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Overview
Synopsis
Over the course of the Tony award-winning musical, In the Heights, we encounter the many colorful residents of Washington Heights -- a New York City neighborhood on the brink of change. Usnavi, a first generation Dominican-American corner bodega owner, and his friends and family are dealing with the pressures of rising rents and closing neighborhood businesses. As one family struggles to figure out how to pay for an Ivy League tuition for their brilliant and hard-working daughter, a young woman is trying to put a down payment on a new apartment, and Usnavi himself is trying to get back to the Dominican Republic to reconnect with his roots after the death of his parents. In Washington Heights, community is everything, and we see how each of these individuals struggles to survive and how these same individuals come together as a community to mourn their losses and rejoice in their triumphs. Over the course of the show, we see the hard-working residents of Washington Heights grapple with love and lust, identity and racism, all while the prospect of a winning lottery ticket hangs in the air, potentially changing the livelihoods of the people and the community forever. This revolutionary new musical combines Latin rhythms and dance with hip-hop lyrics to tell a captivating story about what it means to chase your dreams as you cling to your roots, and to celebrate the community from which you grew.
Show Information
- Book
- Quiara Alegria Hudes
- Music
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Lyrics
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2007
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- washington heights, manhattan, ny, present day
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Heavy
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Late Teen, Early Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
In 1999, during playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sophomore year of college, he wrote the vibrant, innovative musical In the Heights. After a strong reception at Wesleyan University, Miranda teamed up with four seniors at his university -- John Buffalo Mailer, Neil Stewart, Anthony Veneziale, and Thomas Kail -- to create the Tony award-winning version that premiered on Broadway in 2008.
In the Heights enjoyed a very positive reception when it opened on Broadway, most notably from critic
to read the context for In the Heights and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
In the Heights begins with our protagonist, Usnavi, chasing Graffiti Pete, a graffiti artist, away from his bodega at the crack of dawn. It is one of the hottest days of the summer, and bodega owner Usnavi shows up to the store, only to discover his refrigerator is broken. Usnavi desperately tries to find a plan to save the milk from spoiling, even as customers pour into the bodega, eager for their morning coffee (“In the Heights”). Abuela, the neighborhood grandmother, comes
to read the plot for In the Heights and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone |
Songs
Act One
- In the Heights — Usnavi and Company
- Breathe— Nina and Company
- Benny's Dispatch — Benny and Nina
- It Won't Be Long Now — Vanessa, Usnavi, and Sonny
- Inútil (Useless) — Kevin
- No Me Diga (You Don't Say)— Daniela, Carla, Vanessa, and Nina
- 96,000 — Usnavi, Benny, Sonny, Graffiti Pete, Vanessa, Daniela, Carla, and Company
- Paciencia y Fé (Patience and Faith) — Abuela Claudia and Company
- When You're Home — Nina, Benny, and Company
- Piragua — Piragua Guy
- The Club — Usnavi, Vanessa, Nina, Benny, and Company
- Blackout — Usnavi, Vanessa, Benny, Nina, Kevin, Sonny, Graffiti Pete, Abuela Claudia, Carla, and Company
Act Two
- Sunrise — Nina, Benny, and Company
- Hundreds of Stories — Abuela Claudia and Usnavi
- Enough — Camila
- Carnaval del Barrio (Neighborhood Carnival) — Daniela, Carla, Vanessa, Usnavi, Sonny, Piragua Guy, and Company
- Atención (Attention)— Kevin
- Alabanza (Praise) — Usnavi, Nina, and Company
- Everything I Know — Nina
- No Me Diga (Reprise) — Carla, Nina, Vanessa, and Daniela
- Piragua (Reprise) — Piragua Guy
- Champagne — Vanessa and Usnavi
- When the Sun Goes Down — Nina and Benny
- Finale — Usnavi and Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A unit of action within a monologue, scene, or written work.
A genre of music that uses stylized rhythms and quick lyrics. Hip-hop is a larger cultural expression that first developed in the 1970s among African-American, Latinx, and Caribbean American communities, especially in New York City. Hip-hop includes DJ, turntable scratching, beatboxing, and music sampling.
The language of Ancient Rome and its empire.
A term that encompasses identities and ethnicities from Latin-American ancestry, and includes Latino, Hispanic, and Chicano.
The central character engaged in the conflict.
An award for an achievement in American journalism, literature, or music
Quick lyric delivery in hip-hop music, often accompanied by a beat or musical track. Rap is stylized through its flow and delivery.
Rhythm is the pace and emphasis used when speaking - the pacing of a scene or pattern and arrangement of sound.
A production designed especially to show off the talents of a particular performer.
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