IN THE HEIGHTS Movie - Everything You Need To Know About the

Lights up on Washington Heights! After a year's delay, the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights" will finally bow on a new release date of June 18, 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max.

Ahead of the release, BroadwayWorld put together a list of information you should know before diving into this love letter to the community and diversity inherent to the New York City neighborhood.

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What is IN THE HEIGHTS?

"In The Heights" is a 2008 Broadway musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes.

Miranda wrote the first draft of "In The Heights" when he was a sophomore in college at Wesleyan University. It was first presented professionally in Connecticut in 2005, and it moved off-Broadway to 37 Arts Theatre in 2007.

The story is set over the course of three days in the vibrant New York community of Washington Heights - 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. It's a community on the brink 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.

Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) directed the movie-musical. Anthony Bregman, Mara Jacobs and Scott Sanders produced.

The Tony Award-winning musical opened on Broadway in March 2008 and was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, winning four: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. It won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album and was also nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

"In The Heights" played 29 previews and 1,184 regular performances on Broadway before closing in 2011.

The show marked Miranda's Broadway debut as an actor and as a composer. Other stars who debuted in "In The Heights" include Javier Munoz, Jon Rua, who both went on to play Alexander Hamilton in "Hamilton" on Broadway. Joshua Henry ("Carousel") also made his Broadway debut in the production.

Stars like Corbin Bleu ("High School Musical," "Jump In"), Jordin Sparks ("American Idol," "Waitress"), and Gabrielle Ruiz ("Crazy Ex-Girlfriend") also appeared in the Broadway production at one time or another.

Where and When Can I Watch IN THE HEIGHTS?

"In The Heights" will be available on HBO Max and in select theaters on June 18, 2021.

Warner Bros. will premiere its entire 2021 slate simultaneously on the streamer and in theaters to ensure as many people as possible have the chance to see the films.

The movie musical was originally scheduled to be released on June 26, 2020, but was postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

Watch the theatrical trailer for "In The Heights" here:

Who's Starring in IN THE HEIGHTS?

The film stars Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, Marc Anthony, and Noah Catala. Lin-Manuel Miranda also appears in a cameo role as Pirguero.

Ramos plays Usnavi, the proudly Dominican owner of a local convenience store and the heart of the story (and the neighborhood). Ramos appeared in a 2012 regional cast of "In The Heights" as Sonny; he's also known for playing John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in "Hamilton."

Barrera plays Vanessa, Usnavi's love interest who dreams of a better life outside of the neighborhood. She hopes she will someday be able to afford it. Berrera is a Mexican telenovela star who will also appear in the upcoming "Scream" sequel.

Corey Hawkins plays dispatcher Benny, who works for Nina's father. Hawkins was nominated for a Tony for his work in the 2017 Broadway production of "Six Degrees of Separation." He's best known for roles on "The Walking Dead" and in "Straight Outta Compton."

Leslie Grace plays Nina, the bright, Puerto Rican college freshman who returns to the neighborhood after dropping out of school. Grace is primarily known as a singer/songwriter; she sings in English and in Spanish, and has released two studio albums.

Olga Merediz plays neighborhood matriarch Abuela Claudia. She originated the role on Broadway in 2008 and received a Tony Award nomination for her work.

"L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue," "The West Wing," and "Star Wars" star Jimmy Smits plays Kevin Rosario in the film.

"Matilda" musical star Gregory Diaz IV will play Sonny. He's also known for roles on "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Vampires vs. The Bronx."

Marc Anthony, who's known primarily as the best-selling tropical salsa musical artist of all time, will play Sonny's father.

Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, and Dascha Polanco will play Daniela, Carla, and Cuca, who work at the local salon and sing the fan favorite song "No Me Diga." Rubin-Vega played Mimi Marquez in the original Broadway cast of Rent; Beatriz is best known for playing Detective Rosa Diaz on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"; Dascha Polanco played Daya on "Orange is the New Black."

Finally, "The Get Down" star Noah Catala will play Graffiti Pete, Washington Heights' resident street artist. Watch a preview of Catala's performance here.

Is the soundtrack for the IN THE HEIGHTS film available yet?

As of right now, the soundtrack for "In The Heights" has not yet been released. BroadwayWorld will be sure to update you when we know more about the where and when on that!

Where can I hear the original cast recording for IN THE HEIGHTS?

The original Broadway cast recording was released on June 3, 2008. It won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Show Album against "The Little Mermaid," "Gypsy," "South Pacific," and "Young Frankenstein."

The album features original Broadway cast members Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mandy Gonzalez, Christopher Jackson, Karen Olivo, Olga Meridez, Carlos Gomez, Priscilla Lopez, Robin de Jesus, Andrea Burns, Janet Dacal, Seth Stewart, and Eliseo Roman.

Listen here:

Who in IN THE HEIGHTS later appeared in HAMILTON?

Lin-Manuel Miranda is nothing if not loyal to his friends and collaborators. Many of the people who made "In The Heights" happen went on to make "Hamilton" happen on Broadway.

Miranda himself, of course, played Usnavi in the original Broadway production of "In The Heights," and went on to originate the role of Alexander Hamilton.

Christopher Jackson went from playing Benny to playing George Washington in the original Broadway cast of "Hamilton."

Mandy Gonzalez, who played Nina in "Hamilton," later played Angelica Schuyler in "Hamilton." Ditto Karen Olivo, who originated the role of Vanessa - she played Angelica in the Chicago production.

Javier Munoz and Jon Rua both went on to play Alexander Hamilton on Broadway, and both got their start in "In The Heights."

Joshua Henry went from being a Benny understudy to a Broadway Aaron Burr.

Lexi Lawson, who played Vanessa on the first national tour of "In The Heights," went on to play an Eliza Hamilton on Broadway.

Lastly, Miranda's frequent collaborators Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Alex Lacamoire traveled with him from production to production.

Where did IN THE HEIGHTS go after Broadway?

An American national tour coincided the during and the end of "In The Heights"' Broadway run. It toured the country between 2009 and 2011; a subsequent non-equity tour played between 2011 and 2012.

The musical opened off the West End in 2014, and a 2015 West End production played for two subsequent years.

"In The Heights" has traveled all around the world, including professional productions in the Philippines, Panama, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Peru, Germany, Spain, and Denmark.

Where can I get the rights to perform IN THE HEIGHTS?

The license to perform "In The Heights" is currently available through Concord Theatricals.

Get more information here.