VTA to Open 2017-18 Broadway Series with Lin-Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS

Victoria Theatre Association opens the 2017-2018 Premier Health Broadway Series with Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning musical, IN THE HEIGHTS, Oct. 2-8 at the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.

IN THE HEIGHTS is produced by the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with Teatro del Pueblo. Tickets start at $30 and are on sale now at Ticket Center Stage, located in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center, by phone at 937-228-3630 or toll-free at 888-228-3630, or online at Ticketcenterstage.com.

Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, 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. It's a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions to take with you and which to leave behind.

The cast features Pedro R. Bayon as Kevin, Brian Bose as Graffiti Pete, Debra Cardona as Abuela Claudia, Fernando Collado as Sonny, Justin Gregory Lopez as Usnavi, Emily Madigan as Carla, Aline Mayagoitia as Nina, Val Nuccio as Vanessa, Lara Trujillo as Camila, Lauren Villegas as Daniela, and Stephen Scott Wormley as Benny.

Rounding out the ensemble are Courtney Arango, Rush Benson, Alexander Gil Cruz, Renee Guittar, Patrick Charles Jeffrey, Abby Magalee, Giselle Mejia, Zander Morales, Jorge Quintero, Jen Santoro Rotty, Rudolph Searles III, Maureen Sherman-Mendez and Adan Varela.

IN THE HEIGHTS is directed and choreographed by Teatro del Pueblo Artistic Director Al Justiniano and Ordway Vice President of Programming and Producing Artistic Director James A. Rocco, in association with Alexander Gil Cruz, Giselle Mejia and Ashley Selmer.

"After staging West Side Story in collaboration with Teatro del Pueblo, we're so excited to be able to continue that partnership by bringing IN THE HEIGHTS to the Ordway stage and then on to Dayton's Schuster stage" said Rocco. "I've heard from many people in the community that this is such an important story to be told, and I can't wait to work with Al on bringing it to life."

"I am thrilled to be working on a story that encapsulates the strength of a Latinx community who, when its very existence is jeopardized, musters the guts to celebrate its cultural pride as an act of defiance," said Justiniano.

The creative team for IN THE HEIGHTS includes Eugenio A. Vargas (musical direction), Anna Louizos (scenic design), Jesse Cogswell (lighting design), Andy Horka (sound design), Trevor Bowen (costume design), Robert A. Dunn (hair and make-up design), Rick Polenek (props design) and Reid Harmsen (casting).

IN THE HEIGHTS features music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. It opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in March 2008, running for 1,184 performances. The original production 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.

Tickets start at $30 and are on sale now at Ticket Center Stage, located in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center, by phone at 937-228-3630 or toll-free at 888-228-3630, or online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

Additional Experience Opportunities:

Background on Broadway

Learn the behind-the-scenes story of the show Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7 p.m., and on Saturday at 1 p.m. during the run of IN THE HEIGHTS to learn about the development, history, and artistry of the show. This free event is held in the Schuster Center's 4th Floor Lobby. You must have a ticket to that day's performance.

Reaching New Heights After-School Broadway Intensive

Oct. 2-6, 2017

4:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Reaching New Heights After-School Broadway Intensive is a performance-based intensive for high school students who want to expand their musical theatre skills by exploring the music, dance, and stylings of one of the most energetic and youthful shows to hit Broadway in the last decade.

This Broadway Intensive is open to any student currently in grades 9-12, who is interested in the performing arts and wants to learn more. Previous theatre, music, dance, or spoken-word experience is not required.

Participants will receive instruction from IN THE HEIGHTS company members when possible, and local professional theatre and spoken-word artists. Classes will include singing, dancing, and spoken-word. Participants will also receive a ticket to the Thursday evening (Oct. 5) performance of IN THE HEIGHTS, dinner each evening, a T-shirt, and the opportunity to create and share their work with an audience of friends and family.

For more information or to apply for the Reaching New Heights After-School Broadway Intensive, visit www.victoriatheatre.com.

The Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Music Theater and Concert Hall attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway's mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve more than 50,000 students annually. Together with Minnesota Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and The Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances. For more information, visit www.ordway.org.

Teatro del Pueblo's mission is to promote Latinx culture through the creation and presentation of the performing arts while developing and supporting artists and educating the community at large. Since 1992, Teatro del Pueblo has produced Latino-inspired work that blends traditional Latin American theatrical expressions with the bicultural experience. We are committed to further enriching and strengthening our communities through the promotion of diversity, equity, cross cultural engagement and educational programs. For more information, go to www.teatrodelpueblo.org.

Victoria Theatre Association is one of Dayton's premier arts organizations, presenting the Premier Health Broadway Series, the Morris Furniture Company Family Series, the Cool Films Series, Projects Unlimited Star Attractions, National Geographic Live Series, sponsored by Subaru of American and Wagner Subaru and The Discovery Series, which features curriculum-enhanced live theatre productions for school children. In addition to the performances it presents, Victoria Theatre Association also manages the historic Victoria Theatre, the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, and the Metropolitan Arts Center, which houses The Loft Theatre. Victoria Theatre Association receives funding from a variety of diverse public, corporate, individual and private sources, including the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council and The National Endowment for the Arts helped fund this program or organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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