If you’re amongst the droves of fans waiting for Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s movie-musical In the Heights to be released later this week, you’re in luck.
Monday, an exclusive sneak peek of the film was released on YouTube ahead of its June 11 premiere in theaters.
“Lights up on Washington Heights, a world very much of its place, but universal in its experience, where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big,” reads the official synopsis.
“The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside of the181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi, who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.”
The film, based on Miranda’s first Tony-winning hit about a rapidly gentrifying block in New York’s Washington Heights, is directed by John Chu, who is best known for his work on the box office success Crazy Rich Asians.
She’s Gotta Have It TV show star Anthony Ramos stars as Usnavi, Corey Hawkins is Benny, and Melissa Barrera is Vanessa. Stephanie Beatriz, Jimmy Smits, Dascha Polanco, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Olga Merediz, and Leslie Grace also appear in the cast.
Miranda himself even pops in to makes a special appearance as ‘Piragua Guy,’ who sells shaved ice and sings.
Out of respect for ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19, on June 9, the film will premiere at various indoor and outdoor screenings as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. Then on June 11, it will be released in theaters across the country.
For those who can’t make it to the cinema, the movie will also be available on HBO Max for 31 days after theatrical release.
As we previously reported, in 2016, Miranda had the sort of year that most artists can only dream of.
The “Hamilton” writer-composer won a Pulitzer Prize and a clutch of Tony Awards, then also earned a Golden Globe nomination, won the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, wrote music for a top movie, and inspired a best-selling book, a best-selling album of “Hamilton” covers and a popular PBS documentary.
And as if that wasn’t enough, he capped it all off by beating Beyoncé, Adele, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, among others, to be named The Associated Press Entertainer of the Year, voted by members of the news cooperative and AP entertainment reporters.
“There’s been more than a little good luck in the year itself and the way it’s unfolded,” Miranda said right after being told of the honor. “I continue to try to work on the things I’ve always wanted to work on and try to say yes to the opportunities that I’d kick myself forever if I didn’t jump at them.”
Though theater fans have long cherished his fluency in both Stephen Sondheim and Tupac, “Hamilton” helped Miranda break into the mainstream in 2016. The groundbreaking, biographical hip-hop show tells the true story of an orphan immigrant from the Caribbean who rises to the highest ranks of American society, told by a young African-American and Latino cast.
Watch the preview below:
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