I can't believe this is goodbye. . .12/06/96

**MY INCOHERENT TRIBUTE TO THE ANGEL COMPANY**
I tried to bookmark it to show an order but just go down the page and read. It's easiest since you'll miss sounds otherwise. Sorry for the lack of some sounds, some tapes are at my sisters. Sorry again because I just can't figure out a way to organize this. There's order and chronology but not really, in reality it's non sequitar. I just remember and then I mention it. And if I forgot someone I really didn't mean to or I just didn't have an audio available to me...All sounds are original except for the ones I mention(like 3) Sorry for the incoherence I'm just tired and a bit sad. How do you measure three years?
**WAVS THAT ARE LINKED IN A SMALLER FONT WORK**
OAC
They come and go...
Sing it for the Swings!
The Angel Tour Gordons
The Mark Switch
Chicago Closing
The Soul of A Young Man
Ring in da old, Bring in da new
Measure in Love
They put the SOL in solo
The Rockies: Denver to LA
An Angel Indeed
TREY-isms
Women, what is about them?
SF: The Closing City. . .

First there was the OAC. . .

Opening Night Boston Sounds: **Luther's first tune-up. . .who will forget that lisp? The first lines sung by people other than the OBC. No pressure.; **Simone not quite in her element yet but still rocking; **Sean Kellar and Simone; **Carrie Hamilton --cute as a button; **CC Brown was all R&B; **Stephan Alexander being sensual; **James Rich's laughing after You'll See. I loved it; **D'Monroe's waiter...; **Julie Danao's Alexi...thumbs up!!; **Queen Esther's; **"How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?"; **SOLo #1

THEY COME AND GO

Sean went, then Queen Esther, and then Carrie Hamilton at the end of Boston... but then came Manley, who in my opinion is the most all-encompassing Roger. And Terita, and Amy who was adorable as Mark's mom rocked the house as Maureen
Simone really found her Mimi opposite Manley.
Simone and Manley setting fire to the stage at Chicago Closing


DC Closing: Goodbye DC- Goodbye Love, James Rich's last...Benny and Joanne crying. So sad (I downloaded this wav from another page like an ice age ago and i have no idea whose it is. Please e-mail me and I will link you profusely)
Luther's last. He was dogpiled by Christian and co. :) I remember thinking that a Mark could never play Roger. Luther proved me wrong.: Luther Creek in Canada singing a moving Glory

Then Christian became Mark..."The POWER BLOWS!": ...the cutest Toto.

SWING POWER!!!!!!!
But let's not forget the f---ing amazing swings. The first thing I noticed about the Angels was their versatile and almost flawless swings. All of these people could have had the part full time. I'll always remember Jacki calling me and saying "Adam who???!" when she first heard Christian(when he u/s Sean) as Roger. And this was after London. And then Daniel J. who I have never seen and because of this I can never definitively say who the best Mark is.: **Daniel J. Robbins aka Danny Rockett -- The GOD of swings. or just GOD, if you want to believe him. In my eyes he does no wrong. I can't believe he was listed to play Angel though; **Dan's Mark - perfection, see Philly Closing for sounds from his last; **Dan's Roger swallows a bug in HNY, usually he's pretty good but tonight he choked.; **Joshua Greene --Damn amazing and had the most adorable voice!; **Another Day
**Will I Solo: **Kristoffer Cusick-- who plays Angel AND Mark??; **Angel; **Cheri Smith --Somewhere, someday, she deserves *the* part
**Julie Danao -- :): --as Mimi "the heart may freeze....as my last"; --Maureen; **Cristina Ablaza --; **Tony Vincent
Without You: **Karen Olivo --Her voice rocks.; **as Maureen --TMOLM -wails...completely wails.; **TMOLM2 (I always felt she was a Maureen first but I was the only one...)
**Marcus Chaney: **Gordon --(because reason says w/ Christian)
THE ANGEL TOUR GORDONS:
Everyone knows how important Gordon is to me: And three of the greats belong to the Angels.: **Christian Anderson... Hey loverboy...; **Daniel J. Robbins; **Joshua Greene

