Footlighters Theater in Berwyn, PA, will present
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics by Tom Jones
Book by N. Richard Nash
Based on Nash’s 1954 play “The Rainmaker” and written by the same team that wrote “The Fantastiks.” It was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical during its original 1964 run and for Best Revival in 2007.
The electrifying rhythms of Washington Heights pulse through Bristol Riverside Theatre (BRT) this spring as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical, a genre-bending blend of hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul, In the Heights, takes the stage March 25 through April 27. BRT’s production is directed by the visionary Carlos Armesto, returning to BRT following his sensory-driven production Odd Man Out in 2023. This season, Armesto brings the beloved hit musical set on the vibrant streets of New York to the stage.
In the Heights celebrates community, and we feel like we are celebrating our own community by inviting everyone over for a fiesta to celebrate the new theatre and the community that made building it possible. – Co-Producing Director Ken Kaissar who serves as the show’s producer.
Set over three transformative days, In the Heights captures the rhythm of a community on the brink of change, where love, loss, and dreams collide under the sweltering summer sun. At the heart of it all is Usnavi de la Vega, played by Daniel L. Melo, the neighborhood’s beloved bodega owner who dreams of a better life while staying grounded by his love for his community.
Usnavi’s bodega is the neighborhood’s heartbeat, where the colorful residents cross paths daily. Vanessa (Sonya Hernández), Usnavi’s love interest, dreams of escaping her troubled home life to make it downtown. Meanwhile, Benny (Wesley Hodges), who works for Kevin Rosario’s (Victor Rodríguez, Jr.) car service, fights for Nina’s (Paula Gaudier) love while navigating his place as an outsider in this close knit community. Suzanna Guzman brings to life the neighborhood’s matriarch, Abuela Claudia, who embodies the community’s heart and history. The stakes rise with the summer heat, culminating in a blackout that threatens to change everything.
Since its Broadway debut at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (2008), following an Off-Broadway run at 37 Arts Theatre (2007), In the Heights has garnered critical acclaim, winning four Tony Awards in 2008, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations. The original cast album later secured a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2009, cementing its place in the American musical canon.
In the Heights is complemented by a Latino Theatre Night (En Español) special event presentation of the musical on April 5. Ticket purchasers are invited to an evening celebrating Latino and Hispanic theatre-
makers, community, and culture. Included with an individual ticket to this show, guests will enjoy ligh refreshments at a pre-show social mixer and an optional post-show conversation with director Carlos
Armesto, community leaders, and the cast.
Tickets are available at 215-785-0100, brtstage.org.
On stage March 25 through April 27.
Bristol Riverside Theatre is at 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA