By: Jay Minkin
Date: 02/02/2010

Every year, Playhouse Square brings the latest hot Broadway musical to Downtown Cleveland for its faithful patrons. Winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, In the Heights is the story of three days in Washington Heights, a tight-knit community at the top of Manhattan. Currently playing on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, the groundbreaking hip-hop and Latin music-infused production began its first national tour this past fall and will be coming to the Palace Theatre from Tuesday, February 9, to Sunday, February 21. 

In the Heights centers on a variety of characters living in a neighborhood on the brink of change, where the biggest struggle can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.
At the center of the show is Usnavi, a bodega owner who looks after the aging Cuban lady next door, pines for the gorgeous girl working in the neighboring beauty salon, and dreams of winning the lottery and escaping to the shores of his native Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, Nina, a childhood friend of Usnavi’s, has returned to the neighborhood from her first year at college with surprising news for her parents who have spent their life savings on building a better life for their daughter. Ultimately Usnavi and the residents of the close-knit neighborhood get a dose of what it means to be home.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who composed and wrote the musical as well as starred in it, is set to star and produce the big screen adaptation of the musical, which also won Tony Awards for Best Score, Choreography, and Orchestrations. Quiara Alegria Hudes, who wrote the play’s book, is writing the movie script, and Kenny Ortega, the director of the High School Musical movies and Michael Jackson’s This Is It, is attached to direct the film adaptation.

Tickets for evening and matinee performances can be found at www.playhousesquare.org. Besides the great value of $10 Smart Seats, after Thursday evening performances, the cast members come out to chat with the audience on the main floor of the theater.

Reach Jay at blues4bird@aol.com.