AND THE MARK SWITCH. . .Anthony to Chicago and Christian to New York

Remember when NY and Chicago traded Marks??? I remember reading the boards everyday, so intrigued. And all the Rent fans saying "Take care of our Mark" "Lookout for Christian's really funny hand movements!" and "Lookout for Anthony's spastic hand movements!" Rent fans seemed nicer then, more receptive to other casts... nostalgia...: Anthony opposite Manley who got shoved around.; Christian opposite Norbert (NY) leaving his legacy to Broadway. Jim Poulos is like a miniature Christian (sans the pitch); Funny random fact, Karen Olivo's first Mimi happened in NY while Christian was there (thanks Kim)
Christian and Manley must have made the tallest Mark and Roger... CC. Sheesh they were tall. *I told you this would be incoherent*: **CC and Evan
CHICAGO CLOSING Many good-byes....
There is no point in me putting up wavs of this goddamn amazing show. Excuse my language. E-mail me if you want a copy. I'll do it. There's no way to put it in words.: Manley in Another Day; Simone in Another Day
Goodbye Amy! --And who wanted to lose Amy? No one. Her voice blew the roof off.: **Cyberland
Hello Erin!! --But then again, who wouldn't want to have known Erin.: **OTM - Erin warns Benny.

THE SOUL OF A YOUNG MAN
Manley's last. Detroit. Maybe he wasn't that great with the Angels, maybe it's obvious when he starts getting bored, but I saw him in NY and he knocked everyone dead. Vulnerable yet volatile, menacing and tender. The most multidimensional ACTOR to play the part. Damn he sounded good. But Manley with the Angels improv'd. He had more fun. He had Soul. And that's saying a lot considering he played Simone every night. He had soul to equal hers. And when he's on par nobody's vocally only she stood beside him. He left everyone something to remember in his last.: ** Glory (April 19, 1998) His low range is exquisite.; **"Glory, a song about love"; **His last AD, I get chills whenever he decides to go for that "She DOESN'T see!"; Holy ---- they stop hearts in this song!!; **"The fire's out anyway!" This isn't from his last but I loved the way he extinguishes the energy of the song and almost admits defeat by murmuring this line.
But maybe, even more sad, especially for the Chicago fans was that Christian left the role of Mark. . .forever. (and the debate of whether he was a better Mark or Roger will never be solved--but let's just leave it as he was an amazing performer and one of the few OAC to stick it through) So it was Christian's last Mark, then he did the creepy Mark to Roger switch.: **"Dearly beloved we gather here to say our ::sniff:: good-byes" Christian's special farewell to his bud Manley.; **La Vie Boheme, I have no idea why but every cast member adds a yeah to the end of their line...even Simone (she's so dorky, but so cute.) It completely broke the solemn mood of goodbye. LMAO!! I love this show... Goodbye Manley!; **Manley and Christian's duel, I'd say Christian wailed but Manley gave him a good run for his money. A must listen!

Manley returned to RENT (to the ungrateful city of New York) and doesn't it comfort everyone to know that somewhere out in the big world someone is watching him deliver an amazing performance. Which is why it's so sad now...even for all the Angel fans who are a million miles away from SF, wasn't it nice to know it was open...: **Manley's improv in NY: ""But you'd missed New York before you could unpack.""
Clearly NY isn't cut out or ready for his soul.

RING OUT DA OLD, BRING IN DA NEW

So Manley left...but that was okay, right? I mean Christian was taking over as Roger...

Enter Trey: a brunette (novel back in the day!) Mark. Would he cut his hair? Would he dye it? (Thank you Jen, he did.) Would he...? But he would prove to be the most stable while stunning performer.

Kamilah and Trey invent a classic RENT moment:: "I'd fall for her still anyhow." I love the nights where Trey really can't think of anything to do so he does something sheepishly and then shrugs. Their Tango is incomparable.

Then Sylvia... The OAC was going...but Kamilah.

