IN THE HEIGHTS National Tour Wows in Tampa; First Reviews In

On Tuesday, Kyle Beltran, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Natalie Toro and Shaun Taylor-Corbett kicked off the National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS in Tampa, Floria at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center with a bang. Though most shows try desperately to keep the critics out during the first preview performances to work out any kinks, IN THE HEIGHTS was an exception, according to Tampa Bay Online. And boy, were they pleased.

Tribune correspondent Kathy L. Greenberg called the production "flawless" in her review on Tampa Bay Online. Writes Greenberg: "From the vibrant music to the endearing characters, it's no wonder Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway hit won a Tony for best musical."

Miranda himself opened the show with an introduction that rallied the crowd.

To read the full review on Tampa Bay Online, click here.

A coming of age tale set in the Hispanic hub of Washington Heights, New York, IN THE HEIGHTS features music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The show was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, and took home four awards including Best Musical and Best Score. The show's score, featuring a mix of hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul music won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. On November 7, 2008, Universal Pictures announced that they plan to adapt the musical as a feature film for release in 2010.

Recent Carnegie Mellon graduate Kyle Beltran plays Usnavi, the narrator who whisks the audience on a tour of life in Washington Heights, the Latino community in northern Manhattan. According to press notes, IN THE HEIGHTS is a "quintessential New York musical about a vibrant and tight-knit community at the top of the island of Manhattan. The music pulses with the hopes and dreams of three generations as they struggle to forge an identity in a neighborhood on the brink of transition."

Beltran is joined on-stage by Daniel Bolero (Kevin), Rogelio Douglas Jr. (Benny), Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer (Vanessa), Arielle Jacobs (Nina), Jose-Luis Lopez (Graffiti Pete), Genny Lis Padilla (Carla), Isabel Santiago (Daniela), Elise Santora (Abuela Claudia), Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Sonny) and Natalie Toro (Camila). Rounding out the cast are Sandy Alvarez, David Baida, Christina Black, Natalie Caruncho, Oscar Cheda, Dewitt Cooper III, Daniel Cruz, Wilkie Ferguson, Kristina Fernandez, Rayanne Gonzales, Dominique Kelley, Rebecca Kritzer, Morgan Matayoshi, Joseph Morales, April Ortiz, and Carlos Salazar.

IN THE HEIGHTS is produced by Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman Willis, Sander Jacobs, Robyn Goodman/Walt Grossman, Peter Fine and Sonny Everett/Mike Skipper with associate producers Ruth Hendel and Harold Newman.

For more information on tickets and tour schedule, visit www.InTheHeightsTheMusical.com.