Rent on Good Morning America! Take Me or Leave Me

[lianacrebbin]

eden acts like such a good diva, more so than idina. but i still love idina more :)

[52livelife]

u need 2 stop shaking

[theatremagic157]

as much as i love eden i still favor idina<3

[Ambrizzle33]

Idina all the way.

[iLUVAshleyandMiley]

eden and idina are so much alike.

she can really come after idina and still shine.. in this and in wicked she is amazing just different from idina

amazingness =]

[MrBroadwaygeek]

I kept watching videos of these two and i kept saying the two Joannes in the movie and this look exactly alike. I just realized they are...sooo Tracy came as a newcomer to rent on the movie and then went on Broadway?

[o0IcecubeOnFire0o]

Why does Idina always get replaced with Eden? They did it with Wicked and here with RENT. I don't get it.. Idina owns all.. D:

[phantomphan1778]

I love Eden and Tracie..amazing

[redsoxgirl1986]

ya i love idina but eden is a pretty darn good replacement, I have never seen wicked but I think i read that eden also has played idinas role from that too which is funny but I do like tracie thoms the best in that role

[scottlayne]

I saw Eden play Elphaba in Wicked 2 years ago in L.A. & she's amazing. I love Tracie Thoms as well as Joanne & I like Tracie's singing better than the original actress who played Joanne.

[jackskellingtonsora]

Sorry, Idina just wins. That's all. lol

[nathitube]

i think eden is the only one who can fit idina's shoes!

[BByxDipsy]

i love the fact that even ever they preform this either with eden or idina they always get into character.

[kaymlev10]

no one will ever be as good as Idina but there not bad

[CreamboatCreations]

Eden and Idina look the same. I have the "Rent: Filmed LIVE on Broadway" DVD and when Eden made her entrance as Maureen in Christmas Belles, I thought it was Idina and I was shocked to find out it was some one else!

[rocknroll20024]

me too lol

[erinl2]

Actually, many of the actors through the years who have played Maureen have been as good, or better, than Idina.

[miketiek1]

thats an opinion big time.

[LoquaciousPiggy]

I think Idina made the role and sussed it out and everyone that followed after took what she had done but made it their own

We can have preferences of course but all of them are very different because they took the role and did what they wanted for it in their style

[rocknroll20024]

i agee

[bmwte]

I don't think anyone can compare Eden's performance of Elphie and Maureen with Idina's. They perform these parts completely different, so it's up to personal opinion, which one you like best. And to say that Eden is a copycat of Idina, taking all her old parts... Do you know how many actresses played those 2 rolls? It's an unfair exaggeration. Eden and Idina are both great. MY personal opinion, Eden all the way. She makes those 2 specific parts her own, and very brilliantly.

[actrgrl926]

is it me, or does eden espinosa like, follow Idina Menzel around and replace her when she moves on to a new thing?

i mean, this....wicked....hmmmm

i dont really like eden's voice very much though..

[beauticuti]

tracie pushed eden.lol

[CaprixSun]

We're doing the school edition at my high school and we had a showcase 2 weeks ago. Because actual rehersal for the show hadn't started, we only had 4 songs prepared. But, for having only 6 days of rehersal before this, we did really well.

Just search: 'VHHS Rent' and click on Take Me Or Leave Me

PS: I auditioned for Maureen but I got Joanne (which I absolutely love). But because I'm a soprano, they have me doing the high harmonies for this duet because Maureen can't. Go Figure :P

[rogmofreakymar]

eden is a DECENT idina replacement. but she's just that... and idina replacement. idina is the real star.

[tatyrules12]

you're totally missing the point of RENT. it's not about who plays the part and

"so and so is better than what's her face"

it's about getting Jonathan's story to people and getting them to appreciate life.

[cluelessschmoo]

idina menzel and tracie thoms did it slightly differently and i liked their version better...

[lilactress717]

Idina did it better. End of story.

[frenchrose888]

It's all a matter of taste -- and thank God the story didn't end with Idina, I just wish it had gone on for years still... but it's so great that Eden got to be Maureen. And for me, she's *the* Maureen, like Idina is to you, I suppose.

[TheSammeh1]

Idina ALWAYS does it better. lmao. end of story.

[lilactress717]

Lmao! Thanks for that. You're cool. :]

[TheSammeh1]

lolol thanksss, you're cooler tho. =P

[lilactress717]

Idina's coolesttt!

