
It started as a controversial project between estranged countries.

But after President Obama's announcement last week, everything changed.

On Wednesday, the curtains went up on Cuba's first Broadway musical since 1959, and the actors were celebrating much more than the show's debut.

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Reaching out: On Wednesday, the curtains went up on RENT, Cuba's first Broadway musical since 1959, and the actors were celebrating much more than the show's debut

Anticipation: After applying to put on the Spanish-language version of RENT, it took producers a year to get a response from Cuba

Wild times: The debut of RENT in Havana came just after the surprise announcement by President Obama to normalize relations with the small Caribbean nation

In front of an invitation-only crowd of dignitaries and theater aficionados, a cast of 15 put up the Spanish translation of the hit 90s musical RENT that they had been practicing for the past month.

'We rocked the roof off the theater,' the musical's Cuban-American director Andy Señor Jr told the Miami Herald.

It was a production years in the making, with revered producer Bob Nederlander Jr at the helm and Mr Señor Jr, an original cast member, directing.

Even after applying to stage the show last fall, it took a year to get a response, Mr Nederlander Jr told DailyMail.com.

'That year was tense,' he said. 'We did have to wait a while and there were times I wasn't sure what would happen. I had this false sense of optimism but they could have said anything.'

During the wait, they never imagined the scenes of Wednesday December 17, when the US and Cuba agreed to normalize relations.

'It was a brilliant moment on Wednesday, the announcement was a real, real surprise.

Open wounds: The themes explored in RENT about sexuality, poverty, the struggle with AIDS and addictions were still raw in the country

Success: RENT, a modern adaptation of Puccini's La Boheme, replaces 1800s Paris with 1990s New York City, and tuberculosis with AIDS.The original production enjoyed a seven-year run.

'All of the cast and crew were huddled around the television watching their president's speech.

'They are all incredibly happy, incredibly excited.

'The timing really is astounding. We have a front-row seat to see this history unfold. It is incredible.'

RENT, a modern adaptation of Puccini's La Boheme, replaces 1800s Paris with 1990s New York City, and tuberculosis with AIDS.

The original production enjoyed a seven-year run.

Excitement: The producers spoke about the emotion of putting this show on for young Cubans, as the themes and music, they hoped, would connect with the current generation

Dealing: The musical deals heavily with the issue of HIV and AIDS, while the island nation's healthcare system developed to fight the disease has been lauded internationally

Audiences across the US and Europe embraced the struggling film maker, the nightclub dancer, the drag queen; the bisexuality, the drugs, the fight against AIDS.

Despite the cultural references - which may fly over the heads of 95 per cent of Cubans who don't have internet - Nederlander insists this is the perfect musical to break the ice.

And the directors of Havana's Bertolt Brecht Theater, chosen for its intimate setting, had no objections.

'It is perfect. We wanted to excite a younger audience, and RENT has everything. The music contemporary, and the themes of friendship, love, loss, hate... They're things we can all connect with; things everyone in Havana will connect with.'

In fact, many of the show's issues are still open wounds for the Caribbean nation.

Cuba did not legalize homosexuality until 1979. However, the nation's battle with AIDS has been as devastating and testing as New York's.

And though critics question the Castro brothers' motives, their healthcare system developed to fight the disease has been lauded internationally.

The original run on Broadway accrued a following of fans dubbed 'RENTheads' - New Yorkers similar to the embattled characters, who would queue for hours to get their hands on specially discounted tickets.

Those tickets would be reserved for the front two rows of the stalls, and cast members frequently gushed about the atmosphere in those rows,

In Havana, all tickets throughout the three-month run will be sold for the equivalent of 50 cents.

And in a meta-theatrical twist, the show opens on Christmas Eve with the characters praying they will make it through Christmas.

Señor Jr, who played the AIDS-infected transvestite Angel in the original, gave a hint of that atmosphere from the rehearsal room.