‘In the Heights’ revival at New York City Center runs through Nov. 15, director calls it ‘a balm for these times’

The Story

David Mendizábal, who remembers the original In the Heights as a “portal to the theater,” is now directing a limited three-week revival of the musical at New York City Center.

The production is running through Nov. 15, with a new cast of Latino artists. Mendizábal said the show is vital in the current moment because it helps “show people the depth and breadth” of Latino communities, adding, “I think in this particular moment we need a great balm of joy, and this show brings that.”

The original 2008 musical—created by playwright and star Lin-Manuel Miranda with writing by Quiara Alegría Hudes—won four Tony Awards, including best musical and best original score. Miranda, who also starred in the original production, said in an AP account that he was “really proud of the work Quiara and I did to make it speak across generations” and that it is “incredibly meaningful” that the current generation is taking on the show.

New York City Center vice president and artistic director Jenny Gersten said she wrestled with the question of what would be a “good balm for these times,” and decided on In the Heights because, as she put it, “In the Heights is pure joy.”

Set in Washington Heights, the musical is described as taking place over three summer days in the lives of the neighbourhood’s characters, including bodega-boy Usnavi, salon neighbour Vanessa, and Abuela Claudia.

In the 2026 revival, Usnavi is played by Matte Martinez, Vanessa by Ashley De La Rosa and Abuela Claudia by Natalie Venetia Belcon. The musical features the act one anthem “96,000,” in which the cast dreams about what they would do if they won the lottery.

The AP account notes that the revival comes amid ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations affecting Dominican and Cuban families depicted in the musical, including an incident in Manhattan last month involving a Dominican national shot in the neck by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer while his five-year-old son watched.

In the 2026 production, Ishmael Gonzalez plays Sonny and uses they/them pronouns. Gonzalez said Sonny’s rap addresses “gentrification,” “immigration” and “the racism within politics,” and that “in some ways, Sonny’s rap feels like the most present part of the show, the most present to the moment we’re living in.”

Gonzalez described the character as symbolizing the “unwavering optimism” of young Latino leaders, adding, “We are here, and we are a part of this country and this world. Our labor and our love upholds the spine of this country.”

Chris Jackson, who portrayed Benny in the original Broadway cast, is represented in the revival through his wife, Veronica Vazquez-Jackson, who plays Camilla in the 2026 production. Jackson told the AP during Wednesday’s gala celebration that it was a “full circle moment” and said, “We are literally holding the light on for so many that still aspire to be a part of this society, in our country, in our culture, and also not forgetting who they are.”