Sunday Funday: UTEP Dinner Theatre’s Rent
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Dinner and a show is waiting for you at the UTEP Dinner Theatre as it prepares for its upcoming production of “Rent,” bringing a story of love, dreams and resilience to the stage.
Set in New York City during the HIV/AIDS crisis, the musical follows a group of struggling artists who refuse to let life define their limits.
Despite the challenges they face, they keep pursuing the future they want.
"It's tiring....I work during the day...I go to work, and then i come home for two hours and I come here...I don't really have a lot of me time," Daniel Rivera told ABC-7's Olivia Vara during the interview.
He plays the character of Tom Collins in UTEP Dinner Theatre's Production of 'Rent.' Daniel says his passion for acting and musicals was inspired by Michael Jackson.
"It was how much people loved him and the amount like he, like, could touch a person just through his music," said Daniel.
Rent follows a struggling group of young artists fighting to survive and create amid the HIV and AIDS crisis. There will be multiple showings of the musical beginning march 27th with tickets starting around $30.
Daniel is proud of their work.
"It's like, wow, this is ours now, you know what i mean? And it's really rewarding to see that. Like, I love spending the time and actually seeing the outcome....It's beautiful."
While he says it's tiring... it's also worth it.
"People are great. And you build connections and that's honestly what you need. That and a little bit of sleep at night," Daniel told ABC-7's Olivia Vara during the interview.
UTEP Dinner Theatre also adds a unique twist on select nights, pairing the show with a dinner-theatre format that keeps the audience fully immersed from start to finish.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or seeing “Rent” for the first time, the show is a reminder of how much work and care goes on behind the scenes to bringing this story to life.
