The numbers 'Tune Up #1' and 'Tune Up #2' are the opening sections and set the settings and context of the show. The accompaniment is the tune of my character of Roger tuning up his Fender guitar that he hasn't played in a year, and the numbers are presented as a sort of narration by the character of Mark where he puts the characters, setting and lifestyle in context. From the number, we find out a close friendship between apartment room mates Roger, Mark and Collins, who used to live with Benny and Maureen; until Benny got married and became the landlord, and Maureen turned a lesbian. They struggle to pay the rent every year which Benny would normally let slide but it has got to a point where Mark and Roger need to pay up. All their electrical appliances are plugged into one thick extension cord, meaning the power often blows, leaving them freezing with no heat, and no electricity to do anything at all - so they are forced to live like survivors, burning posters - advertising Roger's rock gigs - and screenplays to create fire for a source of heating.
As these introduction numbers are the audience's way into the context of the story it was important that its told clearly but still has that opening-a-show factor to them. The numbers involve the art of speak singing, where some lines are sung and some vocally spoken in time with the rhythm. This technique was very favoured throughout the cast in the sense that singing isn't a common strength within the cast - some being singers and some not - and for a show that is a libretto (sung the whole way through), this was very much liked.
The way we have set these two intro numbers to have a table near enough centre stage to represent Roger and Mark's apartment and around this table, industrial looking objects (e.g. step ladders, lights, bins etc.) to contribute to this impoverished setting. We discussed the idea for the character of Collins to be on a platform on his own, perhaps amongst the audience, at the purpose of drawing them in and making them feel more involved. Having decided to us the stage and an steel decking, there is that slight separation between the action and characters on stage, and our audience, so we are constantly workshopping different ways to bind the audience, and the story and characters, together - forming emotional attachment, and full engagement and involvement.
The big opening number of 'Rent' follows after these two introduction numbers. Within this number, the whole cast is involved creating and presenting the lifestyle these bohemian-type characters live and it really gets catches and sustains the audiences attention and enjoyment. I had the idea of inducing a somewhat chaotic flair to this number where, all though movements and actions were set or choreographed, it needed to look rather messy, untidy and a bit mad. My reasons for this were that considering the sort of rock-style and daring edge to the show, the choreography and blocking needed to match that live up to our, as a cast, understanding of Rent. We want to go for that sort of gritty feel about it. Within the number, there is a slight section of what some might call 'dance' but I would refer to it as more movement that adds to our aim and content, which I personally put together with the inspiration of a clip from the Broadway musical of Green Day's American Idiot - which actually has a very similar feel and theme as Rent.
We also had the wacky idea of taking advantage of the camera that Mark has on his person throughout the show in the hope to make a film about the life and friends around him - hopefully putting him back on top - and live streaming on stage the footage that he films (e.g. Roger's guitar solo in the instrumental of the song etc.).
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