Cast Set For IN THE HEIGHTS at the Gateway Playhouse

The highly anticipated musical, IN THE HEIGHTS, begins rehearsals and will run at The Gateway Playhouse from March 15 – April 14, 2024.

From the creator of the smash Broadway hit Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change - full of hopes, dreams, and pressures; where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you and which ones you leave behind. In The Heights is the winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical.

IN THE HEIGHTS will be directed and choreographed by Vincent Ortega, with musical direction by Andrew Haile Austin.

The cast will be led by Ryan Alvarado as Usnavi de la Vega. Mr. Alvarado appeared as Alexander Hamilton in the U.S. National Tour of Hamilton, as well as numerous productions of In the Heights across the country.

Supporting players include Chelsea Zeno as Vanessa, Christian Brailsford as Benny, Alia Munsch as Nina Rosario, Sydia Cedeño as Abuela Claudia, Francisca Muñoz as Camilla Rosario, Rubén Flores as Kevin Rosario, Michelle Alves as Daniela, Javier Garcia as Piragua Guy, Mateus Barbosa Da Silva as Graffiti Pete, Bryan Ernesto Menjivar as José, Felipe Cristancho Rodriguez as Sonny, Juliana Andrea Betancur as Carla, Marina Vidal as Yolanda, Emily Anne Goes as Doreen, Stemarciae Bain as Gladys, Manuela Agudelo as Yesenia, Rodolfo Santamarina as Tito, Jorge Echeverria as Julio, and Pragun Bhardwaj as Domingo. Additionally, youth players include Emilia Birmelin and Keno Guttierez.

Vincent Ortega makes his directorial debut at The Gateway; however, he has appeared onstage in numerous productions as well as served as Dance Captain and Co-Choreographer. Past credits at The Gateway include The Wedding Singer, A Century of Christmas, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Chorus Line, Spamalot, South Pacific, Rock of Ages, The Addams Family, The Rocky Horror Show, Flashdance the Musical, On Your Feet, Elf The Musical, and Head Over Heels. Other Choreography highlights are Nickelodeon, Disney’s Descendants, Super Bowl, Camilla Cabello, The Black-Eyed Peas, Janet Jackson, and most recently at London’s O2 arena with Ice Cube. Choreography projects, also include work for Netflix and Disney Channel.  

Andrew Haile Austin, another alum of The Gateway, has musically directed over 100 productions of operas and musicals across the country, most recently at Virginia Music Theatre, John Engeman Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, and Theatre Under the Stars. As a teacher, he has taught both high school and college-age students working at several schools in NYC including the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), and ten years at the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, VA, and eight seasons for Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute (SSTI) on Hilton Head Island, SC. As a composer, his works have been presented up and down the East Coast. In 2016, he was named composer-in-residence for the Tidewater Opera Initiative in Norfolk, VA who presented his opera, The Snow Maiden of Appalachia. Andrew holds a Doctorate in composition from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University where he studied with composer Kevin Puts. This is his 20th production for The Gateway, most recently music directing The Wedding Singer and Evita.

Tickets for IN THE HEIGHTS are on sale now and start at $59. The Gateway offers many options on how to save! We offer Season Passes with a discount of up to 35% off, Youth and Teen pricing on select performances, as well as, Student Rush tickets which can only be purchased one hour before show-time, at the door, and with a valid Student ID. Group Sales discounts are also available for groups of 15 people or more. For more information, contact the Box Office at (631) 286-1133, or visit the website at TheGateway.org.

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