Lin-Manuel Miranda Meets Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor

In The Heights mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda and a chance encounter with another famous Latino of Puerto Rican heritage, newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor recently at a Long Island restaurant, USA Today reports.  

Not one to shy away from opportunity, "I went up to her and said, 'I'm Lin. I wrote that show In the Heights." Sotomayor proceeded to compliment the performer on his Broadway success (she has seen the show twice) and invite him to join her table.

"I understand what unbelievable odds (Sotomayor) faced and that her family faced," says Miranda says of the connection he feels to the new justice. "Her parents had to make miracles happen. My parents had to make miracles happen."

To read the full report of the encounter in USA Today, click here.

Lin-Manuel Miranda won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Original Score for In the Heights. He wrote the first incarnation of In the Heights during his sophomore year at Wesleyan University, CT. Off-Broadway: In the Heights: nine Drama Desk nominations, including Best Music, Best Lyrics and won the award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance; the Lucille Lortel Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical; the Obie Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics; a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance and the Clarence Derwent Award, both for Mr. Miranda's performance. He is the recipient of the 2007 ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award.

In the Heights opened on Broadway on March 9, 2008, and continues to play the Richard Rodgers Theatre. In addition to winning the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Lin-Manuel Miranda's accolades, the show's Andy Blankenbuehler won for Best Choreography, and Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman won for Best Orchestrations. The show's scribe, Quiara Alegría Hudes was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominee for the show. The original cast recording won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, and Universal Pictures is currently developing a movie musical adaptation.