Lin-Manuel Miranda did not throw away his shot at playing Alexander in his Broadway phenomenon Hamilton, but there is a reason why he's passing up another lead role as his musical In The Heights hits the big screen in June. Though its success hasn't compared to Hamilton thus far, Miranda's first musical launched his career after debuting on Broadway in 2008 and earning four Tony Awards. Now, after years of setbacks and delays, a movie adaptation of In The Heights will release next month under the direction of Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and following the screenplay from Quiara Alegría Hudes.
In The Heights is a musical set in New York City's Washington Heights neighborhood, a place where its predominantly Dominican residents wrestle with their big dreams and their ties to the community. Usnavi de la Vega, the story's narrator, is a prime example. He's a bodega owner who is saving up to achieve his dream of returning to the Dominican Republic. Among Usnavi's inner circle are his best friend Benny, his love interest Vanessa, his cousin Sonny, his neighbor Nina, and his mentor "Abuela" Claudia. From college struggles to cab driving, the characters navigate life in an urban neighborhood amid spirited musical numbers.
Miranda played the role of Usnavi in the musical's original Broadway run when he was in his 20s. According to Variety, Miranda opted to relinquish the opportunity for the upcoming In The Heights movie because he felt he had aged out of the part. Plus, he and Chu were adamant about finding relatively unknown stars to have the chance to bring the vibrant Latinx story to life. Enter rising star Anthony Ramos as Usnavi, who is set to star in the film alongside Corey Hawkins, Melissa Barrera, Gregory Diaz IV, Leslie Grace, and Olga Merediz.
Though Ramos' roles in blockbusters such as A Star Is Born (2018) and Trolls World Tour (2020) haven't landed him on the household name list yet, his acting skills will be prominently on display for In The Heights. As of now, Ramos is best known for portraying both John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, but his history with Miranda didn't automatically secure this new role. It helped that he had filled in as Usnavi during a 2018 performance of In The Heights in D.C. while the team was scouting for their lead. Chu sat down with Ramos one day over coffee, and the rest is history.
In addition to his role as executive producer, Miranda is playing a small role in the movie, however. He'll play a vendor who sells piraguas, a Puerto Rican shaved ice dessert. Chu recalled an emotional scene during filming when the cast began to chant Miranda's name out of gratitude. "[Miranda] starts to tear up, and everyone starts to tear up because we’re here because of him," Chu said. "He created this, and now we get to go do other things." The cast of In The Heights will see their work pay off on June 11 when the film releases in theaters and on HBO Max.
