I saw this show last week and agree with you. Nobody convinced me in this show - the chemistry was certainly missing. Roger was a bit too beefy to be dying of aids although he could sing relatively well he didn't convince me with his acting let alone his love affair with Mimi. I liked Collins and Mimi, but Maureen behaved like a 'brat' rather than a sultry flirt - vocally too she was all over the place singing out of key and couldn't reach the high notes - she was strikingly beautiful but voice needed more attention as did the direction of Over the Moon. Angel was 'cute' but couldn't dance to save his life, but he and Collins shared the best bond I would say. Nobody really stood out apart from Joanne, Collins and Mimi. The ensemble were very entertaining I think they overshadowed many of the leads. Terrific in bits but I think there needed to be more direction in many songs as most leads were just standing there singing without doing anything. Benny just faded away with the rest of them. Mark did a reasonable job. I would give it a six out of ten, as I saw the Melbourne one recently and that was definitely a top show. Musically it sounded a bit empty too and didn't have that grunge factor, but the musicians did what they could do with the restrictions they had to work with. I didn't dislike it but I didn't walk away thinking 'hey this is the cream of Adelaide talent' as the director stated in his program, it was a good mix but definitely not the best Adelaide has to offer. But go see for yourself, others have loved it, others have hated it. It's just one of those musicals you love or hate and need to judge for yourself.

I would encourage everyone to write a review of shows that they have seen: you don't have to be "involved" in theatre to have a valid opinion. Indeed, someone who isn't immersed in the ways of theatre can often write a more objective critique than those who think they've seen it all before.

I don't like the fact that some critics choose to be anonymous (such as both "art lover" and "Theatre boy") but I care even less for responses that are little more than personal attacks.

I went to see "Rent" with a Renthead friend, expecting to have a "meh" experience as rock and roll musicals aren't really my thing. I actually quite enjoyed it and thought that, on the whole, the odd technical glitch, sound problem and half of one song being fluffed didn't come close to ruining the experience.

However... I hesitate to call this a criticism, as it's probably something over which the production team had little control, but for a show like "Rent" where the ethnic diversity of the company is pretty much a USP, said cast was surprisingly, jarringly, white. I didn't buy a program with close-up photos so I will cheerfully stand corrected, but I saw one Asian girl in the ensemble, and one principal was played by an Indian actor.

As I say, this kind of isn't criticism at all, more of an observation. I don't know how many ethnic actors auditioned and I certainly wouldn't have wished the actor playing Mimi, for example, to have lost out to another actor who couldn't sing or dance to save her life but happened to have the right skin colour. (Mimi is meant to be Latina, right? I got that impression from the name and I think there was a line somewhere, but again I will stand corrected.)

It's just that you don't (meaning I don't, as a theatre-goer) see a lot of overtly non-white/non-Western-looking faces out there in amateur theatre and I wonder sometimes whether it's just because they're not around or because there aren't as many opportunities available. Obviously there are shows that require actors of specific ethnicity like 'The King & I' or, to use a recent example 'Driving Miss Daisy' but they don't seem to come along often, and would many directors be willing to cast a non-Western actor in a "white" part - ie a part where no other ethnicity is specified?

I mightn't know what I'm talking about seeing that I don't make/act in shows, I just go to them, but when something like "Rent" comes along where the cast are meant to be as diverse as possible, it seems a shame that the opportunity isn't taken.

PS I personally thought that the staging of "Over the Moon" was a perfect tribute to (ie send-up of) everything that is terrible about terrible performance art.

I haven't seen Rent and won't the show doesn't appeal to me. I am however a director and a producer in Adelaide and I agree that our casts often appear to be very "white". Some of this is because we see very few people auditioning who are anything other than white. I have no problem casting contemporary plays set in multi cultural societies like our own with multi ethnic casts. I work regularly with an actor of Indian background and recently worked with a Asian actress. I would be very happy to hear from actors of any ethnicity who are interested in working in new plays in Adelaide.

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au