Remembering Rent-Manila

Nikka posted this link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080116/ap_en_ot/theater_rent

This is heartbreaking. I can’t believe that Rent is closing in Broadway before I even got a chance to go back to watch it. I was planning to line up for the $20 tickets in 2001 but then the bombing happened as I was on my way to the World Trade Center.

Memory tripping…..

Rent Manila (1999) was special for me due to so many reasons:

1. Miles surprised me by returning to Manila just in time to watch Rent. It marked our first "synchronized" anniversary. Fast forward to Aug 2002: Seasons of Love was the opening track of our wedding souvenir cd. =)

2. The Nov. 20, 1999 show was my first “racket” with Bambi. It was the start of something wonderful which led to Ticket2me.

3. Slightly related – I went home that first show on such a high and ended up reading HP – The Sorcerer’s Stone in one sitting.

4. Ahh... the Rent messageboard. We had some crazy wild intellectual discussions there. I actually still have hard copies of the various threads started in the first few months. Do you remember the thread about whether or not Larson should have let Mimi die?

5. This was the only show that I PAID to watch 6x (3x in Orch Center ) and watched with compli tix another 2x.

6. The feud between the 2 theater companies. =(

7. This marked the start of my mini-collection of Maita Beltran paintings. =) One Queen takes place of pride in our hallway. Hmm.. Seasons of Love is due of a cleaning and framing.

8. The RENTHEADS!!!!!!!!!!! I miss you guys soooo much! I’ve been able to touch base with some thanks to Multiply and Facebook but lost track of so many others. Where is Ches? Where are the sibs? =(

9. La Vie Boheme!

10. Closing night. All the Rentheads in one row – singing out of tune and crying (for the nth time). Reg (or was it Mitch) giving the girl in front the evil finger for daring to look at us.

The 1999 run with Ricci, Jamie, Lyn, Ugoy-Ugoy etc. was the best ever! The only online extracts that Youtube has are for the 2001 run which pales in comparison.

I still have around 4 sealed copies of the Rent Manila Soundtrack. Time to break one open and celebrate the Seasons of Love. Ok fine, I’ll even listen to Martin Nievera’s version.