00:14:10] I don't feel that with the movie because I've never seen the stage version.

[00:14:13] I mean, we didn't, as an audience, we didn't get to moo with Maureen.

[00:14:19] Oh, yeah, that's true.

[00:14:21] I also think that, you know, there is an element that you that is taken away sometimes, you know, when you put something on screen, it makes everything more fantastical and makes the sets come to life.

[00:14:35] Everything's beautiful.

[00:14:36] But this musical is not supposed to be beautiful.

[00:14:40] Right.

[00:14:40] Right.

[00:14:40] I mean, I'm so glad, like, you can clearly see they were in New York.

[00:14:44] I'm hoping I'm right.

[00:14:45] But I believe they definitely filmed this in New York.

[00:14:48] If not.

[00:14:49] Oh, no, no.

[00:14:49] They filmed it in San Francisco.

[00:14:51] So the element of New York.

[00:14:53] Yes.

[00:14:53] I remember Taye Diggs talking about when it was time for him and at the time him and Adina were married, when it was time for them to choose if they even wanted to be in the movie.

[00:15:06] And they were very skeptical about this piece of work they had been, you know, so emotionally attached to making sure it was in the best hands and that they weren't going to Hollywood it up.

[00:15:18] And they were reassured that it was going to go in the right direction, but it was not filmed in New York.

[00:15:25] So that's one element.

[00:15:26] It was.

[00:15:27] It's not in San Francisco?

[00:15:29] In both New York and San Francisco.

[00:15:31] Okay.

[00:15:32] So they probably got some exterior shots and did the rest in San Francisco and maybe it was just cheaper.

[00:15:37] I'm not sure why they made that decision.

[00:15:39] Yeah.

[00:15:39] But I think the grittiness of the musical probably doesn't all translate to, you know, Christopher Columbus does a good job of showing a city.

[00:15:50] Hello, adventures and babysitting.

[00:15:54] But also he makes it look pretty.

[00:15:57] Like, look behind me.

[00:15:58] There's the subway.

[00:15:59] Like, I never seen a subway disc clean in New York.

[00:16:02] So just saying, especially in this time frame.

[00:16:05] For that empty in that scene.

[00:16:07] Yeah.

[00:16:07] There's like people in that train car.

[00:16:09] Right.

[00:16:09] So maybe that's the, I said all that just to say, maybe that's the, maybe the sliver of peace that might not have translated well.

[00:16:18] You're never going to get the everything in the different mediums.

[00:16:22] It's just not going to happen.

[00:16:24] So sorry, Lil Raj, but we disagree.

[00:16:26] But before we get into the cast and crew, let's hear a message from our podcast.

[00:16:36] The 1990s.

[00:16:37] The 1990s.

[00:16:38] My very favorite decade.

[00:16:40] Especially for music.

[00:16:42] This is Dope Nostalgia.

[00:16:44] And I'm your host, Naomi Carmack.

[00:16:45] And every week, we revisit the era that brought us Hammer Pants, Crystal Pepsi, Pogs, Hyper Color, Pokemon, and some of the greatest songs of all time.

[00:16:56] On Dope Nostalgia, not only do I have episodes where I talk about the big artists of the 90s with friends, but sometimes those big artists come on the show.

[00:17:04] Fast guests include Naughty by Nature, George Lamont, Alana Miles, Color Me Bad, Biff Naked, Right Said Fred, and so many more.

[00:17:12] Dope Nostalgia.

[00:17:13] A podcast made for 90s kids like me.

[00:17:15] You can find us on Spotify, Apple Music, Podbean, Stitcher, and wherever podcasts are served.

[00:17:25] So cast and crew, Taye Diggs, who plays Benny, Wilson Jermaine, Harida, Harida, Harida, Harida, I don't know, who plays Angel, Jesse L. Martin, who plays Collins, Dina Menzel, who plays Maureen, Adam Pascal, Roger, and Anthony Rapp, who plays Mark,

[00:17:44] are all from the original Broadway cast of Rent in 1996.

[00:17:48] So they are reprising their original roles.

[00:17:53] And Robert De Niro was the producer on this film, as well as Christopher Columbus, as we know he directed it.

[00:17:59] But one of the other possible directors that they thought of was Martin Scorsese.

[00:18:03] And I think that came because, like I said, Robert De Niro for just the movie.

[00:18:10] Because I don't see Martin Scorsese doing a musical.

[00:18:15] I mean, I look at The Aviator and maybe say, okay, that might be...

[00:18:21] Didn't he do...

[00:18:23] Am I wrong?

[00:18:24] Didn't he do Gangs of New York?

[00:18:26] Yeah.

[00:18:26] Yeah, but that's not a musical.

[00:18:28] Well, I know, but like, if you're going for like, the feel of Rent, I can very much see the same feel of Gangs of New York.

[00:18:38] You know, if you wanted like that gritty realness and not the Christopher Columbus magic sprinkle, auto filter.

[00:18:46] I can't see.

[00:18:47] I don't feel that man has joy in his heart for a musical.

[00:18:50] Just saying.

[00:18:51] If it was going to be any musical, this is just, you know...

[00:18:55] It would be this one.

[00:18:57] Yes, I would agree on that.

[00:18:59] But I also...

[00:19:01] Robert De Niro as a producer.

[00:19:03] Yeah.

[00:19:05] I'm not surprised because during this time frame, because you have to remember, like, this is when he was starting the Tribeca Film Festival.

[00:19:14] Like, he was really in his, like, creative bag in a sense outside of being an actor.

[00:19:20] So, yeah, it fits for this time period.

[00:19:25] And because he's such a...

[00:19:27] He's a New Yorker's New Yorker.

[00:19:29] I can imagine somebody who wanted to get this off the ground.

[00:19:33] They knew they needed a big name.

[00:19:35] So, connections, I'm guessing.

[00:19:38] Rent opens with the scene behind me.

[00:19:43] All of the major players standing in individual spotlights singing at Seasons of Love.

[00:19:50] Mount Strong.

[00:19:51] I have to give a shout out.

[00:19:52] So, when we talked about, like, some people might have saw the musical.

[00:19:57] Some people saw the movie.

[00:20:00] As much as some people don't agree and may hate on it, we have to give props to Glee because so many people in a different generation got introduced to musicals from that show.

[00:20:14] Like, a lot of the people who are obsessed with seeing Wicked in the movie now wouldn't have known Wicked existed if Glee hadn't done it.

[00:20:22] And they did a great job performing this number in particular on the show.

[00:20:28] So, I'll take my Gleeck hat off for a second now that I've said my piece.

[00:20:34] But I do have to give them props for that.

[00:20:37] So, the Seasons of Love number, is that a reflection of how it starts in the musical, Jackie, since you've seen it?

[00:20:44] Yes.

[00:20:45] They're all lined up like this.

[00:20:47] Yeah.

[00:20:48] And this is one of the numbers they performed for Broadway in the Park when we saw them.

[00:20:53] And as a special little bonus for Patreon members, we actually have our footage of experiencing that.

[00:21:03] So, we will upload that to Patreon.

[00:21:05] Patreon.com slash NoMoreLateFees.

[00:21:07] We're introduced first to Roger and Mark.

[00:21:10] Roger is a struggling songwriter and Mark is an aspiring filmmaker.

[00:21:17] I had questions.

[00:21:18] I've never used one of those cameras that Mark has.

[00:21:21] But it seemed like he was, like it was a hand crank one.

[00:21:27] So, I'm like, are you recording?

[00:21:29] But then sometimes it was the other way.

[00:21:30] I'm like, are you rewinding?

[00:21:31] Like, what is happening here with this camera situation?

[00:21:34] So, I don't think Anthony Rupp knew.

[00:21:37] He was just going through the motions.

[00:21:41] I just connected.

[00:21:43] Jackie, I forgot that he was in Adventures of Babysitting.

[00:21:47] He was.

[00:21:48] He, I totally forgot.

[00:21:50] He was the best friend from next door.

[00:21:53] He was.

[00:21:54] When he was a kid.

[00:21:55] After he plays Mark?

[00:21:56] Huh?

[00:21:57] After he plays Marcus?

[00:21:59] Mm-hmm.

[00:21:59] Yeah.

[00:22:01] He also, the fun fact I threw at Ken, which is not a fun fact, was he was one of the victims

[00:22:08] of Kevin Spacey.

[00:22:09] Early on, he was 14.

[00:22:11] They were both up-and-coming Broadway actors.

[00:22:14] So, he has had a lawsuit against Kevin Spacey in the past.

[00:22:19] And now he plays a character on Star Trek Discovery.

[00:22:28] So, FYI.

[00:22:30] We see one of the first opening numbers is titled Rent.

[00:22:34] And they're just lamenting about how they're behind on all their bills.

[00:22:39] They can't even afford to pay the back pay they owe on rent, let alone pay this month's

[00:22:47] rent.

[00:22:48] So, they are down and out.

[00:22:50] And electricity has been turned off.

[00:22:53] So, they're just, they do have an inordinate amount of candles for people who can't afford

[00:23:00] things.

