Take a trip to New York’s vibrant Washington Heights neighborhood to meet a cast of colorful characters and tap your feet to a salsa beat when In the Heights hits the main stage at the Fine Arts Center Theatre. The hip-hop musical was the first Tony Award winner for Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator and star of Hamilton.
The popular musical is Miranda’s love letter to the Upper Manhattan community where he still lives, but its universal story is that of a community on the brink of change. In The Heights explores the hopes, dreams and pressures of a working-class neighborhood through the shared experiences of three generations of inhabitants.
“These stories are everyone’s stories,” says Director Elise Santora in a press release. “It’s parents trying to put their child through college. It’s an independent, fierce woman fighting for her business. It’s about created family, a better life, and what home really looks like. I want the audience to be soaked in that community feeling.”

Santora played Abuela Claudia in the first Broadway production of In The Heights and in the musical’s first national tour. Her regional credits span from Los Angeles to New York, on and off Broadway. But this production is a return to the FAC for Santora. She performed the title role in Guadalupe in the Guest Room in the Fine Arts Center’s 2021 production. The performance earned her a Henry Award, a top honor given by the Colorado Theatre Guild.
In The Heights has won many awards of its own, including the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. The musical also was adapted for the big screen in 2021. The Fine Arts Center Theatre will perform In The Heights on its mainstage from March 2 through April 2 with tickets starting at $20.
Every year, the FAC produces a season of innovative and exciting theatrical and artistic productions, such as the renowned performance artist Eiko Otake, Ansel Adams’ Masterworks, and The Legend of Georgia McBride.
See In The Heights.
Find more information and tickets at fac.coloradocollege.edu.