Then Simone... The OAC was going

I always thought, if I were Simone I would have a few issues going on opposite my Mark of the past year. But she went on with him back in the day when he understudied and they rocked then and his vocals were loud enough to play back. .

Simone left her Mark, er Roger with an amazing Out Tonight on her last...

Then...Enter Laura Dias, a totally different type of Mimi. But damn did she kick ass too!: Laura and Christian's intoxicating Another Day
But who could cry about Dwayne becoming Collins (Damn amazing): **Dwayne's I'll Cover You; **Dwayne's reprise
and the of course....D!!! D'Monroe! This man is on a pedestal, because his performance is unequaled, unrivalled, unmatched. I mean no has even come remotely close to him in my eyes. Usually I have a favorite interpretation (Like I think Krysten's is amazing, but Marcy and Cheri rival her on physical grace, Sharon's OT is close to as amazing, Laura's another Day is on par) D'Monroe has no counterparts, no peers, okay I'm raving. I would make a shrine to him, but he's OBennyC.: D'Monroe 1; D'Monroe 2; D'Monroe 3

MEASURE IN LOVE
Of course, everyone's beloved Cheri and Christian or Christian and Cheri, my personal favorite cast members. I will always remember their antics, whether as Mark and Mimi, Roger and Mimi, Gordon and Mimi, Alexi and Roger...etc, Christian playing Happy Birthday to her, the two of them signing various "I love you's" to one another during Finale B. Their exuberance onstage is nothing compared to their quirky chemistry offstage. Two people who truly live their lives in the spirit of the show --in love.

He pulled the stops out when she was on as Mimi, when he was Mark. Who told me Mark had glitter on him during SOL?: **Light My Candle. . . Christian and Cheri : )

PHILADELPHIA...
Then came Philly... Goodbye Dan, Goodbye Cristina!!: Cristina's Alexi
And Dan would never come back to the Angels again. . . ::Sniff::: Dan's last Mark (Sept 18, 1998) I can't believe it's almost been a whole year since he's been on as Mark. ::eyes tearing up::; **"You pretend to create...it's because I'm the one of us to survive" w/ Christian Anderson
**"There is no future, there is no past..." w/ Christian Anderson: **Dan doing the SOLo #2 in NY ---still a GODly swing no matter where or even in unemployment. (This wave is a little sped) I think he rocks...but like I said he does no wrong.
But it was comforting that the Ex-Angels still were together somewhat, somehow: **"Ladies and Gentleman we have a very special guest in the audience tonight, Mr. Grandpa Jack Robbins!!!" Danny introduces the Creek...under their aliases.; **Luther Creek in GOD, not using much of his vocals...this band, wtf to say about them?? i remember Dan trying to convert me to go to his first gig...and I couldn't because my plane left. :( they're their own kind of music. Before I heard them I asked someone to describe them and they just said, "I'll just send you the tape." Dan and Luth do have lovely voices though....; **Luther and Dan singing Grandpa Jack's Farm - beautiful voices...

BALTIMORE: They put the SOL in solo

And who could forget Halloween in Baltimore with the Angels...Christian with his goofy Count Dracula accent, the cast hamming it up, the band (Boko!!) Too funny...this cast had attitude. Listen and laugh.: "Vy did Muffy...miss the show?" Christian was pulling this all night. I thought it was totally out of character but Jacki always loved it...and in retrospect and to a RENThead it's adorable...to a fresh viewer, confusing as hell.; "Dearly beloved..." D'Monroe and Trey. Perfection singing and a crazy backup....
Both Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson take bows together. SOL that day must have been so moving. To see the two SOLoist leave...

The Rockies: Denver to LA....

Goodbye Karen (to the role), and she really, REALLY grew into it: Karen's OT It would really be her last Mimi with the Angels :( because Karen, the sweetheart let Cheri go on everytime in LA despite swing rotations because it was her hometown. Karen's with Manley wailing in NY :)
Goodbye Christian (or so we thought...): "Mimiii!"...until February Closing. He always holds this note so long...
Goodbye Josh , (who taunted us on the boards (as RogerMark) about who would play Gordon after he left...but I found out and ruined his little secret :P): Josh was really leaving...but he lived in LA and I bet money that I would see him. He's precious.