[00:23:02] I feel like candles back then weren't as expensive as they are now.

[00:23:07] Probably.

[00:23:08] Since we all got woo-woo on a bitch and now everybody's got a million different types of

[00:23:13] candles.

[00:23:14] It's like, can I just get a classic regular candle for like 25 cents?

[00:23:19] Because I know wax is not that expensive.

[00:23:22] Yeah.

[00:23:22] Just saying.

[00:23:23] And then they light a bonfire in a trash can.

[00:23:27] This was getting me so much a couple when we watched it.

[00:23:31] They light it to like get warm.

[00:23:33] And they put all this paper in there to light it on fire.

[00:23:36] And not 10 seconds later, they dump it out the window.

[00:23:40] Like as part of the choreography.

[00:23:43] And I was like, why?

[00:23:45] Like that's your warmth.

[00:23:46] It's supposed to be your warmth.

[00:23:47] You just threw it out.

[00:23:49] I don't understand.

[00:23:51] Unless it was like they were burning their bills.

[00:23:53] But to me, that translated to let's light the stuff in the trash can on fire so that

[00:23:58] we can make heat.

[00:23:59] Yeah.

[00:24:00] And they didn't have to worry about like smoke inhalation because the skylight was broken.

[00:24:05] So the smoke had a chimney to go out of.

[00:24:10] Y'all are thinking too hard.

[00:24:12] Gotta let it go.

[00:24:13] Gotta let it go.

[00:24:14] We can't.

[00:24:17] So also while they're singing about their rent, Collins is back from MIT.

[00:24:23] He lost his spot.

[00:24:26] And so they throw him the keys.

[00:24:28] But then he very quickly gets beat up in an alley.

[00:24:34] And an angel saves him.

[00:24:37] And this is when we're introduced to Angel Dumont.

[00:24:42] What is her last name?

[00:24:44] Angel.

[00:24:45] Do not.

[00:24:45] It's so crazy.

[00:24:48] Because the cast, like we said, when they did the musical on Broadway, they were in their

[00:24:52] 20s.

[00:24:52] By the time most of them did this movie, they were in their 30s.

[00:24:56] Rosario Dawson was 26, playing 19.

[00:25:01] A stretch.

[00:25:04] She did look good though.

[00:25:06] But just 16 is a line in the light my candle.

[00:25:09] And I was like, no, right.

[00:25:12] And Jesse, as much as I love to say black don't crack, was very much given 30.

[00:25:19] Like, that was a little balding in the back.

[00:25:23] All of them, it was a stretch to believe that they were in their 20s.

[00:25:28] That's all I have to say.

[00:25:30] Other than that, still perfect casting.

[00:25:32] I just was like, y'all are getting old.

[00:25:34] I think Joanne was the only one that like, okay, she obviously has her law degree.

[00:25:40] She looks like fresh out of college baby lawyer.

[00:25:44] Yeah.

[00:25:45] You're right about that.

[00:25:46] Everyone else.

[00:25:48] Everyone else.

[00:25:49] I was like, y'all joking, right?

[00:25:52] We're just suspending belief all over the place.

[00:25:56] It's Angel Dumas Schrenard.

[00:26:00] Is her.

[00:26:01] Wow.

[00:26:02] And she is just vibrant and her and Collins have an instant connection.

[00:26:09] And so once Collins comes to, they are quickly inseparable.

[00:26:15] And then when do, is this when we meet Benny?

[00:26:20] Yeah.

[00:26:21] Yes.

[00:26:21] He drives up Range Rover.

[00:26:24] That's right.

[00:26:25] Just like this.

[00:26:26] Cause apparently I have to.

[00:26:28] It's an old lady.

[00:26:31] And it's so funny when I watched that movie when I was younger,

[00:26:34] I never paid any attention to that scene at all.

[00:26:39] I didn't know what a, like,

[00:26:40] I don't think I knew what a Range Rover was or the significance of like how

[00:26:44] much money it costs or anything.

[00:26:46] So now we're watching some of the details that came out.

[00:26:49] I was like, oh.

[00:26:50] Yeah.

[00:26:50] They had him in a Barbara jacket, which is like a $700 jacket.

[00:26:54] The little hokey brown collared and green kind of hunting jacket that he

[00:27:00] had on.

[00:27:02] And then the little fancy watch and everything.

[00:27:05] See?

[00:27:05] Who's that?

[00:27:06] Even when he talks about the Akita, Evita, like designer dog,

[00:27:12] even costs a lot of money, probably in his show quality.

[00:27:17] So there are definitely hints to Benny has sold out to the man.

[00:27:21] He used to be one of them.

[00:27:23] And now he's on the other side.

[00:27:26] He's the slum Lord collecting rent.

[00:27:30] And when he, when he drives up,

[00:27:33] he's offering them a trade for Maureen's protest,

[00:27:38] get her to shut it down and we'll, you know,

[00:27:41] give you free rent in this space when you renovate it.

[00:27:44] So you can pursue all of your creative passions and,

[00:27:48] and all of that goodness.

[00:27:49] But I feel like he can't be trusted,

[00:27:52] but he's talking and he's like ripping down all the protest signs.

[00:27:55] Like that's going to do anything.

[00:27:56] Right.

[00:27:58] And they refuse to sell out to the man.

[00:28:03] Mark's like,

[00:28:03] I got to go fix Maureen shit because it's broke.

[00:28:07] So I'll see you later.

[00:28:08] Like Mark is actively working on the protest at this.

[00:28:16] Go ahead.

[00:28:17] No, no.

[00:28:18] Cause we see them.

[00:28:22] The, we see the fire, we see all of that.

[00:28:24] And then we do see Rosari.

[00:28:27] What's her.

[00:28:27] I'm going to keep calling her Rosari Dawson, but Mimi,

[00:28:30] we see her in one of the like songs that they're singing.

[00:28:34] Like we, we kind of glimpse,

[00:28:36] get a glimpse of her already peeping, you know,

[00:28:40] game and looking up at Roger.

[00:28:44] So we're like, okay,

[00:28:45] she's set her eye on her next prize.

[00:28:49] I guess you could call it.

[00:28:50] So that I thought that was cute.

[00:28:53] Cause again,

[00:28:54] didn't notice it the last time I saw it.

[00:28:56] Cause it's been forever.

[00:28:57] Well, even when they were like talking about like,

[00:29:00] rent and landlords and lease,

[00:29:03] like I didn't,

[00:29:04] I lived at home.

[00:29:06] I was still in college.

[00:29:07] Like I didn't have to worry about that stuff.

[00:29:10] So it went right over my head.

[00:29:12] And now I own property.

[00:29:14] I'm like,

[00:29:15] Oh,

[00:29:16] I hope my tenants don't think that about me.

[00:29:19] So we also see Angel and Collins budding romance.

[00:29:23] We see their rendition of I'll cover you,

[00:29:26] which the medley of that in seasons of love,

[00:29:30] towards the end of the movie is like one of my absolute favorite parts of

[00:29:36] the entire show,

[00:29:38] but it's very sweet.

[00:29:40] And then I sat when.

[00:29:43] I think that's a little later.

[00:29:44] Cause I,

[00:29:45] I think after Benny sings,

[00:29:47] then I think the light,

[00:29:49] the,

[00:29:49] would you light my candle song?

[00:29:51] I have my chat GPT notes.

[00:29:54] So sometimes they get out of order.

[00:29:56] Cause Rogers by himself and she purposely blows her candle out,

[00:30:00] comes up the stairs.

[00:30:01] He only has so many matches,

[00:30:04] ma'am.

[00:30:05] And she keeps blowing it out.

[00:30:07] So my understanding is that she's trying to score drugs by saying,

[00:30:15] or she's,

[00:30:17] she,

[00:30:17] she says she drops her drugs.

[00:30:19] Yeah.

[00:30:20] She has her drugs.

[00:30:21] She needs a candle to cook them,

[00:30:23] but she blows the candle out,

[00:30:25] says she drops her drugs and she's trying to find them.

[00:30:30] She's also.

[00:30:31] She can't.

[00:30:32] She is.

[00:30:33] Your purpose of that for her was just flirting.

[00:30:36] I think she came up with the drugs.

[00:30:38] And then as she was like bumping into him and flirting and doing all her

[00:30:42] candle things,

[00:30:44] it fell out of her pocket or something.

[00:30:47] And that's why.

[00:30:48] She threw it.

[00:30:48] You,

[00:30:49] if you watch it,

[00:30:50] there's a scene where she's,

[00:30:52] I'm telling you,

[00:30:54] I watched it again.

[00:30:54] I was just like surprised because there I'm like,

[00:30:57] wait a minute.

[00:30:58] Did something.

[00:30:59] I see.

[00:31:00] I thought,

[00:31:00] I always thought it fell out of her pocket.

[00:31:03] And that's why she's like,

[00:31:04] oh no,

[00:31:04] where's my drugs?

[00:31:05] No.

[00:31:06] When she gets the door,

[00:31:08] she blows out the fucking candle again.

