‘Revolution Rent,’ The Broadway Classic Goes to Cuba

HAVANA, June 7th  Rent is almost like a rallying cry for those of us who came out of the closet at the beginning of the new millennium.

There isn’t a time I sing ‘Seasons of Love’ without getting goosebumps convinced that everything will be okay.

However, being a Latina and Queer teenager at the time felt far removed from the story of the Broadway classic.

Now, the musical’s former original cast member, Andy Señor Jr., brings the musical much closer to home.

Twenty-five years after the original production of Rent, HBO has released the trailer for the upcoming documentary, ‘Revolution Rent,’ which will premiere June 15, Rolling Stone reported.

Produced by Neil Patrick Harris, the documentary will be available streaming on HBO Max.

In the new trailer, co-director Andy Señor Jr, who played Angel in the original cast, recounts his journey to mount the musical in Cuba, the first U.S. commercial production to play in Havana, Cuba, in more than 50 years.

Andy Señor Jr. confronts his family’s identity reticence and embarks on a journey of self-discovery when he visits the country of his exiled parents for the first time.

“If I can just affect a small group of people,” he tells his skeptical family in the trailer, “that’s my part. That’s enough.”

Rent first premiered in 1996 at Off-Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop, and its creator, Jonathan Larson, died tragically and unexpectedly the morning of its first performance, Playbill reported. His show would go on to become an international hit, including a 12-year Broadway run. (www.belatina.com)