In the Heights

In The Heights is a musical used to taking its time getting off the ground, penned by Lin-Maneul Miranda while he was still a student in 1999, it first showed in Connecticut in 2005, made it to Off-Broadway two years later and debuted on the Great White Way in 2008 to huge critical acclaim (read: four Tony awards). Now, it’s coming to Scotland, courtesy of the Edinburgh University Footlights. 

Performing at the Churchill Theatre between 11 and 15 February, the Footlights’ focus on home and heritage within the musical suggest it is a show which will transcend the cultural borders between Scotland’s capital and the Washington Heights area of New York City. The diverse characters, music and styles of dance makes In The Heights a striking musical to watch, and a challenge to perform. 

Interweaving the difficulties and the triumphs of a community through the eyes of a young shopkeeper who watches their lives as they pass through, it suggests a touch of Rent with a touch of West Side Story’s Latin America; comparisons which for any musical set in Manhattan it is difficult not to draw. The critical acclaim, the complex choreography and the global themes of home and identity suggest that this is a show that will stand on its own. In the hands of a student theatre company willing to push themselves and the performance, In The Heights looks set for an exciting Scottish debut.