[00:31:10] Then she's like,

[00:31:11] where are my drugs?

[00:31:12] And that's when she goes on the floor and she's like,

[00:31:14] I got the best ass.

[00:31:16] He's like,

[00:31:17] oh,

[00:31:17] oh,

[00:31:18] oh.

[00:31:19] And then when she's crawling under that thing,

[00:31:23] she,

[00:31:24] you see her kind of throw something.

[00:31:27] And then.

[00:31:27] I thought it was just like a piece of paper or candy wrapper that was on

[00:31:31] their floor.

[00:31:33] I was actually looking for it because she was pissed when he found it

[00:31:37] and wouldn't give it back to her.

[00:31:39] I just felt like there was so much desperation in her voice when she got to

[00:31:42] the door and realized she didn't have it.

[00:31:44] And then she's like,

[00:31:45] where's my staff?

[00:31:45] When she went to the door,

[00:31:46] she blew out the fucking candle again.

[00:31:49] I'm going to have to rewatch this scene.

[00:31:52] That's why I was confused.

[00:31:53] I was like,

[00:31:53] did I miss see this?

[00:31:55] Did this bitch just like,

[00:31:57] oh,

[00:31:58] and then,

[00:31:59] and then be like.

[00:32:02] Maybe,

[00:32:02] but then he found it because he was like,

[00:32:04] oh,

[00:32:04] nothing,

[00:32:05] just a candy wrapper.

[00:32:06] And he puts it in his back pocket.

[00:32:07] Yeah.

[00:32:09] Oh,

[00:32:10] I don't know.

[00:32:11] I don't think he was intending to use it,

[00:32:13] but he was just trying to keep it away from her.

[00:32:15] So she didn't get high.

[00:32:16] Right.

[00:32:17] I believe that she wanted to get high with him.

[00:32:20] Maybe she saw that he,

[00:32:22] you know,

[00:32:23] cause remember he said back in his day,

[00:32:25] he used to see her.

[00:32:27] So she probably doesn't know that he's gotten clean.

[00:32:30] Doesn't know.

[00:32:30] He said,

[00:32:31] oh,

[00:32:31] I had,

[00:32:32] you remind me of a girl,

[00:32:33] an ex-girlfriend,

[00:32:34] whatever he does.

[00:32:34] She doesn't know that the girl died or his experience.

[00:32:37] So I think she likes him,

[00:32:39] but also was like,

[00:32:41] let's do this together.

[00:32:43] Did that whole flirty thing.

[00:32:45] Got blew out her candle.

[00:32:47] Kind of threw her drugs.

[00:32:49] So that they could,

[00:32:52] you know,

[00:32:53] play together.

[00:32:53] That's what I took from it.

[00:32:55] I could be wrong,

[00:32:56] but this was fresh eyes rewatching it after 20 plus years of not seeing it.

[00:33:01] So.

[00:33:02] Oh,

[00:33:02] that makes sense.

[00:33:03] And then,

[00:33:03] cause then she like,

[00:33:04] we get to the end of the song.

[00:33:05] She grabs it out of his pocket,

[00:33:06] like shakes it in his face.

[00:33:08] And I was like,

[00:33:09] right.

[00:33:11] So I Googled it,

[00:33:13] hoping for a straight answer.

[00:33:14] And in fact,

[00:33:15] instead found.

[00:33:17] More questions.

[00:33:18] Light my candle,

[00:33:19] candle unanswered questions.

[00:33:21] And it is 22 questions about.

[00:33:24] Everyone's just as confused as we are.

[00:33:27] Well,

[00:33:28] what we do learn in this song is that she's 19.

[00:33:31] Supposedly,

[00:33:32] she works at a strip club.

[00:33:35] Scratch club.

[00:33:37] The cat scratch club.

[00:33:39] We learned that Roger used to be about that drug life himself.

[00:33:43] That he had a former girlfriend,

[00:33:45] which we also see some clips in other songs.

[00:33:49] When we realized that his ex-girlfriend had.

[00:33:54] AIDS.

[00:33:56] So apparently.

[00:33:58] And like I said,

[00:34:00] it's been a really long time since I actually saw it on stage,

[00:34:03] but that.

[00:34:04] The scene.

[00:34:06] About Roger reflecting on his old girlfriend is much broader.

[00:34:11] And.

[00:34:12] Essentially.

[00:34:13] What happens is she commits suicide.

[00:34:15] She slits her wrist.

[00:34:16] He finds her.

[00:34:18] And she writes an apology note.

[00:34:20] And then.

[00:34:21] Along with it is her AIDS diagnosis.

[00:34:25] Oh,

[00:34:25] so not.

[00:34:26] So in the movie,

[00:34:27] we see a clip of them together and her telling him or seeing the results.

[00:34:32] That she has it.

[00:34:33] So does Roger have HIV?

[00:34:35] Yes.

[00:34:36] Oh,

[00:34:37] okay.

[00:34:38] Tea break.

[00:34:41] Gotcha.

[00:34:42] Totally forgot.

[00:34:43] Okay.

[00:34:44] Which makes sense to his aversion to not wanting to.

[00:34:47] Because when Angel's introduced by Tom to both Roger and Mark in another song.

[00:34:56] Today for you.

[00:34:58] Tomorrow for me.

[00:35:01] We learn that Angel had a good day out on the streets.

[00:35:04] I don't know what.

[00:35:07] Yeah.

[00:35:08] She's a street performer.

[00:35:10] She plays the pickle tub.

[00:35:12] She's always drumming on something.

[00:35:14] That's called.

[00:35:15] Those things are like.

[00:35:17] Is it pickle tub?

[00:35:18] Yeah.

[00:35:18] Because in New York.

[00:35:19] In delis.

[00:35:20] They always serve pickles on the table.

[00:35:22] So you buy them.

[00:35:23] Like firehouse subs.

[00:35:25] You can go and buy their empty pickle tubs.

[00:35:28] Alyssa looks mind blown.

[00:35:30] I have never heard anyone call it a pickle tub.

[00:35:33] It makes perfect sense.

[00:35:34] And that's a very small detail to be focused on.

[00:35:36] So continue.

[00:35:38] So.

[00:35:39] That's what we live for.

[00:35:42] When Angel comes in.

[00:35:44] And that's when we learn that both Angel and Tom are going to.

[00:35:50] Essentially an aid support.

[00:35:52] They call it life support.

[00:35:54] Life support.

[00:35:55] And so they've invited Mark and Roger.

[00:35:58] Roger's like no.

[00:35:59] Not down for that.

[00:36:00] So that makes a lot of sense.

[00:36:02] And Mark comes.

[00:36:04] No problem.

[00:36:05] But he's super awkward when he goes.

[00:36:07] Well and Mark's like.

[00:36:09] I.

[00:36:09] I'm happy to come.

[00:36:11] But first.

[00:36:12] I have to go fix Maureen shit.

[00:36:14] Right.

[00:36:15] Because Maureen calls the house.

[00:36:16] That's when Tom learns that Maureen.

[00:36:19] And Mark have broken up.

[00:36:20] Because Maureen is now.

[00:36:23] With a.

[00:36:24] She has.

[00:36:25] She's a lesbian now.

[00:36:26] Apparently.

[00:36:27] That's how Mark says it.

[00:36:29] There's kind of.

[00:36:30] We have to imagine there's overlap.

[00:36:32] That maybe Maureen cheated on Mark.

[00:36:34] And.

[00:36:36] When Mark goes over.

[00:36:37] Instead of seeing Maureen.

[00:36:39] He is greeted by Joanne.

[00:36:41] Who is.

[00:36:42] The woman that Maureen left him for.

[00:36:45] Who is a lawyer.

[00:36:46] And.

[00:36:48] Completely.

[00:36:49] Under Maureen's spell.

[00:36:51] Mm-hmm.

[00:36:52] Like.

[00:36:53] She pays people to do the shit.

[00:36:55] That Maureen has her doing.

[00:36:57] Right.

[00:36:59] Yep.

[00:36:59] Absolutely.

[00:37:01] Say that again.

[00:37:03] When Mark shows up.

[00:37:06] She's like.

[00:37:06] Kind of being like.

[00:37:07] Oh.

[00:37:08] Of course she called you.

[00:37:09] And then he's like.

[00:37:10] Well I can leave.

[00:37:11] See ya.

[00:37:11] Nice to meet you.

[00:37:11] And she's like.

[00:37:12] Well I hired an engineer.

[00:37:14] And then she's like.

[00:37:15] Well.

[00:37:15] He's three hours late.

[00:37:19] And then.

[00:37:19] That's when Mark's like.

[00:37:21] Let me.

[00:37:21] Let me help you peep game.

[00:37:22] Because these are the things.

[00:37:24] She told me.

[00:37:25] When she calls you sweetheart.

[00:37:26] And honey.

[00:37:27] And all this other stuff.

[00:37:28] Yeah.

[00:37:28] Check.

[00:37:29] Cause.

[00:37:31] And Pookie.

[00:37:32] Right.

