IN THE HEIGHTS Launches 'Graduate To New Heights' Scholarship Program

In the Heights, Broadway's Tony-winning hit musical, tells the universal story of a vibrant community working hard to better their lives in Manhattan's Washington Heights. The characters are following their dreams, holding on to their traditions and culture, and sacrificing to create a better home for themselves and their children. The pride and joy of this community is Nina Rosario, the first to go away to college at Stanford University. However, Nina comes home for the summer with a jarring secret: she has dropped out of school because of financial pressures. Throughout the show, Nina struggles with her identity, her ambitions and her parents, who desperately want their child to get a good education. The only thing in their way is money.

Based on the struggles that many families face to afford college, and inspired by Nina's story in the show, In the Heights has partnered with CLEAR CHANNEL NY to create the "Graduate To New Heights Scholarship" to help a deserving student achieve their dream of higher education. To fund the scholarship, In The Heights with CLEAR CHANNEL NY will auction five once-in-a-lifetime prize packages on a specially created website www.graduatetonewheights.com. Each CLEAR CHANNEL NY radio station (106.7 Lite fm, 103.5 KTU, Power 105.1, Q104.3 and Z100) will hold a 2 week auction with the first auction commencing Thursday, June 18, 2009 with a prize which includes having dinner and seeing the show with In The Heights Tony Winning Composer Lin-Manuel Miranda. Other packages will include a private salsa lesson with In The Heights Specialty Latin Dancer and Assistant Choreographer Luis Salgado; A Spa Day and Ladies Night Out package; The Perfect New York Date Package; and a package which includes a special walk-on cameo role in the Broadway show. All proceeds from the auctions will go toward the "Graduate To New Heights Scholarship" fund, along with an additional $2500 contributed to the fund by In the Heights and CLEAR CHANNEL NY.

Starting Thursday, August 27, 2009, through Wednesday, September 9, 2009, you can visit any of the CLEAR CHANNEL NY websites (1067litefm.com, ktu.com, power1051fm.com, q1043.com, z100.com) and use keyword "GRADUATE" to be considered for the scholarship, or to nominate a student. You will be asked in 100 words or less to tell us why you or the student you are nominating deserves to win the "Graduate To New Heights Scholarship."

The winner will be invited to attend a performance of In The Heights on Broadway at which time they will be presented with the "Graduate To New Heights Scholarship". The winning student will be announced in September 2009.

Now is its second year on Broadway, In The Heights is the winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album. Lin-Manuel Miranda won the 2008 Tony for Best Music and Lyrics, Andy Blankenbuehler won the 2008 Tony for Best Choreography, and Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations. In The Heights began previews on Broadway Thursday, February 14, 2008, at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street), and opened to critical acclaim Sunday, March 9, 2008. In November, 2008, Universal Pictures acquired the rights to produce a feature film based on In The Heights. This past May, In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams premiered on THIRTEEN's Great Performances on PBS HD. The First National tour of In The Heights will begin performances October 27, 2009, in Tampa, Florida at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The tour will travel to Atlanta, Minneapolis, Hartford, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Houston, Austin, Tempe, San Diego and Costa Mesa. With a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes and conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, In The Heights is directed by Thomas Kail. Alex Lacamoire is music director and music arrangements are by Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman. In The Heights features a scenic design by Anna Louizos, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley and sound by Acme Sound Partners. In The Heights is produced by Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman, Sander Jacobs, Robyn Goodman/Walt Grossman, Peter Fine and Sonny Everett/Mike Skipper with associate producers Ruth Hendel and Harold Newman.

Clear Channel Radio New York comprises WAXQ-FM 104.3, WHTZ-FM 100.3, WKTU-FM 103.5, WLTW-FM 106.7, WWPR-FM 105.1, as well as WALK-FM 97.5 and WALK-AM 1370 in Long Island. Clear Channel Radio New York is part of Clear Channel Radio, a leading radio company focused on serving local communities across the U.S. with more than 110 million listeners choosing Clear Channel Radio programming each week. The company's content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, on the Internet, via iPods and cell phones and used via navigation systems from BMW, Volvo, TomTom, Garmin and others. The company's operations include radio broadcasting, syndication and independent media representation. Clear Channel Radio is a division of Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (OTCBB:CCMO), a leading global media and entertainment company.

For more information visit www.intheheightsthemusical.com, www.clearchannel.com, and www.graduatetonewheights.com.

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