Sebastian Treviño News

Revivals can be a tricky subject. People fall in love with the details that make up a show without realizing it. I mean, how can Elphaba's grandiose Defying Gravity first act ending ever be done differently? What about Phantom's epic chandelier drop, how can that be altered? Yes, we tend to cherish certain elements from a show and at times even consider them to be irreplaceable. I, like some of you, am one of those theatre fans. So yeah, I'll admit, I was a bit worried when I found out Mexico's Rent Revival was going to have a completely new take on this modern musical classic. 

Mexican musical theatre, unlike the US', hasn't been around all that long. It's not just another theatre genre for you guys; it has actually helped shape and influence your pop culture! I mean, you guys blasted Age of Aquarius on your 1969 Ford Mustang radios when it was peaking five consecutive weeks on the US billboard charts even if you weren't a musical junkie. Fred Astaire was one of your biggest movie stars and heartthrobs. A leading man tap dancer on all the biggest tabloid magazines? That would've been unthinkable in machista Mexico. Fortunately though, American pop culture is so powerful, that it permeates the rest of the World's. So yeah, we've had a glimpse of all that musical theatre flare in our lives in someway or another, but since it's still a pretty undeveloped industry (compared to yours) in the southern neighboring country, it's not surprising my mom's reaction to me getting the male swing part in Rent Mx 2016 went something like this: 'Oh my god Sebastian, that's amazing! I'm so proud.' (Long pause) 'Swing. That's an interesting name for a character'… FML. 

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Washington, DC, Chicago, Orlando and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include THE SECRET GARDEN in DC, THE FUNDAMENTALS in Chicago, and PYGMALION in Orlando, just to name a few.

Mexico, similar to the rest of Latin America, is quite a catholic and conservative country. As to be expected, when RENT came along for the first time to the Aztec lands in 2001, it was considered excessively racy and immoral. An exotic dancer as the leading lady? Unfathomable! I mean, sure, Julia Roberts' stole our hearts in a similar role in Pretty Woman, but then again, she wasn't a crack addict or dying of AIDS. So yeah, you can imagine how this wasn't exactly Mexico's cup of … tequila.