[00:37:33] So he pretty much tells her.

[00:37:35] Like yeah.

[00:37:35] I love her to death.

[00:37:36] But that girl be cheating.

[00:37:38] And so.

[00:37:39] Then.

[00:37:40] Joanne's like.

[00:37:41] Oh shit.

[00:37:41] Check.

[00:37:42] Check.

[00:37:42] Check.

[00:37:42] She's done this shit to me as well.

[00:37:44] So.

[00:37:45] And they do.

[00:37:46] The tango.

[00:37:47] I think that's such a fun scene.

[00:37:49] And I feel like that has to be.

[00:37:51] One of them.

[00:37:53] One.

[00:37:53] Like the song.

[00:37:54] The tango Maureen.

[00:37:55] And like the way he hits his head.

[00:37:56] And it flashes into this like.

[00:37:58] Gorgeous ballroom.

[00:37:59] I.

[00:37:59] And Jackie.

[00:38:00] You might be able to confirm.

[00:38:01] That has to be like one of the most different.

[00:38:03] Kind of like.

[00:38:05] Transitions.

[00:38:06] Yeah.

[00:38:06] Transitions.

[00:38:06] I mean.

[00:38:07] Compared to what the.

[00:38:08] The Broadway version must have looked like.

[00:38:10] If they had the whole set.

[00:38:12] Kind of set the way it was.

[00:38:13] I wonder.

[00:38:14] If you.

[00:38:14] If you know maybe.

[00:38:16] But.

[00:38:16] I honestly can't remember.

[00:38:18] My favorite scenes.

[00:38:19] It's just like.

[00:38:20] It's such a fun idea.

[00:38:21] To have him kind of fall back.

[00:38:22] And then have this whole vision of.

[00:38:24] Like these beautiful tango dancers.

[00:38:26] And her in red.

[00:38:29] Being this deductress.

[00:38:30] Making out with the boy.

[00:38:31] Making out with the girl.

[00:38:33] I definitely think it's just for the movie.

[00:38:35] But you're right.

[00:38:37] And there.

[00:38:38] During that scene.

[00:38:40] The eyebrow lift.

[00:38:41] And jacket toss.

[00:38:42] Were added.

[00:38:43] Because the actors were having fun during rehearsals.

[00:38:46] And Chris Columbus liked it.

[00:38:47] And so he asked to keep it in.

[00:38:49] So I like that.

[00:38:50] They kind of put their own little.

[00:38:51] On it.

[00:38:53] I did not know that.

[00:38:54] This movie.

[00:38:56] Or the musical.

[00:38:57] Was loosely based on.

[00:38:59] The 1896 opera.

[00:39:01] La Boheme.

[00:39:02] Had no idea.

[00:39:04] Yeah.

[00:39:04] It's referenced.

[00:39:05] In a couple of points.

[00:39:07] Mostly with Roger.

[00:39:08] Playing his guitar.

[00:39:09] He plays.

[00:39:09] The melody.

[00:39:11] To Musetta's waltz.

[00:39:13] In La Vie Boheme.

[00:39:14] And I think.

[00:39:15] In a different point.

[00:39:16] Where he's just kind of like.

[00:39:17] Tingling on his guitar.

[00:39:18] The little reference.

[00:39:20] To the opera.

[00:39:20] Laura.

[00:39:21] I think this musical.

[00:39:23] Was one of the first musicals.

[00:39:25] That.

[00:39:26] Like.

[00:39:27] Because I.

[00:39:27] Grew up just watching them.

[00:39:28] With my mom.

[00:39:29] But.

[00:39:29] This was one of the first musicals.

[00:39:31] Where.

[00:39:33] I'm.

[00:39:34] The music.

[00:39:35] Wasn't like.

[00:39:37] Rhyming.

[00:39:38] Like it was.

[00:39:40] First of all.

[00:39:41] It was very.

[00:39:42] New age.

[00:39:44] More of a.

[00:39:45] Less fantastical.

[00:39:46] More of a real life.

[00:39:47] Grittiness to it.

[00:39:48] But.

[00:39:49] But.

[00:39:49] Also.

[00:39:50] The songs.

[00:39:51] Just.

[00:39:51] I'm so used to like.

[00:39:52] The old school musicals.

[00:39:54] Where everything kind of had like.

[00:39:55] A rhyme to it.

[00:39:56] And this was like.

[00:39:57] Full on sentences.

[00:39:58] But somehow.

[00:40:00] Making it work.

[00:40:01] And sometimes.

[00:40:02] A little clumsy.

[00:40:03] But.

[00:40:04] It still worked.

[00:40:06] So.

[00:40:07] That was very interesting to me.

[00:40:09] And some songs.

[00:40:10] I think.

[00:40:11] Because of that element.

[00:40:12] Because I'm simple.

[00:40:13] I'm like.

[00:40:14] Don't like that song.

[00:40:16] Skip.

[00:40:17] Which songs were those.

[00:40:19] Danielle?

[00:40:19] A lot of what Roger be singing.

[00:40:21] I'm like.

[00:40:22] Yo.

[00:40:23] You're real depressed.

[00:40:24] Wow.

[00:40:27] Is given a little.

[00:40:29] Like.

[00:40:30] I'm trying to go with it.

[00:40:31] Because I know this is dark.

[00:40:33] But.

[00:40:34] Yeah.

[00:40:34] Roger.

[00:40:35] You're killing me.

[00:40:36] Literally.

[00:40:36] And probably some songs by Mark.

[00:40:39] Too.

[00:40:40] Yeah.

[00:40:42] Mark tries to get angry.

[00:40:44] And never really.

[00:40:45] Fully commits to the anger.

[00:40:47] He doesn't.

[00:40:48] His body a lot.

[00:40:49] He's always just.

[00:40:50] Yeah.

[00:40:51] Big arms.

[00:40:52] Angry.

[00:40:53] Like a toddler tantrum.

[00:40:55] Yeah.

[00:40:57] So.

[00:40:58] Now we are at.

[00:40:59] Maureen's protest.

[00:41:01] And.

[00:41:02] Danielle.

[00:41:03] Do you remember.

[00:41:06] This being performed.

[00:41:08] By someone.

[00:41:08] In our.

[00:41:09] Talent show.

[00:41:10] At Douglas.

[00:41:12] This.

[00:41:13] This specific song.

[00:41:14] This specific.

[00:41:16] All I know.

[00:41:18] Is everything I know about.

[00:41:20] Drama kids.

[00:41:21] Is from.

[00:41:22] The high school experience.

[00:41:23] Of knowing drama kids.

[00:41:25] I so.

[00:41:26] Believe that they did this.

[00:41:27] I do not recall.

[00:41:29] Seeing it.

[00:41:30] Also.

[00:41:31] Don't remember.

[00:41:31] Us having a talent show.

[00:41:33] So there's that.

[00:41:35] I think it was after.

[00:41:38] Okay.

[00:41:39] So.

[00:41:40] I'm pretty sure.

[00:41:41] It was after.

[00:41:43] School.

[00:41:43] Like we had to come back for it.

[00:41:45] But also.

[00:41:46] I believe.

[00:41:47] That's when.

[00:41:49] I performed.

[00:41:50] Oh fuck.

[00:41:51] What is that.

[00:41:53] Gloria Estevan song.

[00:41:55] You performed at a talent show.

[00:41:58] Sign language.

[00:42:00] Sign language.

[00:42:00] Oh my god.

[00:42:01] That's so cool.

[00:42:02] Cool.

[00:42:03] I thought.

[00:42:03] Yeah.

[00:42:03] You sang Gloria Estevan.

[00:42:05] Oh I did not sing Gloria Estevan.

[00:42:07] I still want to see it.

[00:42:08] Now that you've signed it.

[00:42:09] But I.

[00:42:09] I know now.

[00:42:11] That you've said that.

[00:42:12] I did not go to said talent show.

[00:42:15] Just before you were around.

[00:42:17] Sorry.

[00:42:18] I missed it.

[00:42:19] I didn't get interested into our school musicals or plays until I started liking a boy that

[00:42:26] was in said musicals and plays.

[00:42:30] That was it.

[00:42:31] It was one, two, three.

[00:42:35] The one, two, three, four.

[00:42:38] Oh my baby.

[00:42:39] You love me.

[00:42:40] Okay.

[00:42:41] Got it.

[00:42:42] So.

[00:42:42] That's a bop.

[00:42:43] Yeah.

[00:42:44] So.

[00:42:45] At that talent show was my first ever exposure to Rent with this Maureen performance of the

[00:42:53] cow jumping over the moon.

[00:42:54] Anyway.

[00:42:55] So now we're at Maureen's protest.

[00:42:58] It's very avant-garde.

[00:43:04] Lots of yell singing.

[00:43:07] She comes in on her motorcycle.

[00:43:09] She does.

[00:43:10] Everyone's super hyped up and.

[00:43:12] And also like.

[00:43:14] Like.

[00:43:14] I know it gets broken up pretty quickly, but like how long was this like spoken word

[00:43:21] singing performance going to go on about the cow, like slurping from the cows at her?

