Rent by Original Broadway Cast

Pros: Great songs, great cast, very entertaining

Cons: none

The Bottom Line: If you love musicals but have no one to go to the theater with, get these cds!

Review: When you drive home from the International Freedom Festival after the fireworks in Canada, it could take approx. 3 hours just to cross the bridge. What do you do during this time? How about some music! This is when I first heard the recording of Rent ...

Pros: Great music and message, CDs stand alone without having seen the live show or movie...

Cons: ...Can be a bit racy at times, Mimi's voice can be annoying, pricey ($25-30)

The Bottom Line: Rent-OBC is an amazing piece of work. It ranks right up with the greatest musicals, and it's positive message is one we can all learn from.

Review: Note: This review reveals minor details of the musical/movie's plot. The Broadway Musical, Rent, has gotten a lot of buzz recently due to it's theatrical release last year, but it's been on the stage since 1996. Jonathan Larson (who ...

Pros: Great lyrics, original cast recording, excellent score (Jonathan Larson is phenomenal)

Cons: Racy lyrics, may offend some

The Bottom Line: This is one of my favorite soundtracks and I absolutely love it!!!

Review: I became a Rent fanatic after seeing the show only once (sadly, I've only seen it once.) When I got the opportunity to purchase the CD at a great price (I believe I got it on sale for about $16,) I jumped at the chance. I loved the play (you can ...

Pros: GREAT music, interesting story (if you can follow it)

Cons: CD is expensive - adult language and situations may offend some

The Bottom Line: Buy it, don't "Rent" it!

Review: Okay, the first time I had even heard of Rent was when our high school music teacher offered tickets at a ridiculously low price for the students and their parents to go, if they so desired. Having no idea what the storyline was, when my (then) 17 year...

Pros: Amazing vocals, wonderful message, mind-blowing music

Cons: Runs long in some parts, hard to understand some plot lines

The Bottom Line: This music is grabbing and fulfilling, it is a worth while buy on all counts

Review: I have listened to many different versions of the RENT recordings, and I must say, there is something to be said for the originals. The soundtrack is worth every penny, minute, and day spent on it. With close to fifty tracks it tells a story that is both ...

Pros: Talented cast delivers Larson's lyrics with spunk, precision, and vitality

Cons: You might not like these voices as much as ones on stage at the moment

The Bottom Line: Reading these lyrics and hearing these songs will improve anyone's experience with Larson's RENT if they get their hands on this double-cd before the show.

Review: The first time I saw RENT, I had no idea what to expect. I was on a class trip to NYC, and had purchased a ticket to the show because of all the hype I'd heard surrounding its release and its creator's subsequent death. Before the performance, I quickly...

Pros: very eclectic, great beats, catchy lyrics

Cons: may not be what everyone is expecting

Review: Most people are going to go on and on about RENT as the musical, what the plot is about, and things like that... But I wrote a review on the musical. This is about the Original Cast Recording - a fine CD to add to your collection, and a lot of fun to...

Pros: Great Musical Score + Storyline. A Must Have.

Cons: Deals with real life issues that aren't always happily ever after.

The Bottom Line: There is sure to be some song you will love and a character you can relate to - I love it - Buy it!

Review: The Broadway US Tour was coming to my city and I was going to go see it but didn't know what to expect - so I bought this CD listened to it and read about it a little online on their main website. (Which I think that helped - because once you get there ...

Pros: Wonderful music; Gritty, real feeling the characters

Cons: Some flimsy lyrics; Trained vocalists may be annoyed by untrained voices (a.k.a. people who are definitely not experienced singers.)

Review: RENT is an absolutely wonderful show, which I had the privilege to see when it came to my area, playing at the Civic Theater in San Diego. While it is far from perfect, and someone obviously capitalized on the death of the creator, Jonathan Larson, to...

Pros: Master work full of emotion and power

Cons: No video to go along with it!

Review: Rent is the most raw modern musical I have ever heard. There are things in this album that will make you cry and laugh, sometimes at the same time! There are other parts that will make your skin crawl. This is a musical based on the lives of poor...