DIRECTOR'S NOTE
I became an "In The Heights" groupie in 2007 and I have been following it since it opened off-Broadway, to Broadway and now to our very own stage. A musical that celebrates the power of community, diversity, language, the immigrant experience and struggles and rejoicing in the beauty of our Latino culture. These were the same words I used to describe this masterpiece on our first day of rehearsal. It has been an honor to work with such disciplined and talented actors and it was certainly a pleasure to learn from each and every contributor as they have woven their magic around a skeleton of ideas to produce engaging characters, expressive choreography, seamless interactions and bring to life such beatuiful compositions. You see what Lin-Manuel Miranda created was so much more than a musical, he created a world of "YES" to a young man recently immigrated from Dominican Republic, to a kid who dreamed of dancing on Broadway but worried his accent would be a problem, to the young lady who worried if it was ok to have her beautiful natural afro while performing and to those who left their families back home, this cast became their family.
I thank you, my "In The Heights" cast, crew, orchestra for honoring me with your love, friendship, work and most of all your trust. It has been an honor and a privilege to be your Director.
Sincerely,
Zulaika Velazquez