[00:43:28] There it is.

[00:43:29] I love it.

[00:43:32] Also.

[00:43:34] Adina defying gravity literally in that scene bending over backwards and still like singing,

[00:43:41] slurping.

[00:43:43] Yeah.

[00:43:43] So this one, the musical or the movie, sorry, wasn't filmed live.

[00:43:48] They like recorded it in the studio, but they made them sing while they were filming.

[00:43:53] Okay.

[00:43:54] That like when they were out in the cold, like you could still kind of see their breath and

[00:43:57] they wanted to make sure like the musculature of how you sing didn't look like they were

[00:44:02] just lip syncing.

[00:44:03] And it still kind of felt like they were singing live.

[00:44:06] Which so that's she's still singing while she's doing that.

[00:44:09] Still really impressive.

[00:44:10] But yeah.

[00:44:11] Not life.

[00:44:13] Interesting.

[00:44:15] So now the protest has been broken up by Benny and his father-in-law and everyone kind of

[00:44:26] pieces out and they all congregate at the local like diner.

[00:44:32] And the diner is like, no, no, no, no, no.

[00:44:35] Y'all don't pay for shit.

[00:44:36] So you can't stay.

[00:44:38] And Angel's like, I got this shit.

[00:44:41] And hands them a 20 and like 20 people sit down.

[00:44:46] It was a 90 stack of money.

[00:44:48] But is that still from the thousand dollars, which is not really that much money that he

[00:44:52] made for, for unaliving that dog.

[00:44:55] But that like, we have to also remember the timeframe, the late where like, was it 89 when

[00:45:02] this is supposed to be taking place.

[00:45:05] So let me just as a New Yorker, that actually could have taken you a lot further.

[00:45:11] And especially if you're in the avenues, like it, things were not that expensive.

[00:45:18] Cause like, I even listened to my mom and my grandma talk about, like my grandma talks

[00:45:23] about when she used to get a paycheck, she would get like $70 sometimes.

[00:45:27] And she would be able to like, still sustain for that week.

[00:45:32] Like in New York, you could hustle in certain places.

[00:45:38] And when I, when, when I say that the avenues, very impoverished area, like not nobody had it

[00:45:47] then.

[00:45:47] And the rich people were not coming down to the avenues like they do now in New York.

[00:45:52] It has become completely gentrified.

[00:45:55] But back then you weren't going over there.

[00:45:58] Cause that's where the drugs, that's where the prostitution, that's where the danger was.

[00:46:05] So.

[00:46:05] And my understanding of Alphabet City came from 200 cigarettes.

[00:46:13] But yeah, like I can see the dollar going a little bit further back then.

[00:46:19] So now I'm like, yeah, right.

[00:46:22] But then, yeah.

[00:46:22] So according to the first Googled currency calculator, $1,000 in 1989 would be $2,500 today.

[00:46:33] Wow.

[00:46:34] A little bit more.

[00:46:35] A little bit more.

[00:46:37] A little bit more.

[00:46:38] But I remember I could go out even in 2006, I can go out with a $10 bill and get a few

[00:46:49] things.

[00:46:50] I might not go to a sit down restaurant, but I can get some stuff and I can go to a diner.

[00:46:56] Hmm.

[00:46:58] I wonder, cause they had like, what, 15 people more than that in their party.

[00:47:04] Don't push the tables together.

[00:47:05] And then they're like.

[00:47:06] But what did they order?

[00:47:08] So many things.

[00:47:10] Part of the song, they're like doing their little lovey bohem dance.

[00:47:14] And then the waiter comes through and kind of repeats their whole order.

[00:47:19] And then they go wine and beer.

[00:47:20] And it's a lot of stuff.

[00:47:21] Okay.

[00:47:22] Maybe, maybe they were pushing too much movie magic after a certain point.

[00:47:27] It's meatless balls.

[00:47:29] Ew.

[00:47:30] It tastes the same.

[00:47:31] If you close your eyes.

[00:47:34] And so then they all, this is where they really should have gotten kicked out, kicked out.

[00:47:39] Cause they're on the fucking tables.

[00:47:41] And you know how I feel about dirty shoes on those fucking tables.

[00:47:46] But this song, it, I know Liz, it's not your favorite of all of the Rent songs, but.

[00:47:54] I enjoy it.

[00:47:55] I, I think it's when they like get, it might be going a little too far ahead, but when they

[00:48:00] get to the end of the song and they kind of, he brushes off the chalkboard and writes

[00:48:06] fight AIDS or something.

[00:48:08] It's an emotional part of the movie for me.

[00:48:10] So I think that's where I start to feel like very heavy about it, but I do really like

[00:48:15] the song.

[00:48:15] I don't know all the words like you do though.

[00:48:18] I was on the couch.

[00:48:20] She was vibing.

[00:48:23] Which is so funny.

[00:48:24] Cause like Jackie's like Jackie likes certain musicals, but she won't say I love musicals,

[00:48:31] the category.

[00:48:32] So it's very interesting to see which ones.

[00:48:34] And like you said this in the middle of Lovey Boem, this very upbeat, like celebratory song

[00:48:40] where they're just really expressing themselves and the fact that they're artists and like

[00:48:47] think differently.

[00:48:48] And like our creators, it gets really quiet because it's both Mimi and Rogers alarms go

[00:48:55] off.

[00:48:55] It's time for them to take their AZT to, for their HIV.

[00:49:00] And so then it goes into this.

[00:49:02] Is it the, I should tell them?

[00:49:04] Yeah.

[00:49:05] And I think it's important to note too, before we move on to that, that the Lovey Boem scene,

[00:49:09] I feel like is a lot of a continuation of their protest.

[00:49:13] Cause when they walk in, they see Benny, his business partner, his father-in-law, and

[00:49:19] they're actively kind of speaking at them and sort of like giving them the middle finger

[00:49:23] at the beginning of this, where they're saying like the death of Boem, because Benny's telling

[00:49:28] them, you know, you guys are on the wrong side of this.

[00:49:30] And yeah, I just feel like it's just like they moved Maureen's protest from wherever that

[00:49:36] was to the diner and kind of continue there for sure.

[00:49:42] And so now Rob, Roger and Mimi are kind of connecting through their mutual pain and like

[00:49:49] their desires as they move through life and navigate being diagnosed with HIV.

[00:49:55] And then we go right back into the reprise of Lovey Boem.

[00:50:01] So the like music gets upbeat again.

[00:50:04] And then what happens after that?

[00:50:07] Oh, and then this is where we go into like kind of all the different seasons.

[00:50:14] It's almost a montage of like the year passing.

[00:50:19] And so we see Mimi kind of goes back to drugs.

[00:50:24] And so Roger's trying to kind of save her from that.

[00:50:27] So their relationship is in turmoil.

[00:50:31] And then Joanne and Maureen get engaged.

[00:50:35] And then at their engagement party, Maureen is flirting with all of the wait staff.

[00:50:43] It's like, girl, first off, you didn't dress up for your own engagement party.

[00:50:49] Like what's happening?

[00:50:50] Like jeans or leather pants or something.

[00:50:52] Yeah, leather pants and a tiger tank top.

[00:50:55] So unserious.

[00:50:57] She has to make it new.

[00:50:59] I think there's like some sort of like happier parts of that montage too.

[00:51:02] That's when you see them kind of all out and celebrating New Year's.

[00:51:06] And Mark got that buzz line deal because he sold the footage from the protest.

[00:51:12] Yes.

[00:51:13] The proposal happens after Joanne is Mark's lawyer for that buzz line meeting.

[00:51:18] And it's just like outside.

[00:51:19] Poor Mark standing there like super awkwardly as Joanne proposes.

[00:51:25] And how did Sarah Silverman make her way into this movie?

[00:51:29] Like why?

[00:51:30] I didn't even realize it was her until you said it when we were watching it.

[00:51:34] Unneeded.

[00:51:36] Unnecessary.

[00:51:38] I didn't care for that part.

[00:51:41] Yeah, I don't like her.

[00:51:42] I hope we never have to do any movies with her as a main role.

[00:51:46] Yeah.

[00:51:46] I feel like there's a couple coming up though.

[00:51:49] What other movies?

[00:51:51] Okay.

[00:51:51] Doesn't matter.

[00:51:54] And then so after the or during the engagement party scene,

[00:51:59] that's when we get take me or leave me,

[00:52:04] which is also such a fabulous duet.

[00:52:08] And yes, it is.

[00:52:10] My sister and I like to do it at karaoke because we like to be weird and awkward.

[00:52:18] You sing your love songs together?

[00:52:20] We do.

[00:52:21] Wow.

[00:52:23] We do.

[00:52:24] What else happens after this?

[00:52:26] Oh, and then we kind of go into like the season of fall.

[00:52:32] Roger moves to Santa Fe.

[00:52:37] Because Collins had mentioned it.

[00:52:40] And so, or is that after Angel dies?

[00:52:43] I think that's after Angel dies.

[00:52:46] Okay.

