Street Theatre Company 11th Season Opens with IN THE HEIGHTS

Nashville's Street Theatre Company launches its 11th season with Lin Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning In The Heights, the smash musical that took Broadway by storm and paved the way for Miranda's new Broadway blockbuster Hamilton. Directed by STC founding artistic director Cathy Sanborn Street, In The Heights, running March 4-20, will be her farewell production in Nashville as she and her husband, JJ Street - an integral member of the theater's creative team since its beginnings - move to Wilmington, North Carolina in March.

Audiences familiar with Street Theatre's first 10 years as one of Nashville's leading theatre companies will be happy to see that Jason Tucker, Street's successor as STC's new artistic director, chose In The Heights as STC's season opener with the company's mission firmly in mind: "At Street Theatre we're committed to the concepts of diversity and inclusion," Tucker explains.

"I can't think of a stronger way to demonstrate that than with this warm, multicultural story. When choosing shows for the first time as the artistic director, it was important for me to put down my flag, so to speak. In The Heights was an easy choice because it's crowd-pleasing, heart-warming, and smart. And you won't believe the talent of this young cast!"

Widely performed throughout the United States, Central and South America - and in London's West End - In The Heights tells the timeless story of a vibrant Latin-American community living in the New York City's Washington Heights neighborhood. The musical fuses the classic styles of musical theater showtunes with hip-hop and Latin rhythms to tell the heart-warming and universal story of family and belonging.

With music and lyrics by MacArthur Genius Grant Award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, In The Heights opened on Broadway in 2008 and won Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Original Score, while winning the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. In addition, In The Heights was nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Cathy Street directs STC's first show of the 2016 season, joined by Randy Craft as music director and Tosha Pendergrast as choreographer.

"What speaks to me about this show, and why I have fallen in love with it, is the universal story of 'home' and what that means for each of us," says Cathy Street, a 2011 First Night Star Award winner.

"Everyone in this show, and many of us, often has a struggle with or question about what home is for them. Is it where you grew up? Is it where you live now? Is it where your family is from? Add in the layers of being the younger generation from immigrants and that question becomes even more challenging. All of the characters in the show work so hard to make their way; they are admirable, and their struggles are real, as is their love for each other and the community. Then layer on this amazing modern rap/Cuban-infused music that is unlike any other Broadway musical you have ever seen and you have a pretty unbelievable show."

In The Heights is onstage at Street Theatre Company's current home - Bailey Middle School in East Nashville - March 9-20. Curtain is at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday shows at 5 p.m., along with one 2 p.m matinee performance on Saturday, March 12. Tickets are $20 for adults and $16 for students and seniors, and are available by contacting the Box Office at (615) 554-7414, or by visiting www.streettheatrecompany.org. All tickets are pay-what-you-can on Sundays.