As previously reported, the evening will reunite In the Heights creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda (Usnavi) with fellow original Broadway cast members Karen Olivo (Vanessa), Chris Jackson (Benny), Olga Merediz (Abuela Claudia), Mandy Gonzalez (Nina), Robin de Jesús (Sonny) and Janet Dacal (Carla).
Also announced are Burns (Daniela), Roman (Piragua Guy), Stewart (Graffiti Pete), Muñoz, who portrayed Usnavi when Manuel departed the Broadway cast, as well as Rick Negron and Natalie Toro. Negron and Toro starred as Kevin and Camila respectively, on Broadway and in the first national tour.
Also set to appear are original Broadway ensemble members Doreen Montalvo, Tony Chiroldes, Nina LaFarga, Rosie Lani Friedelman, Afra Hines, Luis Salgado, Shawn Taylor-Corbett, Rickey Tripp, Michael Balderama, Blanca Camacho, Rogelio Douglas, Jr. and Stephanie Klemons.
Viva Broadway, an initiative of the Broadway League that aims to promote Broadway theatre within the Latino community, presents the 8 PM concert. Conceived by Miranda, with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegria Hudes, In the Heights was directed by Thomas Kail (Lombardi), with choreography by Tony winner Andy Blankenbuehler.
"In the Heights has always been a celebration of the community in Washington Heights. It has been my dream to bring that celebration back to the neighborhood," Miranda said in a statement. "I'm thrilled to bring In the Heights: In Concert to United Palace of Cultural Arts, an incredible venue in the heart of Upper Manhattan. I'm also looking forward to sharing the stage with my In the Heights family again. It's going to be an amazing night." After a six-month, award-winning Off-Broadway run in 2007, In the Heights began previews on Broadway Feb. 14, 2008. The musical opened on Broadway March 9, 2008, and recouped its $10 million investment in ten months. It concluded its Broadway run Jan. 9, 2011, after 1,185 performances.
In the Heights earned Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Original Score, as well as Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations (Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman).
The concert is produced by Miranda, along with Stephen Gabriel and Luis A. Miranda, Jr.
In the Heights, according to the creators, " tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind."
For tickets visit Telecharge.com.