It was strange the cast changes that happened after Denver, because Karen and Christian were still there. Then the Angels crossed the Rockies...to LA. And the Angel Cast kept getting newer and more different. Not bad...just different, really...LA-ish.

The changes brought OBC Daphne Rubin-Vega and Dean Balkwill

OPENING NIGHT

**"What bind the fabric together when the raging SHIFTING winds of change keep ripping away"

"Draw a line in the sand and then make a stand"

--Is it just me or do Angel Tour Rogers really emphasize SHIFTING more than most? A Manley legacy?

**Dean Balkwill's "young...girl" I liked it but he stopped so I guess Michael Grief didn't dig it too much.

**Daphne Rubin-Vega's entrance "Got a light?...."

Daph and Dean during ISTY

**Dean Balkwill's deadpan in LMC..pretty cute

**Daphne Rubin-Vega's Out Tonight- "so daaaaaark" (480 bytes) My favorite part of Daph!!

**Daphne's Out Tonight cont.

**Cheri's hysterical Alexi

**Brian Love

**Matt Murphy as Gordon

SEASONS OF LOVE SOLos

**Danielle Lee Greaves SOLo--Danielle during contact...Omigawd! But she's kicking ass with the Benny Tour now.

**Robyn S. Walker's SOLo--she came in the middle of LA.

TREY-ISMS

Trey every night, over and over, just amazed me. A grasp on the character, he brought dimensions to Mark that I had never seen, not in Anthony, Neil, Scott, Jim, anyone...And his vocals rock. Hands down the best Mark I've ever seen. I only wish I could give him justice in words but I can't. He is signed till 2000 and damn it I hope he'll be on Broadway soon.

**"Alexi Mark, call me a hypocrite...I quit" Oh my word, I will never express the power surge that line give me when trey delivers it. (LISTEN NOW)

**"Tear down the wall, Aren't we all?"

**"Whyyyyy am I the witness?" He always cuts witness short!! Weird

WOMEN, WHAT IS ABOUT THEM? Sylvia and Amy, Kamilah and Erin

These were the two Joannes and Maureens who I felt went down as RENT classics. They just clicked with on another. Sylvia had the most amazing voice that was just saturated with 'cool.' Amy was the vocal powerhouse. Both had attitude. And Sylvia's "you'd better take me baby" is so damn convincing. I bet no one thought it could be matched. Then Erin and Kamilah come out equally bad-ass. Kamilah the vocal powerhouse now, and Erin the one with spunk. The Angel Company never had a bad TMOLM it seems.

**Sylvia setting Amy straight... or whatever.

**Erin's so cute. Her Who I was meant to be. I'll never forget her hand motions

**TMOLM 1 - too cute!

**TMOLM 2 - check out her vibrato

**Kamilah --listen to the crowd's reaction to her "bad-assness" I remember at the Gay Pride Concert, when she started to sing Christian and Brian Love stood up and started cheering, and the whole cast and then audience joined in. I'm getting sentimental. They love their Kamilah, and with good reason....

**Kamilah wailing TMOLM

**One of the few Maureen and Joanne's who pull off THAT ending, if you've heard Fredi and Idina, you know what I'm talking about. "Take me babyyyy-ay ay!! or leave me."

AN ANGEL INDEED : Shaun Earl

A performer who deserves more acclaim and praise than I could ever express. A voice that is beautiful, a performance that is all heart. It sounds so cheesy but his sheer sweet personality shone through in his performance, and NO, I do not know Shaun personally. It's simply every aspect of his Angel is kindness personified...but with style.

I don't care what people say, I've seen Wilson Jermaine-Heredia, and yes he's amazing but Shaun is the total package, despite the Collins, despite whatever mood he's in. etc. etc.

I've seen him a dozen times and could a dozen more, consistent, radiant, fluid, graceful, talented, and the list just keeps on going.

