In the Heights recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary in January. I can't believe it's been a decade since its Broadway debut; I vividly remember sitting in the balcony of the Richard Rodgers Theater watching, in delighted amazement, this ground-breaking new work of musical theatre. Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, it easily can be argued, is the father of modern musical theatre, whose vision and work are inspiring and shaping the next generation of theatre performers, book-writers, lyricists, and musicians. Throughout the rehearsal process, I have been impressed by the enthusiasm and energy of each company member. Their passion for Heights is electric, and this has made this production a pleasure to helm.
I could go into a long discussion about all of the exciting elements that Miranda incorporates into his pieces, but for this note I’d like to focus on one particular aspect of his work. Perhaps this is best conveyed by an actor who played the role of Usnavi in a recent production of Heights at a regional theater: "It was one of the first times I ever saw myself up on the stage where I really identified and felt like, 'Oh my God, this is a story about me, who I really am.'" He is not the only actor to point this out. If you were to view PBS's In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams, every performer of the original Broadway company conveys their excitement for being able to portray a character and a story that is written for them, for their community, for immigrants. In the Heights and Hamilton, to their credit, have helped to move the conversation of representation to the forefront, and the country now seems to be on the right track in achieving this goal if recent trends continue.
It is a credit to Miranda's work that In the Heights maintains its relevance today. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly magazine, Miranda reflects, "Well, Sonny's rap in [the song] '$96,000' has only grown more prophetic. It's literally, 'politicians be hatin' / racism in this nation's gone from latent to blatant,' and everything he said has only gotten worse. It's crazy. But it’s all the more reason to celebrate immigration being one of the best stories we tell as a country, the fact that you can come here from somewhere else and if you work hard, you can make a better life here. And In the Heights is many different permutations of that story."
In the Heights, at its most fundamental, is the quintessential American story. I think this is why it has connected on the level that it has with the students of the company. Heights is a story of youthful hopes and dreams, of love and loss, of family and friendship. These are stories with which we all can identify, no matter our age, ethnicity, race, religion, or orientation. The stories shared in Heights, though, offer us a unique opportunity: to see life in a neighborhood that is not our own yet very well could be. By allowing us to watch people of different backgrounds experience the hopes, dreams, and woes of quotidian life, Miranda humanizes this community and provides his audience the opportunity to empathize.
Looking back at this theatrical season, I am proud that the students and I had the opportunity to explore and present the stories of the diverse communities of The Laramie Project and In the Heights. With all of the recent rhetoric, it is imperative to remember that we live in a nation founded on the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. All of us are here because, somewhere in our lineage, our ancestors came here of their own volition or by force. No matter how these stories began, each are moving toward the same ending: the dream of a better life. In the lobby are the stories of the company members' families' origins, traditions, and experiences in the United States. No matter our backgrounds, we can all identify and connect with the fact that together we form a nation of immigrants who all are looking to the promise of the American dream. Despite our individuality and our own unique stories, we and our stories are, at heart, more similar than different.
---Edward Grosskreuz, Jr.
