Applications Now Being Accepted For IN THE HEIGHTS' 'Graduate To New Heights' Scholarship Program

Based on the struggles that many families face to afford college, and inspired by Nina's story in the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, In the Heights has partnered with CLEAR CHANNEL NY to create the "Graduate To New Heights Scholarship."

The program is described as, "his scholarship of more than $16,000 will help one deserving student achieve their dream of higher education." 

Now through Wednesday, September 9, 2009, you can visit any of the CLEAR CHANNEL NY (websites 1067litefm.com, ktu.com, power1051fm.com, q1043.com, z100.com ) and sign up to nominate either yourself or another student for the scholarship. You will be asked in approximately 100 words to tell us why you or the student you are nominating deserves to win the "Graduate To New Heights Scholarship."

Beginning September 10, a panel will anonymously judge entries based on sincerity, need and an honestly persuasive story. The scholarship winner will be announced in late September/early October and invited to attend a performance of In The Heights, where they will be presented with the scholarship. To fund the scholarship, In The Heights, with CLEAR CHANNEL NY, auctioned five once-in-a-lifetime prize packages on the radio stations 106.7 Lite fm, 103.5 KTU, Power 105.1, Q104.3 and Z100.

In the Heights, Broadway's Tony-winning hit musical, tells the universal story of a vibrant community working hard to better their lives in Manhattan's Washington Heights. The characters are following their dreams, holding on to their traditions and culture, and sacrificing to create a better home for themselves and their children. The pride and joy of this community is Nina Rosario, the first to go away to college at Stanford University. However, Nina comes home for the summer with a jarring secret: she has dropped out of school because of financial pressures. Throughout the show, Nina struggles with her identity, her ambitions and her parents, who desperately want their child to get a good education. The only thing in their way is money.

Now is its second year on Broadway, In The Heights is the winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album. Lin-Manuel Miranda won the 2008 Tony for Best Music and Lyrics, Andy Blankenbuehler won the 2008 Tony for Best Choreography, and Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations. In The Heights began previews on Broadway Thursday, February 14, 2008, at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street), and opened to critical acclaim Sunday, March 9, 2008. In November, 2008, Universal Pictures acquired the rights to produce a feature film based on In The Heights. This past May, In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams premiered on THIRTEEN's Great Performances on PBS HD. The First National tour of In The Heights will begin performances October 27, 2009, in Tampa, Florida at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The tour will travel to Atlanta, Minneapolis, Hartford, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Houston, Austin, Tempe, San Diego and Costa Mesa. With a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes and conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, In The Heights is directed by Thomas Kail. Alex Lacamoire is music director and music arrangements are by Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman. In The Heights features a scenic design by Anna Louizos, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley and sound by Acme Sound Partners. In The Heights is produced by Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman, Sander Jacobs, Robyn Goodman/Walt Grossman, Peter Fine and Sonny Everett/Mike Skipper with associate producers Ruth Hendel and Harold Newman.

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