[TheSammeh1]

lmaoo true truuuuee

[sexiibisnitch]

What's with Elphaba's and being Maureen? :P I loved it!

[Tumadre520]

i saw RENT last night and it's so scary how much Eden looked and reminded me of Idina. but it was obvious last night that Eden outshined every person on the stage. she was brillant and i loved her as maureen

[megsta82093]

I agree! She's the best Maureen I've seen live and her and Tracie have great chemistry. She was hilarious during Over the Moon too.

[xbroadwaygrl12]

i kno!! i saw her august 9th in rent (with tracie thoms too) as well as in wicked a couple years ago and she reminded me SOOO much of idina, in both shows!! she COMPLETELY stole the show in rent :D

[laurenlootie123]

SAME HERE! i love her! i just saw the movie of the last RENT broadway show in the theatres and she was freaking amazing

[iheaaartny]

me too! i saw her as maureen in august 2008 and as elphaba in april 2006.

she was great in both!

[sweetypeady]

@Tumadre520 I will agree that she is good, but no one, NO ONE can be better then Idina Menzel!

[JustDANCE9506]

amazing performance! i was so mad when it cut off =[

[megsta82093]

yeah they were great! yeah me too i was like why'd couldn't by battery have lasted just a little bit longer? haha sorry about that.

[wickedfan55]

congrats tracie after auditioning again and again u finally made it! go girl!

[oceanglare]

hello eden espinosa, you are sexy

[gyolie52]

I hate all of you guys for seeing Tracie Thoms and Idina Menzel. I love that movie and they're freakin awsome!!!!I wish I can see them :(

[emoelmo3001]

she sounds like idina

[megsta82093]

yeah she's great! lol.

[msnikki73]

they sound awesome together, but who the hell is playing the drums..lol i think I would have stopped singing and snatched the drumsticks out of his hands

[megsta82093]

lol they do sound awesome together!

[msnikki73]

No one should be as adorable as Tracie, she is so cute and sexy at the same time. Just LOVE her.

[megsta82093]

lol she's awesome.

[bumpadabumpada00]

Out of curiosity... does anyone know if it's a mob scene at the stage door of the show now that Tracie joined the cast? Is there any chance that you'll be able to meet her, or will you just encounter many, many screaming girls? I'm only asking because that was the case when Adam and Anthony were there.

[JoStockton]

It was crazy busy last night when I saw the show, but I still (eventually) got to meet her really quickly and I got a picture with her as well. (And Eden wasn't on, I can only imagine how much worse it could have been at the stage door.)

[alightinthedarkness]

Eden came out right away last night, but came out of the front door instead of the stage door and that was a mob scene in itself. I didn't wait long enough to see Tracie come out though :(

[megsta82093]

i have some questions for the people who met tracie/eden.

1. was it the matinee performance or night one?

2. were there barricades?

3. did you ask them to take a picture?

4. did justin johnston come out?

lol sorry for all of the questions. xD

[alightinthedarkness]

I can only answer for Eden because I had to go and I can only answer 1 and 2:

1. It was the night performance.

2. There wasn't a barricade. Eden came right out the front door (luckily enough I listened to the homeless man that was out front and was standing right there.) You get to stand right there next to the actors.

3. I didn't ask to take a picture but I know Eden posed for me years ago when she first started as the Elphaba lead.

[megsta82093]

alright awesome thanks so much!

[x3kelly]

I met them both. I actually met Tracie the night BEFORE she started her run on Broadway, she was just there to see the show. I met Eden that night too.

1. It was a night performance

2. There were no barricades

3. Yes, I got pictures with both of them

4. I didn't see Justin :( I wish I did

[tashhx3duhhh]

heyy i was there

and does anyone know if

anyone posted anything like they said they would? because i cant find anything

[oltlghfan2008]

I was at this show and it was great! If you go to the Good Morning America website, they should have the whole video thing posted.

[x3kelly]

I met Tracie last week and, seriously, the camera does not do her justice. She is absolutely stunning in person, I was in awe.

[gyolie52]

I believe you and u r extremely lucky to meet her.

[Fenderjag68]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU :)

[megsta82093]

lol no problem! :]

[defyinggravity319]

eden was played elphaba in wicked, my first broadway show! also, i've been a huge fan of tracie's ever since i saw her in the rent movie! i'm glad with the choices that they've made for the final maureen and joanne!

[CassieFan93]

did they post this online yet like they said they would?

[megsta82093]

i tried to find it, but i don't think they posted it yet.

[xxxdani123xxx]

i think edens good but not as good as idina she way better at playing maureen

[megsta82093]

i think both eden and idina are amazing as maureen!

[azarita08]

i think both are great...but idina tends to sing so loud some times...in the cd she is grest but if u r going to see it alive i think edel is amazing...she doesnt get as much recognicion as idina does...but she is just as good as idina is

[xxxdani123xxx]

well i think edens good but for me idina's better

[babyfairywings]

wots eden saying at the beginning??

you are a godsend!!! i love edens tiger!

i think eden and tracie are amazing together!

[megsta82093]

she was saying how rent was the first broadway show she ever saw and she's honored to be a part of it.

haha thanks! me too! xD

yeah they definitely are. they have good chemistry.

[babyfairywings]

it was my first broadway show, and with her in it lol!!!!!

thank you so much again its annoying how good morning AMERICA isnt shown in the UK lol!!

[megsta82093]

lol!!

no problem!! :]

[azarita08]

i have never seen her in wicked....but i saw the videos

is so funny that she gets to play all idina characters...but honestly by the videos i think eden is better than idina on wicked...i mean idina is amazing but eden just give plays elphaba amazing

[megsta82093]

lol i know what a coincidence that she plays idina's characters hahaha!

[azarita08]

i know...i feel bad cause she is like the underdog....and she is as amazing as idina...she should get an amazing rol

[gyolie52]

I downloaded Idina Menzel's song Defying Gravity from Wicked and I love it. I never saw it either though.

[azarita08]

eden espinosa is just amazing....she is the best...i totally love it in wicked and i totally loved it in rent

[megsta82093]

she is awesome! i love her in rent, but i never saw her in wicked. i heard some audio of her singing in it though it was great!!

[blondebaby32681]

Im so happy Tracie is finally getting to live her dream of doing Rent onstage! She is amazing

[megsta82093]

i know!! after all these years! she definitely deserves it.

[wickedelphabafreeek]

It's too bad the sound is not very good! I love Eden and Tracie together, though. i was fortunate enough to see them on Sunday and they were brilliant together!

[megsta82093]

yeah you couldn't really hear that good in the beginning haha. me too! i wanna see them so bad.

[wickedelphabafreeek]

they are SOOOO good together!!!

[christine42491]

yeah the sound for the interviews sucked for the audience there haha.. i think they turned the speakers toward the stage so they could hear them better.. but for the music part the sound was good.

[megsta82093]

haha i know! i was trying to understand what they were saying but i could only hear it a little. and yeah the music was great!! much better than i thought.

[missgalinda88]

Thank you so much for posting this... we Eden fans have been waiting for it all day! :D She and Tracie are so fabulous together. I wonder if that interview segment at the beginning will be up on GMA's website at some point?

[megsta82093]

no problem!! i know!! they're perfect together. yeah they were saying it would be on the website. maybe they'll add it later :]

[megsta82093]

i know!! they did a great job! yeah i tried to look for it on the abcnewsnow thing but i only found what you own and seasons of love.

[DancingQueenx3]

OMFG EDEN <3333333

thanks so much for posting this!!

i can't believe rents leaving :( :(.

[megsta82093]

lol no problem!

i know! it's so sad. it should go on forever :[

[gyolie52]

yes. rent leaving is sad. its a timeless show and it SHOULD go on forever. but it won't be forgotten.

[lisambofoh]

I'm sure they'll revive it someday. I hope, anyway.

[NOLabels]

I don't doubt a revival. I promise you it will happen. Maybe not anytime soon, but it will.

[NoelleP318]

I'm curious. Do you watch South of Nowhere? I only ask because of your youtube name...

[NOLabels]

I don't regularly watch South of Nowhere. I have seen a few episodes from the first season and that's pretty much it, but my YouTube name is not influenced by it. I am sort of puzzled as to how it would be related to the show.

[NoelleP318]

Well, I'd be happy to explain. It so happens that what I refer to was in one of the beginning first season episodes. I may not have the quote correct, but, I recall someone calling Ashley gay or making a comment about her sexuality and then Spencer asking her about it. Ashley replied with, "I'm not into labels.", I believe. So Not into labels to NoLabels. Hope that helps.

[christine42491]

this was so good!! i was there this morning too.. it was really fun to see. does anyone know how to see the version of this song that good morning america taped for the internet? i can't figure out how to get to it.