[00:52:47] After the engagement.

[00:52:49] Is when Angel starts getting sick, right?

[00:52:52] And then we see the, there's some song playing and we see the circle getting smaller and smaller.

[00:52:57] The support group circle getting smaller and smaller.

[00:53:00] And then I think the song Santa Fe plays, that's, I think your scene that you're in front of Danielle is when they're all sitting in the train and Collins is being swaggery and being like, let's, let's all go to Santa Fe because it's cheaper.

[00:53:15] Yeah.

[00:53:15] And I do love the choreography on the train.

[00:53:20] Like, I think it's just visually very appealing where they're like kind of like chicaning through the, like the poles of the subway car and stuff.

[00:53:31] Danielle did do a twirl on a subway car while we were there.

[00:53:35] And now, unfortunately, Angel's health is declining due to AIDS.

[00:53:41] And so, everyone is kind of reflecting on kind of their position in life and how Angel was so vibrant and full of life.

[00:53:52] And this disease has unfortunately taken her.

[00:53:55] And then we get to the memorial for Angel.

[00:54:01] And everyone is just having really heartfelt sentiments.

[00:54:04] And it's not a whole lot of people that are in the church.

[00:54:07] But it, you can feel that everyone just deeply loved and appreciated who Angel was.

[00:54:13] And that's when they kind of split off.

[00:54:16] Mark is like full blown working for, is it Buzzline?

[00:54:21] Is that what it is?

[00:54:22] And then Roger goes on his rum springa to Santa Fe because he's not a girl, not yet a woman.

[00:54:31] And you can't tell me that that scene is not just taken straight out of Crossroads.

[00:54:36] Yeah, Crossroads when he's like looking off into the distance on the little companions.

[00:54:41] Yes.

[00:54:42] Oh my god.

[00:54:42] I didn't even clock that.

[00:54:44] That's funny.

[00:54:45] And then Benny and Mimi get together.

[00:54:48] Is that right?

[00:54:50] At one point?

[00:54:52] They show up to the funeral together.

[00:54:55] And I think it's one of the montages that he like comes to her place of work.

[00:55:01] It kind of, there's like the scene where he kind of walks up behind her and she's sitting getting her makeup ready in the mirror.

[00:55:07] That's right.

[00:55:07] And I think that's really the only indication in the movie.

[00:55:11] They don't really like get into it.

[00:55:13] But that's like supposed to represent them kind of getting together.

[00:55:15] Which I don't get because isn't he married?

[00:55:19] That's his mistress.

[00:55:21] But he's going, he's like full out in the open.

[00:55:23] He went to the funeral with her.

[00:55:26] His wife's not going to that thing.

[00:55:28] Yeah, no one that he knows in his upper crust circle is going to be at Angel's Memorial.

[00:55:34] That's fair.

[00:55:35] That's fair.

[00:55:36] But then he's like, you can't talk to, what's his name?

[00:55:38] And they're all arguing in the cemetery.

[00:55:41] Dick.

[00:55:42] What I do love about this musical is one, it's so lived in.

[00:55:48] But two, they cast black and brown people.

[00:55:53] But also you can cast this with an array of different ethnicities.

[00:56:01] Anybody essentially, you know, could be in these roles.

[00:56:06] And I do love that.

[00:56:08] But again, for a musical on Broadway, especially when it came out.

[00:56:13] Yes, we had black and brown people in these musicals.

[00:56:17] But we, to this day, we're still fighting for that equity and inclusion.

[00:56:23] And this is one of those musicals that allowed for it to be very colorblind casting, if you would say.

[00:56:31] To an extent.

[00:56:33] Yeah, I agree.

[00:56:34] I think particularly because of the subject matter.

[00:56:37] Like, yeah, the socioeconomic part plays a big, big factor here.

[00:56:41] But the AIDS epidemic, like, really, really impacted those racial circles.

[00:56:46] And the fact that they stay true to that and they understand that this is the subject matter that we're trying to address in the movie and in the play.

[00:56:56] And the casting reflects who was impacted by it.

[00:57:00] I think that's really cool, too.

[00:57:02] Yeah, but even the role of Benny, where you could say that could potentially be like a very easily be a white man.

[00:57:08] But making sure that, you know, Taye Diggs got that role was very cool.

[00:57:14] And you guys said earlier he was cast in the original as well.

[00:57:17] In the Broadway.

[00:57:18] Yeah.

[00:57:20] Yeah.

[00:57:20] That's how him and Idina met, I believe.

[00:57:23] Yes.

[00:57:23] I think so.

[00:57:24] Yeah.

[00:57:25] And then Idina's new husband is also in this movie.

[00:57:29] Aaron Lohr, one of the Bash brothers from The Mighty Ducks.

[00:57:35] Yes.

[00:57:36] And apparently they met on the set of this movie.

[00:57:41] He's also a beautiful singer.

[00:57:43] He is the singing voice of Max Goof in a Goofy movie.

[00:57:50] He was in Newsies as well.

[00:57:53] So he is very much a musical, a Broadway kid himself.

[00:57:57] So it's a perfect match in heaven.

[00:57:59] Everyone was very happy when they got together.

[00:58:04] So luckily for Idina and Taye are still like they had an amicable divorce as much as you could.

[00:58:13] They have a son together.

[00:58:14] But when you see them in interviews talking about each other, they speak very highly of each other.

[00:58:20] One of the reasons why they divorced or one thing that Idina said that was like an issue was in, she said when they were on Broadway, being in the theater world and the Broadway world, it was like they kind of were in a bubble, you know?

[00:58:37] But you have to remember when Rent came out on Broadway and then Taye started to become bigger in movies, especially Black films, that became like more eyes were on him at the time.

[00:58:52] And in the Black community, when people found out that he was married to a white woman, it caused problems because his target audience, obviously money wise, people are going to see him.

[00:59:07] But the people who are really going to see him and support him are Black women.

[00:59:10] And so for Black women, especially at that time, for Black men to be an interracial or married to white women, a lot of even to this day, PR people will try to hide said wife or whatever.

[00:59:26] So her being on the red carpet with him, a lot of identity issues.

[00:59:30] But you can even delve even deeper into that because of Taye Diggs of like how he came into this world, not knowing his mother, not even having a real name.

[00:59:41] Like his dad, his uncle, I think, called him Scott, Scotty.

[00:59:46] And that's where he got Taye from.

[00:59:49] So like, I think even on his birth certificate, there's not even like a name that's his relationship with like his mom is kind of fucked.

[00:59:57] So I think for a long time, Taye was even trying to figure out like who he was, you know.

[01:00:03] So unfortunately, I'm sure there was other things that happened with their marriage because I think he may have cheated.

[01:00:12] May. I'm not sure.

[01:00:13] But I think that was another reason.

[01:00:16] And that's that's the gossip I got for y'all.

[01:00:19] And I just found out via TikTok that Taye Diggs was an understudy for Fierro in Wicked.

[01:00:28] And so he has been in the Broadway production of Wicked as well at one point.

[01:00:34] Oh, wow.

[01:00:35] Yeah.

[01:00:35] And I wonder if his wife got him that role.

[01:00:38] I'm not sure.

[01:00:40] The whole TikTok was like there was a girl that was like, I don't know why.

[01:00:45] Jonathan Bailey is that who plays Fierro in the movie?

[01:00:48] Mm hmm.

[01:00:48] She's like, he's perfect for the role.

[01:00:51] He's classically trained ballet dancer, sings beautifully.

[01:00:54] But for something there, for some reason, there was a disconnect like that's not Fierro.

[01:00:59] And she's like, and I realized why.

[01:01:01] And it was because the first time I saw Wicked on Broadway, Taye Diggs was Fierro.

[01:01:07] And so she's like, she has that image of who Fierro should be in her mind.

[01:01:12] And then it wasn't that.

[01:01:14] So she was like, it's wrong.

[01:01:16] And she's like, he's all right.

[01:01:20] But in my brain, my brain's telling me he's wrong.

[01:01:22] And I'm having to cope with that.

[01:01:26] He had a lot of competition.

[01:01:27] It was a lot of people that were in the running for that role against him.

[01:01:32] It was fantastic.

[01:01:34] Have you seen it yet, Danielle?

[01:01:36] Mm hmm.

[01:01:36] Wicked?

[01:01:37] Serena refuses to see it with me.

[01:01:40] And I finally got my mom to say yes to seeing it.

[01:01:44] So I should have asked Maru, but I didn't even think about that.

[01:01:48] Oh, I don't know.

[01:01:49] She wants to see it.

[01:01:50] I think you'll enjoy it.

[01:01:52] Like, I've seen.

[01:01:54] So I don't know if I told you this, but I was telling Serena, I'm like, well, you see

[01:01:58] this with me?

[01:01:58] She's like, no, because with her musicals, she either or.

[01:02:03] But then she was like, Danielle, you're obsessed with that musical.

[01:02:08] I was like, I am not.

[01:02:10] She's like, Danielle, how many times have you seen the stage adaptation?

[01:02:13] I said three times.

