 | | | Daniel Rubio plays the hero/narrator Usnavi in Woodminster Summer Musicals' production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights," which runs weekends Aug. 31-Sept. 9 at historic Woodminster Amphitheater in Oakland's Joaquin Miller Park. Photo Kathy Kahn | | | | | | Producers Associates ends the 52nd season of Woodminster Summer Musicals with Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In the Heights," which tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood - a place where the coffee from the corner bodega 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 struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.
With music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegrea Hudes, "In the Heights" was the winner of the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. This high-energy show, performed under the stars at this open-air performance facility in Oakland's Joaquin Moraga Park, features lovable characters, a contemporary Latin-flavored score and Tony-winning hip-hop dance moves. But it's also very sweet and sentimental, dealing with universal themes of family, romance, and ambition.
Says director Joel Schlader, "'In the Heights' brings a joyful new beat to our stage. Be prepared to tap your toes to the rhythms, get immersed in this electrifying and touching story, and believe in the power of musical theatre."
Tickets are available by phone at (510) 531-9597, online at www.woodminster.com, or in person at Woodminster Amphitheater 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekends, or at the box office two hours before any performance. Performances are 8 p.m. on Aug. 31 (opening), Sept. 1, 7 and 8, and 7 p.m. on Sept. 2, 6 and 9.
For more information, visit www.woodminster.com.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA