- published: 17 Oct 2009
- views: 540009
In the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is set over the course of three days, involving an ensemble cast of characters in the largely Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City.
After productions in Connecticut (2005) and Off-Broadway (2007), the show opened in a Broadway theatre production in March 2008. This production was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, winning four: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography (Andy Blankenbuehler), and Best Orchestrations (Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman). It won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. It was also nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Miranda wrote the earliest draft of In the Heights in 1999, his sophomore year of college. After the show was accepted by Wesleyan University's student theater company Second Stage, Miranda worked on adding "freestyle rap ... bodegas, and salsa numbers." It played from April 20, 1999 to April 22, 1999. After seeing the play, three Wesleyan seniors and one alumnus, John Buffalo Mailer, Neil Stewart, Anthony Veneziale and Thomas Kail approached Miranda and asked if the play could be expanded to be on Broadway. In 2002, Miranda and Mailer worked with director Tommy Kail and wrote five separate drafts of In the Heights.
if i won the lotto tomorrow well i know i wouldn't bother
going on no spending spree i'd pick a business school and
pay the entrance fee then maybe if your lucky you'll stay
friends with me i'll be a business man richer than Nina's daddy
Donald trump and i on the links and he's my caddy my
money's making money i'm going from Po' to moto keep the
bling i want the brass ring like frodo oh no there goes Mr
braggadocio next thing you know your lying like Pinocchio if ya
scared of the bull stay out the rodeo
i got more holes than a phone book in Tokyo oh you better
stop rapping you not ready its gonna get hot and heavy
and ya already sweaty y-y-yo-yo i'm sorry is that an
answer shut up go home and pull your pants up as for you mr frodo
of the shire 96 gs aint enough to retire
C'mon ill have enough to knock your ass of it's axis
Youll have a napsack full of jack after taxes 96 000 ay alabanza
96 000 no me diga 96 000 i never win shit 96 000
For real tho imagine how it would feel goin real slow down the
highway of life with no regrets and no breakin your neck for respect
or a paycheck for real tho ill take a break from the wheel and we'll
throw the biggest block party everybody here its a weekend where