“Rent: Live” has been long awaited in the entertainment industry. With the announcement of the show in late 2018, the anticipation was rising amongst fans nationwide. 3.5 million Americans tuned in Sunday night to see the smash Broadway sensation.

I had never seen it before, but I knew the plot and was expected to be blown away—sadly, I wasn’t. I thought the cast had a lot of potential, but they needed more work on their character and acting. The voices were fitting for the characters but anyone who knows singing could definitely tell that the actors needed some rest.

Despite the problems overall, I enjoyed it. Much like other live musicals such as “Grease” and “A Christmas Story,” there were several ups and downs, but the downs did not overshadow all of the ups.

“I thought the choreography, costumes, and set did a great job showcasing the outstanding talent in the cast. Tinashe and Jordan Fisher definitely stood out and brought new life into their characters,” junior Delaney Wehde said.

Senior Gavin Young had strong opinions too.  

“I thought it was very well done. I loved the set. I was not disappointed with the performance of most of the cast, especially Vanessa Hudgens performance as Maureen. Anyone who watched it and truly loved the show had the heartstrings pulled when some of the original cast, movie cast, and other characters from the cast of “Rent” came back at the end to sing the finale with the live cast. All in all I loved the show. There were of course a few ups and a few downs, but overall I liked how they performed the show,” Young said.

That opinion seems to be the general consensus. No show is perfect. Though the hardcore “Rent” fans were somewhat outraged, those who watched it simply because they love theatre were not disappointed.