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Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'In The Heights' Musical Sets Melbourne Debut

Tyler Jenke

Having set Broadway alight, the debut musical from 'Hamilton's' Lin-Manuel Miranda will be hitting Melbourne in August.

In The Heights
In The Heights(Credit: Daniel Boud/Supplied)

After impressing audiences in Warrane/Sydney, In The Heights – the debut musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda – is set to make its debut in Melbourne this August.

Originally writing In The Heights when he was just 19 in 1999, Miranda took the musical public in 2005, and three years later, it had made its debut on Broadway. Described as a “vibrant celebration of community, culture, and the pursuit of dreams”, the acclaimed production takes place in New York's Washington Heights, telling the story of a tight-knit community on the cusp of change.

Blending hip hop, salsa, and Latin rhythms amidst its musical theatre score, it ruminates on the questions of what really makes a place 'home' as dreams take flight and challenges arise.

Upon its Broadway debut, In The Heights swiftly became a major hit, being nominated for a massive 13 awards at the 2008 Tony Awards, and ultimately taking out Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations.

The success of In The Heights served as something for a springboard for Miranda, who would go on to launch the universally-acclaimed Hamilton in 2015, winning a total of 11 Tony Awards from a record 16 nominations.

Now, following a debut Sydney season in 2024, In The Heights will be heading to Melbourne, taking over the Comedy Theatre from August 1st.

The production sees Ryan González (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) appearing as Usnavi, Olivia Vásquez (West Side Story) as Vanessa, Richard Valdez as Piragua Guy, and Mariah Gonzalez as Nina Rosario. Further casting announcements will be made shortly.

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The local production is directed by Luke Joslin, with choreography by Amy Campbell, with the pair of Helpmann Award nominees managing to turn the upcoming production into one you certainly won’t want to miss.

Following its Melbourne debut at the Comedy Theatre, In The Heights will hit the road for an engagement at the Gold Coast’s Home Of The Arts (HOTA) from September 12th.

Tickets to the Melbourne leg go on sale from 9am on Thursday, March 6th.

This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body

Music Australia