THE CLOSING CITY

I personally thought that the Angels should have closed in LA, the Angel Company closing in the city of Angels seemed appropriate. But on to SF where I thought it could run forever...but I guess the Golden Gate Theater wasn't very accommodating.

Goodbye Daph (April 11, 1999) Daphne Rubin-Vega's final performance in RENT: **Daph's last OT
But people get a load of Sharon Leal, her unique Mimi. Meow!!: **Sharon's styling OT -It's tight!; **"Give in to love, or live in FEAR" - I love that cast members move around bringing elements of other casts here. Everyone needs a little Marcy...and of course we all appreciated a lot of Sharon.
Sharon and Dean took it to a new level. Dean in SF proved quality and his chemistry with Sharon accelerated his performance to new heights.: Dean and Sharon's ISTY- lovely, subtle and touching

MLJ...yes this is random...: Reprise
Lambert took leave... everyone was worried and wished him well.: **Will I solo; **Angel
Cary came for a while... and he smiled and he got fans pretty quick ;): **Will I solo
Goodbye Kristoffer, Goodbye Cary

Goodbye Alicia! And she was applauded, and she cried and more of the old Angel Company was gone. This is the last show I have seen.: Christian was on as Roger that day, which was only right, and he played the beginning of the funeral march before the show started. : (

I really can't believe that it's over. There's so much to miss, and so much to remember, and I wish everyone the best. "You are all beautiful creatures..." Everyone in the cast is amazing and talented and have touched people tremendously. Just think that each of these people whether they know it or not have helped ingrain a message into someone's thinking. I think two cast members deserve another special shout out, Lambert Moss and Christian Anderson. Both have been here from the very beginning to end. Lambert in the same role too! Of course Cheri's been around a long time and so has Shaun and Evan. etc. Love to everyone. I *REALLY* cannot believe it's ending. And before I sound traumatized...(As if I haven't from the beginning) All good things must come to an end. Christian and Cheri, and Trey and Josh are coming to LA so I'll support them in whatever endeavors they pursue if they choose to remain in theater or entertainment. Solace.

With a thousand sweet kisses,
Janet
From December 6th, 1996 Boston to September 5th, 1999 San Francisco.
Sorry, if some of this is wrong...it's off the top of my head. Just thinking of the progression of the Angel Company. I'm not listing those u/s who were listed and never went on like Dan as Angel, or Cheri as Joanne.

Mark: Luther Creek, Christian Anderson, Anthony Rapp, Christian Anderson, Trey Ellett: (U/s Daniel J. Robbins, Kristoffer Cusick, Joshua Greene, Matthew Murphy)
Roger: Sean Kellar, Manley Pope, Christian Anderson, Dean Balkwill: (U/s Christian Anderson, Daniel J. Robbins, Joshua Greene, Tony Vincent, Cary Shields)
Mimi: Simone, Laura Dias, Karen Olivo, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Sharon Leal: (U/s Cheri Smith, Julie Danao, Cristina Ablaza, Karen Olivo, Erica Munoz)
Benny: James Rich, Dwayne Clark, D'Monroe, Brian Love: (U/s Alan Mingo Jr., John Eric Parker, Marcus Chaney)
Collins: CC Brown, Dwayne Clark, Rufus Bonds, MLJ: (U/s John Eric Parker, Alan Mingo Jr.,Timothy Cole, Rufus Bonds)
Angel: Stephen Alexander, Shaun Earl, Evan D'Angeles, Shaun Earl: (U/s Shaun Earl, Evan D'Angeles, Kristoffer Cusick, Ray Garcia, Lambert Moss, Juan Carlos)
Maureen: Carrie Hamilton, Amy Spanger, Erin Keaney: (U/s Amy Spanger, Julie Danao, Cristina Ablaza, Karen Olivo, Alicia Westelman, Cristina Fadale, Courtney Corey)
Joanne: Sylvia MacCalla, Kamilah Martin: (U/s Kamilah Martin, Schele Williams, Danielle Lee Greaves, Shayna Steele, Jenny Maxwell, Robin S. Walker)

>>RENT

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