Rent: Live
Live performance of popular, mature musical hits sour note.
Kids say
Based on 4 reviews
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rent: Live
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Rent: Live is a semi-live performance of the popular Broadway musical, Rent. It stars Jordan Fisher as Mark Cohen, Brennin Hunt as Roger Davis, Tinashe as Mimi Marquez, Brandon Victor Dixon as Tom Collins, Together they bring to television their interpretation of the Tony Award-winning show, which addresses mature modern-day issues of drug abuse, homelessness, and AIDS with humor and pathos, while celebrating life with joy. While some of the words and lyrics were edited for a TV audience, it's still a watch for teens and grown-ups who can discuss the darkness and light that this musical brings.
Community Reviews
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
RENT: LIVE (2019) is a partially live broadcast of the award-winning Broadway musical, Rent. It stars Jordan Fisher as Mark Cohen, Brennin Hunt as Roger Davis, Tinashe as Mimi Marquez, Brandon Victor Dixon as Tom Collins, and RulPaul's Drag Race's Ms. Congeniality winner Valentina as Angel. Rounding out the cast are Vanessa Hudgens as Maureen Johnson, Kiersey Clemons as Joanne Jefferson, and Mario as the landlord, Benny Coffin III. Together they bring to television their interpretation of the popular show, which addresses modern-day issues of drug abuse, homelessness, and AIDS with humor and pathos, while celebrating life with joy.
Is It Any Good?
This disappointing rendition of the popular musical, which is based on the opera La Boheme, fails to fully deliver thanks to pre-broadcast mishaps. A last-minute foot injury sustained by one of the cast members resulted in the airing of a combination of pre-recorded scenes of the dress rehearsal with live performances. As a result, despite the star-studded cast of talented singers, the quality of the singing, and the performers' energy, is uneven throughout. Also distracting is the presence of a studio audience, who sit around and in front of the stage.
The actual stage design is brilliant and detailed, revealing the effort put into the overall event. But it also makes you wonder why no one thought to come up with a better backup plan in case of potential problems. Meanwhile, the changes to some of the lyrics and language to make it more TV-friendly may be upsetting to diehard fans of the original show. Overall, it isn't the best performance, but Rent: Live reminds us that no matter what, the show must go on.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the challenges of adapting a Broadway show to a live performance. What are some of the changes that have to be made? What do you do when things go wrong on live TV?
Why has Rent been so popular over the years? What makes it different from other Broadway shows?
TV Details
- Premiere date: January 27, 2019
- Cast: Jordan Fisher, Vanessa Hudgens, Brandon Victor Dixon
- Network: Fox
- Genre: Music Videos
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: February 27, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
-
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
Masterful performances impress in modernized rock opera.
-
Peter Pan Live!
Some mildly scary stuff, confusion in OK stage show.
-
The Wiz Live!
Brilliant, star-studded performance is great family fare.
For kids who love musicals
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate