Contact

Ok, I'm going to preface this by saying I consider myself to be a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE Rent fan. Just making sure you all know that :P.

However, I saw (and became OBSESSED with) the Chris Columbus movie adaptation first, and THEN saw the stage version, so that may be the reason behind this post.

Can someone explain "Contact" to me? I'm not sure whether to take it literally or as a hallucination/something symbolic. Either way, I was EXTREMELY thrown off-guard by its placement in the show. Going from "Without you" (where Angel is clearly dying) to a VERY sexually-charged song, and then right into Angel's funeral just didn't sit well with me. I love everything else about the play, except that song. I'll admit it may be that I'm a bit on the prudish side, but I do think that the song fits the SHOW because of the lifestyle of the characters and as a realistic depiction of the time, not to mention the connection to the spread of AIDS. I just have NO idea why it's placed where it is in the play, and when I saw it for the first time (I was actually seeing it live in NY, not watching the DVD version), I swear I must have had a "Wtf??" look on my face (because I really wasn't expecting it at all).

So, I'm pretty sure I must be missing something. I mean, when Angel starts singing "Take me, take me..." I assume it has something to do with him dying. But that's all I can connect with...

~Joan of Arcadia Fan FOREVER~