COCA Theatre Company (CTC) Presents its Summer Musical IN THE HEIGHTS, 7/19-7/20

COCA Theatre Company (CTC) presents its summer musical In the Heights, with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, July 19-20. This production marks the Missouri amateur premiere of the show. In the Heights explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights. The Broadway production was nominated for 13 Tony Awards in 2008 and won the Tonys for Best Musical, Original Score, Choreography and Orchestrations. It was also a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

In the Heights is directed by Grace Austin, with musical direction by Phil Woodmore and choreography by Lee Nolting and Chris Page. This CTC production is supported in part by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation. In the Heights contains mild adult language and content and is recommended for ages 12 and up.

WHAT: In the Heights

WHERE: Founders' Theatre at COCA, 524 Trinity Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63130

WHEN: Friday, July 19, 7:00pm Saturday, July 20, 2:00pm and 7:00pm

TICKETS: Tickets ($6-$8) are available at www.cocastl.org or by calling (314) 725-6555, ext. 130.

ABOUT: In the Heights began as an original musical conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda during his sophomore year at Wesleyan University. Upon graduating and returning home to New York, Miranda collaborated with director Thomas Kail to rework and restage the campus hit for a larger audience, which is how they captured the interest of producers Jill Furman, Kevin McCollum and Jeffrey Seller, whose previous work on Broadway included Rent, Avenue Q and The Drowsy Chaperone. After a stint at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in Connecticut, the musical found a home at Off-Broadway's 37 Arts Theatre.

During its Off-Broadway run at 37 Arts, In the Heights quickly became an audience phenomenon and a critical success. The response was unprecedented: the musical attracted both traditional and non- traditional theatergoers and garnered a huge cache of accolades, including the Outer Critics' Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical. After more than 200 performances, In the Heights played its final Off-Broadway show on July 15th, 2007, and began preparations for a move to Broadway, which included enhancements to the script and score, as well as new additions to the cast and crew.

In the Heights opened on Broadway on March 9, 2008, at the Richard Rogers Theater to rave reviews. After 1,185 performances, the show closed on January 9, 2011. While on Broadway, the show received many accolades, including 13 Tony Award nominations with 4 wins in 2008. In May 2009, PBS's Great Performances debuted In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams, a documentary that followed Lin- Manuel Miranda and the cast of In the Heights from the first rehearsal to the Tony Awards.

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