[01:02:15] And so she was like, that sounds like obsessive.

[01:02:18] I said, no, just different opportunities to see it.

[01:02:22] If someone tells you.

[01:02:25] I got my ex-boyfriend bought tickets for us to see it as a date.

[01:02:30] Oh, no, it was my Christmas gift one year.

[01:02:32] And another friend of mine actually got us free tickets to see it.

[01:02:39] So I was like, of course.

[01:02:41] And then when I came here, I still don't know who I saw it with.

[01:02:46] My grandma says it wasn't her.

[01:02:48] But my mom also says it wasn't her.

[01:02:50] Maru said it wasn't her.

[01:02:51] So I'm like, those are the three people I see musicals with.

[01:02:54] So why?

[01:02:56] It had to be Nana.

[01:02:57] She just don't remember.

[01:03:00] Well, you've seen it one more time than I have on stage.

[01:03:05] I've seen it twice.

[01:03:07] It does look different when it's touring in comparison to Broadway.

[01:03:12] I will say that.

[01:03:13] I have not seen it on Broadway, but I've seen it touring twice.

[01:03:17] My sister-in-law, Valerie, has seen it 15 times.

[01:03:20] See, that's obsessive.

[01:03:22] That's about that level.

[01:03:24] So now you have statistics you can bring back to Marina.

[01:03:27] Thank you.

[01:03:32] You just had opportunities.

[01:03:33] Yes, exactly.

[01:03:36] You get it.

[01:03:39] So as the movie winds down, Roger returns.

[01:03:44] Mimi is living on the streets.

[01:03:46] She's back on drugs.

[01:03:48] Everyone in their circle is asking where Mimi is.

[01:03:51] No one knows where she is.

[01:03:53] They're really worried about her.

[01:03:54] They finally find her in a park and bring her.

[01:03:58] I think when that happened, didn't Angel passing?

[01:04:02] Oh, we talked about Angel passing, right?

[01:04:04] Well, we said the funeral, but Angel did pass from AIDS.

[01:04:10] Yeah.

[01:04:11] Okay.

[01:04:11] Yes.

[01:04:12] And then they find Mimi and she overdoses, no?

[01:04:18] Or something happens to her.

[01:04:20] I think it's got to be.

[01:04:23] Overdose or withdrawal or something, right?

[01:04:25] The idea that being like AIDS related, her fever wouldn't have just broken.

[01:04:30] Like it did.

[01:04:30] That might just mean being too overrealistic.

[01:04:34] Yeah.

[01:04:34] Well, and it's kind of like, even if it was drug related, it's kind of like she's on the

[01:04:40] brink of death.

[01:04:42] They're calling 911 and all of a sudden it's like her fever is broken and she's like,

[01:04:46] hey guys, what's up?

[01:04:48] She talks about seeing Angel.

[01:04:51] Yeah.

[01:04:51] And how good she looked and they're all teary eyed.

[01:04:56] And yeah.

[01:04:58] Yeah.

[01:04:58] She had a miraculous recovery of whatever ailment she was going through or combination of.

[01:05:07] So then at the end of the movie, we get the reprise of Seasons of Love.

[01:05:15] And so we've come full circle.

[01:05:17] It's been a full year of their lives living in New York City in the late 80s.

[01:05:23] And that is Rent.

[01:05:26] Yeah.

[01:05:29] At the end of that scene, he plays his film too.

[01:05:32] Yes.

[01:05:33] Yes.

[01:05:34] I really loved the title of it was Today for You.

[01:05:36] So it was like a little nod to Angel and it's filming while they're singing that reprise

[01:05:41] of Seasons of Love.

[01:05:42] And the last bit of his film was like a really beautiful shot of Angel.

[01:05:49] Yeah.

[01:05:50] Completely stripped down, like not in drag or anything, but she looked really good.

[01:05:55] Let me say that.

[01:05:57] Yeah.

[01:05:58] One thing that I thought was really interesting that when it comes to the clothing of Rent

[01:06:05] that, sorry to remember what Roger's real name is.

[01:06:09] Adam Pascal.

[01:06:10] Adam Pascal.

[01:06:11] So he talks about how when they were doing the play or the musical that the costume designer

[01:06:20] took a lot from what they were wearing.

[01:06:22] So they would bring, he said one of the leather jacket that Roger wears had, oh gosh, which

[01:06:28] I can't remember what was on the back, but it was his own leather jacket.

[01:06:33] So then they were like, okay, we're going to put in the show.

[01:06:35] Now the jacket itself is like enshrined in some sort of museum.

[01:06:40] But so if you wore something for the musical, it would be probably brought to the actual

[01:06:48] play.

[01:06:49] And I think that's so much of what is seen in the movie, which is kind of cool.

[01:06:54] So it's all their own personal style at the time.

[01:06:58] And I think so many of the cast members were latching onto the story because a lot of them,

[01:07:06] especially them being performers in New York, could understand the squatting mentality.

[01:07:12] Even Rosaria Dawson talks about that was her life.

[01:07:15] She was a Lower East Side kid who was a squatter.

[01:07:19] If you go back, she was in that movie, that documentary slash movie.

[01:07:25] I don't, you know, kids, which is, if you look at the backstory of that movie, I hope we

[01:07:30] never have to do that movie because it's depressing.

[01:07:32] It's very cool because it's a time capsule to what was going on, but very sad to what happened

[01:07:38] to a lot of the people in that movie.

[01:07:40] But Rosaria was one of the lucky ones.

[01:07:43] But she experienced this.

[01:07:45] She said she saw this when she was in her 20s and she knew she had to get this role because

[01:07:52] this was her life, you know, to an extent.

[01:07:56] I thought that was really cool.

[01:07:57] I wonder, too, how many folks, especially the ones that were in the original musical during

[01:08:04] the AIDS epidemic, that late 80s, early 90s time was like a huge time of loss.

[01:08:11] It was like the technology and the medicine wasn't advanced.

[01:08:14] So I think particularly in New York, a lot of people at least knew someone who was impacted

[01:08:19] by it.

[01:08:20] And, you know, the squatter mentality, but also like being able to have a connection to

[01:08:27] that disease.

[01:08:28] I'm sure them living in New York, they at least knew somebody that either died or was impacted

[01:08:34] by it.

[01:08:35] A hundred percent.

[01:08:36] A hundred percent.

[01:08:37] Like I, my mom told me a ton of stories.

[01:08:41] Like obviously my mom's a nurse and just people in general, if she said it was such a scary

[01:08:49] time, because once they finally realized that this was not a disease, just targeting homosexual

[01:08:57] people and drug, you know, people who were drug addicts, that it started to seep into

[01:09:03] everyday life.

[01:09:04] She said it was a very scary time, you know, sex.

[01:09:10] No, there wasn't a lot of education, especially in the beginning and people just not knowing.

[01:09:16] Yeah.

[01:09:16] Um, so it felt like a witch hunt.

[01:09:19] It felt very scary.

[01:09:20] And also people were really scared to say that they had HIV or AIDS.

[01:09:27] So.

[01:09:28] Yeah.

[01:09:28] It was a, for me in the movie coming out in 2005, my sister passed away from AIDS, you

[01:09:34] know, four.

[01:09:35] So it was really cool for me to see it.

[01:09:40] Like just, just be able to see grownups kind of obviously by that, which is really sad,

[01:09:45] but the same thing where you said people were really scared to talk about it or say that

[01:09:49] they had it.

[01:09:50] It became such a stigma and talking about it, people would make the jokes like, oh, I bet

[01:09:54] you have AIDS or like, yeah, I bet you have herpes.

[01:09:57] And it was, it was always just this icky thing.

[01:10:00] There's like an icky air about it where everyone would make jokes about it.

[01:10:03] And I didn't know anyone else as a kid who was impacted by that.

[01:10:08] So getting to see it kind of out in the world and in such a big avenue and it was really special

[01:10:15] for me.

[01:10:15] So I, I connect to this movie a lot because of the fact that it's a musical, but for, for

[01:10:20] me and for my family, a lot of it is getting to see really, really special, you know, characters

[01:10:27] impacted by the disease, but also like having, being artists, being creative and having love.

[01:10:34] And yeah, it just was really, Jackie knows I was like dying, crying, watching it with her.

[01:10:40] I always forget how, how much it hits me a little heavy, but.

[01:10:45] I think that's why we love movies and this medium is such a great vehicle to help humanize

[01:10:55] people and not make it feel, even if someone, even if you didn't know someone directly, still

[01:11:04] having the empathy, building the empathy, empathy, you know, I think one of the things

[01:11:10] that is becoming a disservice to the younger generation is that because we have medication

[01:11:17] that can greatly help the success.

[01:11:20] Like we don't see people dying from AIDS in the same rate that we did at that time.

[01:11:25] Right.

[01:11:25] And a lot of that had to, had to do with education and that our country took it very seriously

[01:11:31] to push like education instead of trying to like hide it.

[01:11:39] Every, if we look back at the nineties, early nineties, late nineties, we see anytime someone's

[01:11:45] having sex, there is a condom being pulled out.

