☞ READ: Harlem as the New Alphabet City

Imagine a musical set in a changing New York neighborhood with a gritty past but now has a cast of diverse, struggling young adults integrating into storied neighborhood and trying not to get evicted. Sound like Alphabet City in the 1990s but a new independent movie called Welcome to Harlem takes on West 151st Street between Amsterdam and Broadway in the same manner as the musical Rent took on Alphabet City.

The Daily News reports on West Harlem resident Mark Blackman's new musical comedy which will premier at the Apollo theater this Saturday at 8:00 PM and on how much of the fictional film was inspired by folks living on the block.  Mr. Blackman also made use of the many of the actors and production crew who happen to live on his block and casted many of neighborhood's residents as extras.  Read more in the Daily News: LINK.  For a preview of the film and more information, check out: www.WelcomeToHarlemTheMovie.com