AFTER Broadway and the West End, In the Heights is hitting the screens for the first time.
The musical's film adaptation has been released in theatres this Friday, 11 June and will be available for streaming on HBO Max for a month. Who can viewers expect to be in the cast? We have the lowdown.
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Who is in the cast of In the Heights?
For its big screen debut, the cast of In the Heights has a new look.
As it has done in the course of its different productions, from Waterford to the West End, the musical features new faces.
Here’s the cast of In the Heights:
Anthony Ramos as Usnavi de La Vega
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Much like his co-stars, Anthony takes part in the musical for the first time.
He will be slipping into the shoes of major character and narrator Usnavi de La Vega, following the steps of Javier Muñoz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kyle Beltran and Sam Mackay.
An actor, singer and songwriter, Anthony isn’t a stranger to the world of musicals as he shot to fame when starring in Hamilton as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton.
He also appeared in the Dreamworks movie Trolls World Tour as King Trollex.
Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario
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Leslie will become Nina Rosario, an intelligent girl who, as a result of feeling overburdened, has dropped out of college and is adamant on finding her true calling.
Both Ariana Greenblatt - recently seen in Netflix’s Awake - and Ariana S. Gomez are set to play younger versions of the character.
The 26-year-old is making her film debut in the musical as she began her career as a singer and a songwriter, releasing an independent Christian music album while in middle school.
She’s even the face of Colgate toothpaste and has signed a distribution deal with Sony Music Latin.
Corey Hawkins as Benny
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Nina’s love interest and the only In the Heights character who does not speak Spanish.
Working at a dispatch owned by Nina’s father, Benny falls in love with the young woman, despite her father’s objections.
At 32 years old, Corey has had his share of experience on the big and small screens as well as on Broadway.
Known for his roles in The Walking Dead and 24: Legacy, he has also portrayed Dr. Dre in the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton.
He has also starred in the Broadway production of Six Degrees of Separation and Netflix’s movie 6 Underground.
Melissa Barrera as Vanessa Morales
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Although she catches the eye of every man in the Heights, Vanessa is Usnavi’s love interest.
Dreaming of a getaway from the barrio, she is only waiting for an opportunity to make her wishes come true.
A Mexican actress and singer, Melissa started her career in the telenovelas Siempre tuya Acapulco (2013), Tanto amor (2015) and Club de Cuervos (2017).
She is set to star in the 2022 slasher horror film Scream.
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Olga Merediz as “Abuela” Claudia
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The loving matriarch of the Heights and a mother figure to Usnavi, after his parents died.
Olga is already familiar with the role of Claudia as she has played in on and off-Broadway shows in 2007 and 2008.
Reprising her role for which she was made famous, Olga is also known for her TV credits which include the 2016 series Shades of Blue and Orange Is The New Black in which she played Lourdes during 6 episodes.
Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela
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Bold, loud and a lover of gossip and banter, Daniela is the dramatic owner of the neighbourhood salon.
Daphne is a dancer, singer and songwriter who is very familiar with Broadway as the famous theatre gave her her first experience in the limelight in the musical Rent.
She has since gone on to appear in the off-Broadway show Jack Goes Boating, in the 2019 film Bombshell and in the series Smash (2012) and Katy Keene (2020).
Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny de la Vega
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An ambitious yet superficially lazy young man with a heck of an attitude and a thirst for justice, Sonny is Usnavi’s younger cousin.
Away from the spotlight, Gregory is far from a typical 16-year-old as he is an actor, a dancer and a singer.
His career was kick-started thanks to his role of Quentin in the Netflix series The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He has also appeared in the film Carrie Pilby.
Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario
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At the head of his own taxi service, Kevin is also Nina’s overprotective father.
A role Jimmy seems well suited for, not only as a father of two children but also as an actor accustomed to roles of men ready to put their life on the line.
Known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes in L.A Law, he has also played Detective Bobby Simone in NYPD Blue and Matt Santos in The West Wing.
Amongst many other TV and cinema roles, he also appeared in the series Sons of Anarchy from 2012 to 2014.
Stephanie Beatriz as Carla Rosario
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Kevin’s wife and Nina’s mother. Strong-willed, she typically agrees with her husband’s choices but, in the course of In the Heights, will take her own stand.
Stephanie is best known and well-liked by NBC and Netflix viewers for playing Detective Rosa Diaz in the comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Dascha Polanco as Cuca
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Much like the actress playing her, Cuca is a brand new character and is first introduced in the In the Heights adaptation.
Dascha, on the other hand, is already well-known to Netflix viewers as she has played Daya Diaz in the series Orange Is The New Black.
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Piraguero, the Piragua Guy
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He may have been used to playing Usnavi’s character on and off-Broadway but, now, Lin-Manuel is standing away from the main spotlight as he plays Mister Softee’s main competitor.
Actor, singer, songwriter, rapper and playwright, he is the creator of the In the Heights and Hamilton musicals. The former kick-started his career in the 2000s.
When he is not in theatres, he can be seen on TV and has even contributed music for multiple scenes in the Star Wars saga.
Marc Anthony as Mr. de la Vega
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The singer, also known as J-Lo’s ex-husband, is starring as another never-before-seen character.
He started his career in the 1980s as a session vocalist for freestyle music and in underground New York music acts.
After reluctantly singing as a Salsa musician, he followed Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias in the anglophone market in the 1990s.
Noah Catala as Graffiti Pete
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A graffiti artist, Pete is also Sonny’s good friend, despite Usnavi believing he is a troublemaker.
Noah is less known to the public but has played in The Get Down in 2016.
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Christopher Jackson as Mr. Softee
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Christopher began his musical career in the off-Broadway show Time and The Wind in 1995, before appearing in the original Broadway cast of Disney’s The Lion King.
He has also been featured in Oz, Fringe, Gossip Girl, The Good Wife and White Collar.
Trailer for In the Heights the adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's broadway musical