[01:11:48] Like if you watch in comparison to what's happening now, where you don't really see it as a push

[01:11:53] anymore, there were conversations happening at school.

[01:11:56] So even our younger generation, we understood this is why we have to take precautions and

[01:12:02] get tested.

[01:12:03] I think that's not happening in the same rate anymore.

[01:12:07] I mean, we grew up in an age where, again, if we didn't know someone personally, a lot

[01:12:12] of us watched real world the second season and we met Pedro and that became humanizing to

[01:12:19] this disease that we were just hearing about.

[01:12:21] That was very scary, but instead of it just being some scary thing that happened to other

[01:12:26] people, it made us feel like, oh, wow, like this could happen to a friend like Pedro that

[01:12:30] we don't know.

[01:12:32] And, but it felt like we knew him.

[01:12:35] And so I, I think, like you said, this movie and other pieces of medium really helped educate

[01:12:40] us.

[01:12:41] And I think we need to get back to that because the rates, especially in the black and brown

[01:12:47] communities, especially women have been high and not just HIV, but all of the sexually transmitted

[01:12:55] diseases.

[01:12:56] I think we need to get back to when we're talking about it openly and trying to make sure we're

[01:13:02] using protection.

[01:13:03] And we can't be sure at this point with, you know, with the climate politically that that's

[01:13:09] going to be prevalent in health.

[01:13:12] You know, they're not, they're not saying wear a condom, they're saying, you know, abstain

[01:13:16] from sex, which has very little effect on what people are actually going to do.

[01:13:20] So yeah, I definitely agree that, you know, using something that people are doing anyway,

[01:13:25] watching movies and watching TVs, you know, really effective, like you said, to humanize

[01:13:30] the situation.

[01:13:31] Yeah.

[01:13:32] I very much don't agree that abstinence is the best way because it is just, it just happens,

[01:13:40] right?

[01:13:41] People have sex, kids have, you know, teenagers have sex.

[01:13:44] So yes, you can teach abstinence as a great way to prevent them if they're not physically

[01:13:51] and mentally ready for sex.

[01:13:53] But you should also still be educating them does not mean that you're telling them to do

[01:13:58] it.

[01:13:59] It means that you're arming your children and the people you love to have resources in

[01:14:05] case they decide to make that decision so that they're not in a situation where it's, you

[01:14:12] know, some people think pregnancy is the worst thing that can happen.

[01:14:15] That is not the worst thing that can happen.

[01:14:17] So that's just my PSA, you know, just because you don't talk about it doesn't mean it doesn't

[01:14:24] happen.

[01:14:25] Yeah.

[01:14:27] So, all right, let's see what other fun facts we missed.

[01:14:33] The New Year's Eve sequence.

[01:14:34] I love this was turned into an actual party for the cast and crew and the celebrating was

[01:14:40] real.

[01:14:41] Love that.

[01:14:42] I do love that too.

[01:14:43] At the very end of the credits.

[01:14:45] Thank you, Jonathan Larson comes onto the screen.

[01:14:49] It would be seen as a reference to the show showing of Rent after Jonathan Larson died.

[01:14:53] He passed away the night before the show began previews off Broadway and the entire cast

[01:14:59] elected to perform a run through of just the songs to all of Jonathan's family and friends

[01:15:04] in tribute of Jonathan's most prestigious work.

[01:15:07] At the end of the performance, the entire audience sat silent for what seemed like forever until

[01:15:12] a young male voice in the back of the house shouted that line.

[01:15:16] A musical movie on Netflix and it was actually directed first time director was Lin-Manuel Miranda

[01:15:28] and the connection between Rent and him is very close to his heart.

[01:15:34] He said that that that Rent changed his life.

[01:15:36] It was, and let me read it in his words.

[01:15:39] Jonathan Larson's captivating storytelling in Rent first taught me that musicals could be

[01:15:44] contemporary, true to life, and depict your own experiences.

[01:15:48] But it was Tick, Tick, Boom that solidified that drive in me to own my own voice as a playwright.

[01:15:55] Obviously we know he did Hamilton, but before that he did In the Heights, which is very much

[01:16:01] him giving his insight to a very particular place in Manhattan and his lived experience.

[01:16:08] So that's really cool to see how other artists were affected by Rent and it came full circle for him.

[01:16:19] I like that.

[01:16:20] I haven't seen Tick, Tick, Boom yet.

[01:16:23] Andrew Garfield does an amazing job.

[01:16:25] I think.

[01:16:27] As an actor.

[01:16:29] Adam Pascal had to work on a bad habit of closing his eyes while singing to win the role of Roger.

[01:16:36] As a rock singer, I was used to closing my eyes when showing or feeling emotion Pascal wrote in retrospect.

[01:16:44] I know that sounds silly, but it is a very real thing.

[01:16:48] I do that too.

[01:16:50] I wonder if the roles of Mimi and Joanne, if the original counterparts did try out as well, but they just didn't make it.

[01:17:02] I just was surprised that damn near the whole cast was the original cast except for those two roles.

[01:17:09] So I was always curious as to what happened there.

[01:17:12] Does Rosaria have, like, does she do any other musical or music related things besides this movie?

[01:17:19] I don't know.

[01:17:19] I don't think, I don't think I've ever seen her in any other musicals, but that doesn't mean that she has, like, IMDb is only going to show us movies.

[01:17:27] So I don't know what she's done potentially on Broadway.

[01:17:32] Okay.

[01:17:32] So the original Mimi, Daphne Rubin Vega, was pregnant at the time of filming and the character is 19.

[01:17:42] Gotcha.

[01:17:44] Gotcha.

[01:17:44] And then Freddie Walker, who originally played Joanne, she felt she was too old for the part.

[01:17:51] The rest of them apparently didn't.

[01:17:53] She did request that the producers cast an actress of African descent for the role, which went to Tracy Toms.

[01:18:02] Nice.

[01:18:03] Love that.

[01:18:03] Advocate.

[01:18:04] Yeah.

[01:18:05] Well, if you love rent, if you hate rent, if you don't know rent, I don't know, if you have any opinions, don't forget to hit us up at NoMoreLateFees on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube threads, Blue Sky.

[01:18:20] Let's get into today's present day ratings.

[01:18:25] Alyssa, we'll start with you.

[01:18:27] Sorry.

[01:18:28] Yeah, same rating.

[01:18:29] Would Buy, Would Buy again.

[01:18:31] I probably, I think when we initially talked about doing it, I had started listening to the music again, but I waited to watch the movie.

[01:18:39] And I think it had probably been like six years since I'd seen it.

[01:18:42] And man, it just holds up.

[01:18:44] It's so good.

[01:18:46] Jackie?

[01:18:47] Oh, sorry.

[01:18:48] Jackie?

[01:18:49] I am sticking with it, Would Buy It Again.

[01:18:52] I owned it, so we did not have to seek it out.

[01:18:56] And I sang through the whole thing because I was in the privacy of my own home where that is allowed.

[01:19:03] Well, after you're watching it, Aslea, it's all right.

[01:19:06] Two-day rating.

[01:19:09] I don't know why you play.

[01:19:11] I'm not.

[01:19:13] Really?

[01:19:14] It's not my favorite musical.

[01:19:16] Okay.

[01:19:18] Fine.

[01:19:18] I don't even know.

[01:19:20] I am kidding.

[01:19:22] It is a one-by-one.

[01:19:23] Can I?

[01:19:25] You really held on to that.

[01:19:27] Well, because Jackie was pretending that she knew me.

[01:19:30] Because I do know you.

[01:19:34] Alyssa looked like, what?

[01:19:38] It's like, I don't know you at all.

[01:19:42] I was like, fine.

[01:19:43] If she wants to say that, I'll put it.

[01:19:45] And it won't be an employee pick of 2024.

[01:19:48] But it is.

[01:19:50] Yay.

[01:19:51] So, yeah.

[01:19:52] If you want to sing me some rent songs.

[01:19:54] I'm really just desperate for someone to record themselves singing so I can put it on the podcast.

[01:19:59] Hit us up at our quick drop, 909-601-NMLF.

[01:20:05] That's 909-601-6653.

[01:20:09] We'll be right back.

[01:20:10] We'll be right back.

[01:20:10] We'll be right back.

[01:20:10] And you can be featured on a future episode.

[01:20:16] And it's the holidays, y'all.

[01:20:18] So we're taking a week off.

[01:20:20] So make sure that you go back and check out some old episodes you missed.

[01:20:25] Catch up and come back for our special 2024 year in review episode.

[01:20:32] Melissa, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your stories and how much this movie means to you.

[01:20:40] And we love you very much.

[01:20:42] It was such a fun time.

[01:20:44] Yay.

[01:20:46] And for everyone listening out there, happy holidays.

[01:20:50] Enjoy yourself.

[01:20:51] Be safe.

[01:20:52] And be kind.

[01:20:53] And rewind.

[01:20:54] And rewind.

[01:20:54] And rewind.

[01:20:55] And rewind.