In the Heights

In the Heights is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is a romance as well as a celebration of community, culture, and aspirations. It is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Hispanic and Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, New York City. The score blends hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul.

After a 2005 tryout in Waterford, Connecticut and a 2007 Off-Broadway run, the show opened on Broadway in March 2008. It was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards and won four, including Best Musical. A film adaptation of the musical was released in June 2021.

Synopsis

Act 1

As the sun rises on the hottest day of the summer, Usnavi de la Vega, the owner of a small bodega in Washington Heights, chases away a small-time vandal, Graffiti Pete, before introducing the audience to the corner he lives on and some of its many residents: Abuela Claudia, an elderly Cuban immigrant who raised Usnavi after the death of his parents; Sonny, Usnavi's younger cousin who works in the bodega; Daniela and Carla, who own the local salon; Kevin and Camila Rosario, a married couple who own the cab company; Benny, Usnavi's longtime best friend and an employee at the cab company; and Vanessa, an employee at the salon and aspiring fashion designer ("In the Heights").

As the day begins, the Rosarios' daughter, Nina, arrives home from her first year at Stanford University. Often considered the "one who made it out" and the pride of the corner, Nina dreads telling her parents and neighbors the truth of her return home: that she dropped out of Stanford because she had to work two jobs to maintain her tuition, leading to her getting poor grades and losing her scholarship ("Breathe").