Summer Fun: Lin-Manuel Miranda's In The Heights now playing at the Aurora theatre

I’m a native New Yorker and one of the things I’ve missed about living in the Big Apple is access to great theater. From drama, to musicals, Broadway has it all and in the past I’ve managed to see all of the shows my heart desired. I miss it and for a very long time I’ve wanted to see the Broadway hit Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. To date the stars haven’t aligned to make that happen however I was recently given the opportunity to see his first show, In The Heights at the Aurora theatre in Lawrenceville, Georgia. I have to admit when I first heard about the show I was extremely excited but totally not looking forward to the drive to Gwinnett county. Ladies and gentlemen, I have to say that In The Heights was worth the drive! As a matter of fact, even if I had to drive an hour, this is a show that should NOT BE MISSED!

I don’t even know where to begin. It has been a long time that a musical has moved me the way In the Heights did. This musical is set in the Washington Heights neighborhood in upper Manhattan, New York. The story is about the people who live in this primarily Afro-Latino community, their culture and some obstacles too. The story focuses on two main characters Nina, a first generation Puerto Rican woman who is attending Stanford and is her family and communities HOPE. The second character is Usnavie who owns a corner bodega and struggles with staying or leaving the community he has called home his entire life.

Usnavie raps the entire show and Nina’s character is a salute to musical theater. The music ranges from R&B to hip-hop to the sounds of the Caribbean while sharing the cultural mix of this New York community. I was literally dancing in my seat and if I were in the back row of the theater I would have gotten up and danced!  In the Heights is both educational and refreshing. The singing, rapping and dancing are impeccable and there is no question why this show won the Tony award for best musical! And although I lament about missing Broadway, this Aurora theatre production was on par with the best that I’ve seen in New York - from the actors to the set design, it does not disappoint!

In the Heights is not to be missed! It is playing from now until August 28th and you can purchase tickets on the Aurora theatre website. Get there! Be inspired and experience a taste of New York in Atlanta!

Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary media pass for this production, as usual all opinions are my own.