Carver High School Drama Students Present ‘In The Heights’

The Carver High Theater Department is presenting the musical In The Heights Jan. 9-10 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. Tickets are $10. If folks miss these two performances, they will have another opportunity to see the talented students perform during a Dinner Theater event set Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. in the school auditorium. Dinner Theater tickets are $15.

The story is set over the course of three days, involving an ensemble cast of characters in the largely Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City. In the story, a young store owner watches the joys and heartbreaks of his tight-knit community as they pass through his bodega. In The Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community – 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.

After productions in Connecticut (2005) and Off-Broadway (2007), In The Heights opened in a Broadway theater production in March 2008. It played 1,184 regular performances and closed on January 9, 2011. In 2008, the musical was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won in four categories: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations. It was also nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Some critics called In The Heights a groundbreaking 21st century musical and the next chapter in the classic American dream story. With Grammy Award-winning music and lyrics as well as a book by 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, In The Heights is a cleverly crafted mixture of comedy and heart. The rich and eclectic score is a joyous mix of hip-hop, rap, jazz, pop, salsa, and merengue.

“In The Heights is a show that incorporates music, a bilingual script, and dance,” said Roshunda Jones, theater director at Carver High School. “It is the story about love, poverty, and finding true belonging. It really is a universal story for everyone to enjoy.”

The Carver High production will also feature performances from Houston Academy and Drew Academy students as well as members from the Aldine Dance Company. In addition to Ms. Jones, the theater production team includes Tamara Fleming, production assistant; Jabari Collins, technical director; Kiana Day, musical director; Juan Polanco, vocal director, as well as choreographers Selina Baynard, Jabari Collins and Sarita Salinas.

For more information, contact Roshunda Jones at 281-878-0310.

View images from the Carver High production of the musical “In The Heights.” Images provided by Kristin Wilson.

Benny and Nina, played by Kyle Ward and Auyana Melancón, are pictured in a scene from the musical “In The Heights.”

Another image of Benny and Nina (Ward and Melancón).

Daniela, played by Amber Nicole, and the ensemble cast in the carnival scene from “In The Heights.”

Grafitti Pete and Sonny, played by Joshua Austin and Kristopher Adams, along with members from the ensemble cast in a scene from the musical “In The Heights.”

Daniela (Amber Nicole), Carla (Elysa Aguilar) and Vanessa (Stephanie García) in a scene at Salon Unisex from the musical In “The Heights.”

Usnavi, played by Nyles Washington, and members from the ensemble cast in a scene from “In The Heights.”