Experience The Sizzle Of Lin-Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS At The Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Before there was Hamilton: An American Musical, there was In The Heights, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that made composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda a star.

And later this month, families with teens can enjoy the hit musical on stage at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29. Tickets are $25 for adults; $20 for children.

The show will star 62 students in grades 6 and up from Palm Beach, Martin County and beyond who are participating in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts' three-week Senior Conservatory summer camp, in which students learn all aspects of theatre such as acting, dance and voice, culminating in full performances of In The Heights. The cast will also include candidates in the Theatre's Professional Training Program.

With music and lyrics by Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, the musical takes place in the vibrant Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican neighborhood of Manhattan's Washington Heights and tells the universal story of bodega owner Usnavi, who dreams of saving enough money to return to his home country, the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, his neighbors face the challenge of sustaining their tight-knit community.

The 2008 Broadway hit was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won four, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Choreography. The show was so successful that it recouped its $10 million investment after 10 months, with a cast recording of its infectious hip-hop score that won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. A film adaptation of the musical is set for release in summer 2020.

The New York Times raved that "when this musical erupts in one of its expressions of collective joy, the energy it gives off could light up the George Washington Bridge for a year or two," while Variety called the show an "uncalculated charmer" with high praise for its "depth of feeling, together with the wit of Miranda's lyrics, the playful dexterity of his rhymes, his dynamic score and a bunch of truly winning performances."

International performer and Conservatory faculty member Ricky Nahas will direct and choreograph the production. Seen onstage in the Theatre's professional productions of Les Misérables, The Wiz and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Nahas has served as a Conservatory faculty member for the past six years, teaching voice and dance. He previously directed and choreographed the Conservatory's productions of Madagascar JR., Sister Act, Guys and Dolls, Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, Jr., Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr., SEUSSICAL and Little Shop of Horrors, and also choreographed all three years of the Theatre's productions of Through the Looking Glass. Notable roles include Radames in Aida, Mungojerrie in CATS, a swing and dance captain in the National Tour of Altar Boyz and Double J in Saturday Night Fever. Currently based in West Palm Beach, Nahas has performed throughout Europe, with TV credits that include Burn Notice and Guiding Light.

"I'm delighted to be directing and choreographing such a powerful, high-energy musical on the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's stage," Nahas said. "In The Heights is a driving Broadway hit filled with fresh Latin dancing, an unforgettable score and pure uninhibited joy. I'd like to encourage everyone to come see our area's talented local students perform in this wonderful musical."

Nahas is currently spending the three weeks of camp guiding students through the process of auditioning for a Broadway show, a fast-paced rehearsal schedule and the opportunity to showcase all that they've learned onstage, complete with costumes, sets, professional lighting and a professional theater orchestra.

"The Senior Conservatory is an excellent annual opportunity for local teens to have the chance to experience what it's like to work in professional theatre and perform on that Theatre's stage in a full musical," said Julie Rowe, director of education for the Conservatory. "A fun-filled summer evening is in store at the theatre with In The Heights!"

The musical features design elements from a host of industry professionals, including assistant direction by longtime Conservatory faculty member Lea Roy, scenic and props design by the Theatre's properties master Casey Blanton, sound design by the Theatre's resident sound designer Marty Mets, lighting design by Michael J. Burris, costume design by Brittani Seach, music direction from Conservatory faculty member John Mercurio and stage management from Noelle Dibble.

Showtimes for the Conservatory's upcoming production of In The Heights are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29. Tickets are $25 for adults; $20 for children. For tickets, call the Theatre's box office at (561) 575-2223 or visit www.jupitertheatre.org.

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