About eight years ago, Andy Señor Jr. produced and directed the restaging of the Broadway musical hit Rent in Havana, Cuba. He captured his effort in the documentary film Revolution Rent debuting on HBO on June 15.
“When we began working on the production of Rent in Cuba and documenting the journey along the way, I had no idea how the story would unfold and that our documentary would end up on HBO,” says Señor Jr.
Produced by Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, the documentary is executive produced by actor Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother). “Andy and I started our Rent journey together many years ago and I was proud to see him take his talents to Cuba,” says Harris. He adds the film is a continuation of their journey and a “tribute to the power of theater and its ability to transform lives.”
The doc follows Señor Jr. to the island nation, where he is tasked with directing a stage production of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent, which was making history. It was the communist country’s first Broadway musical produced by an American company in more than 50 years. The son of Cuban immigrant exiles, Señor Jr. embarks on a personal journey in the land of his parents.
RENT‘S ‘ANGEL’
Rent the musical figures prominently in the career of the Miami-born stage actor-turned-filmmaker. Upon graduating from Florida International University with a degree in theater in 1997, Señor Jr. made his professional acting debut in the acclaimed musical in the role of “Angel” on Broadway. He also joined the musical’s London’s West End production as well as U.S. national and international tours, according to his biography on the website of Nederlander. After about eight years as “Angel,” the actor became the producer of Rent’s Off-Broadway revival for one year before assuming the position of restaging director for the musical in Japan, South Korea and Cuba.
Along the way he also got involved in other theatre productions, including On Your Feet! the Broadway musical based on the music from the multiple Grammy Award-winning couple Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Señor Jr. pursued film, too. He acted in minor roles in movies like You Can’t Stop the Beat and provided additional voices for HBO’s family version of Spy Kids.
DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Revolution Rent marks Señor Jr.’s film directorial debut. “I am beyond thrilled to share this deeply personal and magical moment in our lives and I’m grateful that Jonathan Larson’s words and music are still making such an impact, 25 years later,” says the filmmaker referring to the writer and composer of the rock musical. Loosely based on Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 opera La Bohème, Larson’s Rent tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling in Lower Manhattan’s East Village at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“Traveling to Cuba to make this film was incredibly challenging yet rewarding in ways I never imagined,” says Victor Patrick Alvarez (The Bigger Picture), who also co-directs and co-produces. “Revolution Rent is about creativity in the face of adversity and the healing powers of human connection.”
Also producing the documentary are Scott Fenn and Christine O’Malley. Other executive producers include Brooke Christian, Robert Nederlander Jr., Marvin Kaplan, Jacob Parker, Stanley Browne, Zoe Chapin, Shea Martin, Karim Amer and Mark Berger.
The film’s June 15 debut will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Rent’s premiere on Broadway. The film will also be available for streaming on HBO Max.
The film traveled the festival circuit, screening at DOC NYC, Key West Film Festival and Miami International Film Festival.
Featured Photo: ‘Revolution Rent.’ Credit: HBO
