'In the Heights': A slice of the Big Apple comes to Winter Haven with award-winning play

WINTER HAVEN – It’s about dancing, singing and loving one another – a universal story about life and friendship in a vibrant New York City community.

And it’s all taking place about 1,125 miles south of The Big Apple.

Friday through Sunday, With Love Productions Inc. is presenting “In the Heights,” Lin Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning musical about a vibrant community in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood — a multicultural neighborhood where coffee wafts from corner bodegas, windows are open to greet neighbors and the rhythms of three generations of music fill the air.

WLP is a local, nonprofit theater company that has produced plays across Lakeland and Winter Haven for 12 years.

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Presented at Polk State College Winter Haven, “In the Heights” is WLP’s 23rd production since its founding in 2010. WLP’s version of the musical will be the first licensed community production of this show to be produced in Polk County since the show made its premiere in Waterford, Connecticut, in 2005.

During a July 19 rehearsal in the PSC Winter Haven theater, the “In the Heights” cast of 24 – 12 leads and 12 ensemble members – WLP guest director Jeff Luty said the musical was originally planned for July 2020 but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Luty – theatre instructor at Rochelle School of the Arts in Lakeland – said the cast ranges in age from high school sophomores to those in their 50s. Auditions were held through May and the cast comes mostly from Polk County and Orlando. A crew of 15 will help set up and run the show.

Luty, 51, said he and WLP founder and creative director Alessandra Stillinger were both fans of the musical and decided to produce it. He said bringing the play to Polk County had some challenges, such a designing and making a large security grate and integrating it into the set of a street scene. But overall, it came together smoothly.

“In the Heights” contains recorded music scored for the original production under music director Tony Mercer, and dancing choreographed for WLP by Eddie Baez, Freddie DeJesus and Michelle Vaughn-Bailey.

In addition, KO (Karen Olivo), a Tony Award-winning actor from the original Broadway cast, is doing creative consulting for the production.

“The musical is about family, about heritage. We wanted to do a show here that reflected the variety of people of all types that live here. There’s a lot of dancing and it’s a good story,” Luty said. “If the audience leaves the theater happy, humming some of the tunes and are hopefully more respectful toward others, that’s what we want.”

Among the awards “In the Heights” has garnered since its debut are Tony Awards for “Best Musical” and “Best Original Score”; a Grammy Award for “Best Musical Show Album”; the Laurence Olivier Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Music”; and an Off-Broadway Obie Award.

Before joining the cast to rehearse onstage, Kimmy Amparo, who plays a lead role as “Nina Rosario,” said she had performed as “Vanessa” in “In the Heights” while attending George Jenkins High School in Lakeland. She said her role as “Nina” came easily since she shares the character’s personality.

“I relate a lot to the character. It’s a big role, but it has been fun and it’s a bright light in my life,” said Amparo, 20, a native of Queens, New York, who was raised in Lakeland. “I want (the audience) to see the impact of community, and I want them to find comfort in seeing these stories.”

A film adaptation of the musical was released in June 2021, and Stillinger – who plays “”Daniela” in the show – said rehearsals were being videoed in order to produce an online documentary series about its local presentation. She said she wanted to preserve the play’s “amazing” choreography, which features various forms of Latin and hip-hop dancing.

“It’s high-energy and beautiful and there’s a lot of visuals through lighting, costuming, music, the props and the set – there’s really a lot going on in this production,” she said.

If you go

WHAT: WLP Presents: "In the Heights"

WHEN: 7 to 9:30 p.m., July 22, 23; 2 to 4 p.m., July 24

WHERE: Polk State College theater, 999 Avenue H N.E., Winter Haven

COST: $20 ($2 processing fee for online tickets)

INFO: 863-944-8280; withloveproinfo@gmail.com; www.withloveproductionsinc.com

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: In the Heights WLP production coming to Winter Haven this weekend