‘In The Heights’ Stars Reunite for Special Benefit Concert

Many cast members of the original Broadway production of “In the Heights” will reunite for a special benefit concert presentation of the musical next month.

Appearing in the event will be creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda along with Karen Olivo, Olga Merediz, Mandy Gonzalez, Janet Dacal, Andrea Burns, Eliseo Roman, Seth Stewart, Javier Munoz and more. The special performance will take place February 11 at the United Palace of Cultural Arts in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.

“‘In the Heights’ has always been a celebration of the community in Washington Heights,” said Miranda in a statement. “It has been my dream to bring that celebration back to the neighborhood. I’m thrilled to bring ‘In the Heights: In Concert” to United Palace of Cultural Arts, an incredible venue in the heart of Upper Manhattan. I’m also looking forward to sharing the stage with my ‘In the Heights’ family again. It’s going to be an amazing night.”

The production will be presented by Viva Broadway, which is an initiative of the Broadway League that aims to promote Broadway theater among the Latino community.

The original production came to Broadway in 2008 after an award-winning six-month run Off-Broadway the year before. The production then ran through January 2011, playing 1,185 performances before closing. The musical earned the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations.

The musical had a libretto by Quiara Alegria Hudes and was directed by Thomas Kail with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler.

“[‘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,” according to its creators. “It’s a community on the bring 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.”