New cast members are set to join the company of Olivier Award-winning musical In The Heights from tonight.
Joining the cast are Christine Allado (From Here to Eternity, Here Lies Love) as Vanessa, Norma Atallah (The Sound of Music – Live) as Abuela and Jonathan Bishop (The Lion King) as Graffiti Pete (from 15 April). Kimmy Edwards (Memphis, Hairspray) will join the ensemble and Ryan Reid (Shrek The Musical) will join as swing.
The cast will continue to feature David Bedella, who received the 2016 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for his performance as Kevin, Josie Benson (Sweeney Todd) as Camila, Vas Constanti (Flashdance) as Piragua Guy, Lily Frazer (Cats) as Nina, Sam Mackay (Wonder.land) as Usnavi, Sarah Naudi as Carla, Joe Aaron Reid (Ghost, Broadway) as Benny, Cleve September (professional debut) as Sonny and Philippa Stefani (Ghost the Musical) as Daniela. The cast also includes Jocasta Almgill, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Michael Cortez, Gabriela Garcia, Reiss Hinds and Spin.
In The Heights is the winner of three 2016 Olivier Awards, for Outstanding Achievement in Music, Best Theatre Choreographer (Drew McOnie) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical (David Bedella). Initially booking for a limited four-week run, In The Heights has extended its run at King’s Cross Theatre three times and is now booking until Sunday 30 October 2016.
In The Heights is an uplifting and exhilarating journey into Washington Heights, one of Manhattan’s most vibrant communities – a place where the coffee 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 struggle can be deciding which traditions to take with you, and which ones to leave behind. With a gripping story and unforgettable Latin and hip-hop infused score, In The Heights is a ground-breaking contemporary musical about what it takes to make a living, what it costs to have a dream, and what it means to be home.
In The Heights opened at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre in 2008 where it was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, winning four for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. It also won the 2009 Grammy Award for its Original Broadway Cast Album and was nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is the Tony-winning composer-lyricist of In the Heights. He also originated the lead role of Usnavi for which he received a Tony-Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Lin-Manuel is currently starring in the title role in his newest musical Hamilton, which had its world premiere at The Public Theater in January 2015 before transferring to Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre in July 2015. The production has so far received a record-breaking 10 Lortel Awards, 3 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 8 Drama Desk Awards, the 2015 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best New Musical and the 2015 OBIE Award for Best New American Play.
In The Heights is directed by Luke Sheppard whose recent credits include Casa Valentina (Southwark Playhouse), Oliver! (Watermill Theatre), Adrian Mole (Curve Theatre), Next Fall (Southwark Playhouse), Bed And Sofa (Finborough Theatre) and Jet Set Go! (Jermyn Street Theatre). Luke is also Associate Director of Matilda in the West End and on Broadway.
It is choreographed by Drew McOnie, who received the 2016 Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for In The Heights. Recent credits include The Lorax (Old Vic), Hairspray (UK Tour), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith), Oklahoma! (UK Tour), Chicago (Curve Theatre) and Drunk (Bridewell Theatre). Drew is also the Artistic Director of The McOnie Company and an Associate Artist at The Old Vic, for which he is currently creating a new dance-thriller version of Jekyll and Hyde.
REVIEW: In The Heights
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