Rent: Live viewers were not only disappointed by the not-live aspect of the show, but also by the singing of RuPaul’s Drag Race star Valentina.
HOT TAKE: Valentina should stick to lip syncing… #RentLive
— Tim Schraeder (@TimSchraeder) January 28, 2019
The drag queen played Angel Dumott Schunard, and had her first big solo number with “Today 4 U.” The performance was widely criticized on Twitter, although many were still happy to see Valentina take part in the show.
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Please join me in prayer for: 1. valentina’s singing 2. butchered lyrics 3. mediocre acting at best. Forgive us broadway #RentLive
— Ari (@AriSanders25) January 28, 2019
Valentina is visually killing it as Angel . The acting is great as well , the vocals ….ehhhh. But it’s cool this is her first broadway . #RentLive
— FemaleEntertainmentSource (@femalerapsource) January 28, 2019
Valentina was not the only performer to get bad reviews for their singing.
At the casting call did they post for only actors who can’t stay on pitch and who have to do a different hand gesture for every syllable change in a word 🤚 🤚 🤚 #RentLastNight #RENTLive #rentonfox
— Andrew (YOUTUBER) (@CandrewAndrew) January 28, 2019
Most of Rent: Live was not actually live, since star Brennin Hunt was injured during Saturday’s dress rehearsal. Fox decided to air the dress rehearsal instead, with only the last act performed live.
Her last note tho #RENT pic.twitter.com/8zF33UcsVC
— The Teapot Podcast (@TeapotPodcast) January 28, 2019
Before the show’s first commercial break, the cast said the producers re-worked the finale so Hunt could still participate, along with members of the original Broadway cast.
Valentina shot to fame as a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 and RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars Season 4. She also had a cameo in an episode of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 24. In December, she released her first single, “A Prieba de Todo.”
“Everything is definitely intense, and eventful,” Valentina told Interview Magazine of her busy schedule. “Every single day, I wake up with a busy schedule, but I’m very lucky and blessed to know that this is a dream come true. I’m glad that my problems include being stressed out about my exciting work that I get to do every day.”
The rest of the cast for Rent: Live includes Jordan Fisher as Mark Cohen, Hunt as Roger Davis, Tinashe as Mimi Marquez, Brandon Victor Dixon as Tom Collins, Vanessa Hudgens as Maureen Johnson, Kiersey Clemons as Joanne Jefferson and Mario as Benjamin Coffin III.
Rent was written by the late Jonathan Larson, whose family gave the producers their blessing to make the live show.
“The experience of putting together this beautiful new production of my brother’s work, while emotional, has been truly joyous for all of us,” Larson’s sister, Julie Larson, said in a statement. “This new cast has embodied the spirit of the show from day one and they embraced Brennin with positive and uplifting love in his moment of need. Rent has always been about resilience and community. I speak from my heart when I say that we have a spectacular show for you tonight. We can’t wait for a new generation to experience Jonathan’s legacy.”
Photo credit: FOX
