Stageworks Theatre reflects on AIDS with "Falsettos"

Putting on "Falsettos" felt like destiny for JL Rey and Jonathan Van Dyke.

Flashback: In the '90s, before he came out, Van Dyke would secretly check the soundtrack CD out of the library.

• Around the same time, Rey wept hearing the musical's "What More Can I Say" — a song about a love story doomed by AIDS.

State of musical: Rey wept again last week, directing Van Dyke's performance of the song in rehearsals of Stageworks Theatre's production .

Why it matters: Rey and Van Dyke will never forget living through the AIDS epidemic. But the Tampa production may be the first time some young viewers learn about AIDS.

• Gen Z is the most diverse and most out LGBTQ generation in history — and the least knowledgeable on the epidemic, according to GLAAD .

By the numbers: Of those born between 1997-2012, 24% are either unaware of HIV/AIDS or don't know much about it, according to the LGBTQ advocacy non-profit.

What they're saying: " It's a real gift for us to be able to present this to a community that maybe didn't know about AIDS," Rey told Axios. "We would hope that 'Falsettos' would be something that will touch them, and they'll remember."

Yes, but: "The play isn't about AIDS," he adds. "AIDS happens to these people and we see how much they love each other."

If you go: The show previews Thursday and opens Friday, running through June 23.

• Tickets are $25-45.

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