NTPA Stages Bilingual IN THE HEIGHTS Unites Diversity and Safety Initiatives

The NTPA premiere production of composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights looks a lot different than originally intended with new safety adaptations.

NTPA - Plano Managing Director and Academy Head of School Mike Mazur says the organization originally scheduled the production before COVID hit as part of it's Diversity Task Force initiative to tell more stories that center around BIPOC characters and timed the show to rehearse and perform during Hispanic Heritage Month. When the COVID pandemic hit, NTPA's Reopening Task Force developed a series of thorough safety protocols to enable programs like In the Heights to still take the stage this fall.

NTPA has committed to safety in reopening with a task force of over 25 professionals including doctors, legal council, board members and others in order to bring theatre back in the safest way possible through social distancing, mandatory masking, and safety guidelines that go above and beyond CDC, state, and local regulations. As part of these safety protocols, only a limited number of family tickets are available for in-person viewing of the show, but NTPA is encouraging the public to take advantage of HD online viewing of the production for just $10/ticket.

In the Heights director Daniel Dean Miranda goes beyond safety guidelines by incorporating the new safety protocols into the story itself. "With NTPA's established safety protocols, we're creating the safest environment possible for these students to take the stage," said director Miranda. "I wanted the story we're telling to reflect those new safety measures, as well. Many theatres are starting to come back to the stage with adaptations for actors like sanitizing hands every time they enter or leave the stage. In our production, you'll see hand sanitizer integrated into our sets with the characters using it as part of their story. I saw this as a unique chance to tell this story in true present day."

Not only is Miranda working to create a safer show experience, but he is also continuing to intentionally integrate latin culture into the show's production experience. The Tony award-winning musical dives into three generations of rich latin culture in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood throughout it's story. Miranda is excited to bring this story to NTPA stages with an entire BIPOC production team including former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and Dallas Mavericks Dancer DeeDee Munson as choreographer, Sophia Garcia as music director, and show managers Joanne Rodriguez (Chair of NTPA's Diversity Task Force) and Natosha Scott.

While directing, Miranda gives instructions in Spanish first and then English to truly communicate the nuances of the storyline to the students in the production. This bilingual communication throughout the rehearsal process has helped students, many who are bilingual themselves, dig into the context of latin cultures reflected in the show, by allowing them to speak in the characters native tongues.

"It's imperative that NTPA and all theatres are intentional about telling stories that focus on diverse characters," says Mazur. "National conversations about diversity and inclusion have brought to light many inequities in the performing arts field. One of the large issues in our industry is the limited number of shows that tell authentic stories of BIPOC characters, not just token or stereotypical characters. If we're not intentional about producing musicals that are written by diverse artists and tell their stories, then any effort for equity and inclusion will get lost in the sea of predominantly white literature that currently exists in the performing arts."

NTPA - Plano's premiere production of In the Heights performs two weekends October 2-10. This production is performed by an all youth cast in grades 6-12 in the Rodenbaugh Theatre at the Willow Bend Center of the Arts.

For the safety of actors, NTPA currently asks that only family and friends of the actors purchase in-person tickets at this time. All tickets to NTPA shows are socially distanced with theatres seating at approximately 30% or less capacity.

Purchase virtual tickets at NTPA.org/tickets.

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