Lin-Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS to Open 30th Season at Orlando Shakes

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF (Orlando Shakes) has announced that Lin-Manuel Miranda's and Quiara Alegría Hudes' Tony Award-winning musical, In the Heights, will open their 30th Season.

In the Heights tells the story of a vibrant community of Latino characters in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Equal parts earnest and energetic; the musical is lauded for its unique use of hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul music.

It received four 2008 Tony Awards (including Best Orchestrations, Best Choreography and Best Musical), with Miranda receiving a Tony Award for Best Score, as well as a nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. In the Heights also took home a 2009 Grammy Award for its Original Broadway Cast Album and was recognized as a Finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.

"We are thrilled to be producing In the Heights during a season that Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton will be coming to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts during its Broadway tour," said Jim Helsinger, Artistic Director at Orlando Shakes. "Our Central Florida community will have the rare opportunity to see two great works of theater created by one of the most up-and-coming theatrical artists of our time."

Tickets for In the Heights will go on sale June 2018. For more information call (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, or visit in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E. Rollins St.).

In the Heights co-creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is an award-winning composer, lyricist, and performer, as well as a 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award recipient. His musical, Hamilton: An American Musical-with book, music and lyrics by Miranda, in addition to him originating the title role-opened on Broadway in 2015. Hamilton: An American Musical was awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama and earned a record-breaking 16 Tony Nominations. Miranda contributed music, lyrics and vocals to several songs in Disney's feature film Moana which earned two Oscar nominations in 2017, including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for Miranda's, "How Far I'll Go." Miranda will also star in Disney's upcoming 2018 film "Mary Poppins Returns."

Founded in 1989, Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF (Orlando Shakes) produces classic, contemporary, and children's plays. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Jim Helsinger and Managing Director PJ Albert, Orlando Shakes has grown into one of the region's most acclaimed professional Equity theaters, garnering national recognition from The Wall Street Journal's Terry Teachout. "Hence the high quality of Orlando Shakespeare, a company that deserves to be far more widely known outside Florida." With ambitious, high-caliber productions like 2016's West Side Story, Love's Labour's Lost and 2014's Les Miserables and Henry V, the Theater continues to provide an innovative world-class theatrical experience to its guests, while showcasing William Shakespeare's legacy as the cornerstone of the company. Orlando Shakes also offers immersive educational programming that serves Central Florida schools and the local community at large. For more information visit www.orlandoshakes.org.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus