According to Lincoln Center's new LCT3 project at its slogan, it takes "New Audiences for New Artists." It also takes new critics, hence the establishment of Theater Talk's New Theater Corps in 2005, a way for up-and-coming theater writers and eager new theatergoers to get exposure to the ever-growing theater scene in New York City. Writers for the New Theater Corps are given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the off-off and off-Broadway theater scene, learning and giving back high-quality reviews at the same time. Driven by a passion and love of the arts, the New Theater Corps aims to identify, support, and grow the arts community, one show and one person at a time.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Rent Film, By Matt Windman

As a fan of musicals, I adore the new “Rent” film. But as a critic, I confess that it wavers between being brilliant and flawed, clean and awkward, relevant and irrelevant. Attempts to turn songs like “One Song Glory” and “What You Own” into music videos are misbegotten, but “Take Me or Leave Me,” “Out Tonight,” and “Santa Fe” stand out as creatively conceived. Chris Columbus’ realism adds and detracts from the original stage production; but in the end, the film comes across as loud, proud, shameless, sentimental, thrilling art so electrified that it threatens to smash through the movie screen. Not in 525,600 years will you find a film so passionate.

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