By Cris Franco

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Broadway’s rapidly expanding roster of Latinx talent will be live on-stage at NYC’s toniest supper club & cabaret, 54 Below, which features twice-nightly performances by The Big Apple’s hottest stage names. From its inception, the intimate showroom has presented Latinx talent from the legendary Chita Rivera to our latest Tony Award-winners, Lin Manuel Miranda, Paulo Szot, and Lindsay Mendez (soon to be co-starring with Daniel Radcliff in Sondheim’s opus to friendship, Merrily We Roll Along). Here’s the impressive calendar of musical acts 54 Below has in store. 

JChris & Friends: Noche Latina

SEPTEMBER 17, 2023 @ 7 pm SHOW INFO
Come enjoy a night of Latin music presented by urban Latin artist JChris (aka Chris Urquiaga) and an all-star cast from Broadway and TV: October 26, 27 & 28 @ 7 pm, Anna Paloma, Carmen Ezcurra, La Lulu, Jeffrey Nuñez, Jon Rodriguez and Valerie Torres-Rosario.

54 Below is honoring the fact that la música Latina is embedded into NYC’s cultura by dedicating a night to the genre and all of its eclectic subgenres. You will hear selections from the Broadway repertoire, Latin pop standards, and original urban Latin tunes penned by JChris. Through their deeply personal performances, the guest artists will express the role Latin music has played in defining their artistic, personal, and cultural identities. JChris is known for his smooth voice and high-energy bilingual performances. His music transcends boundaries, infusing Latin, Afro, and Brazilian influences while exploring themes of gender fluidity and queer culture. This is a joyous night of celebrating the diversity within la musica Latina. To add to the fun, join JChris’ livestream by logging into

To add to the fun, join JChris’ livestream by logging onto: 54below.org/JChrisLIVE

The Twisted Worlds of Christian De Gré Cárdenas

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 @ 9:30 pm. SHOW INFO
“A creepy-carnival vibe. Simply put, it’s twisted and wonderful.” – Time Out New York

Join La Muerte, the boozy ruler of the underworld, and their adorably ill-made Diablito as they bicker over what worlds to weed in the coming great reckoning of their beloved garden. New York Innovative Theater Award nominee Christian De Gré Cárdenas returns to 54 Below with a dark and twisted retrospective of five fantastical worlds spanning two centuries on the verge of total blissful collapse.

Starring a macabre mix of Broadway veterans, opera stalwarts, and indie theater all-stars, the evening features hilarious never-before-seen material along with highlights from the award-winning: Beware The Chupacabra, Jack of Hearts: Master of None, Ampathy (miscreated by a non-writer), Fish Food For Feelings, Sappy Tales for a Broken Heart, Whiskey Pants: The Mayor of Williamsburg and the gleefully morbid cabaret series A Drink With Death.

The magical evening features the talents of Sebastian Armendariz, Rob Moreira, Raquel Suarez Groen, Justin Anselmi, Matthew V. Carter, Nicholas Connolly, Molly Craven, Bethany Geraghty, Christian Mark Gibbs, Emma Grimsley, Caitlin Mesiano, Eric Michael Parker, and Trevor Pierce. It features collaborations with Joseph Reese Anderson, Sarah Sanders, Elias UVA Díaz, Serrana Gay, R. Patrick Alberty, Brian Freeland, and Ariana Paganetti. So, join us and step into an unforgettable night of Broadway at its bizarre best.

“De Gré’s Sondheim-esque operettas are the perfect answer to the accusation that there is no new musical theater of quality being made.” OffTheBeatenTrackTheater

Mauricio Martinez: 5’11” Based in NYC

October 5 & 6, 2023 @ 7 pm SHOW INFO
“Speaking economically, it was a perfect night of cabaret entertainment.” – Stephen Mosher, BroadwayWorld

Mauricio Martínez Mexican actor and singer (On Your Feet!, Broadway; El Vato, NBC) is an Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award® watcher. The gifted vocalist with leading man looks, and a Broadway star voice has had a lot of self-tape sides filling up his Dropbox. In his new show, 5’11, Based in NYC, he’s putting those recordings to good use in a musical titled, “What If…” where he incorporates popular musical songs into his various audition self-tapes. Pushing aside the ring light, this very funny and personal peek into an actor’s life is an electric night of musical theatre. Accompanied by a band led by musical director Brian J. Nash and featuring special guests, the “Mexican Marvel,” hailed as a “world-class vocalist” by BroadwayWorld, proudly brings his new solo show to 54 Below for two nights only. Martinez’s charming manner and smooth vocals ensure a thrilling night of cabaret. Written by Mauricio Martínez and Robbie Rozelle, with musical direction and arrangements by Brian J. Nash. Directed by Robbie Rozelle.

MAURICIO MARTINEZ SINGS ”Another Hundred People” 

Jai Rodriguez: A Thousand Sweet Kisses

October 26, 27 & 28 @ 7 pm SHOW INFO

Emmy Award winner and Broadway veteran Jai Rodriguez returns home to the NYC stage after 17 years, with his new cabaret show A Thousand Sweet Kisses, chronicling his hilarious journey through love, sex, and relationships. We fell in love with Jai when he was introduced to us as the “Culture Guy” in the groundbreaking original reality show Queer Eye. Theater audiences first met Jai at the age of 18 when he played Angel in Rent, making him the youngest person ever cast in a leading role in that show. While in NYC, puertoriqueño Jai appeared at Lincoln Center in Spinning Into Butter, as Carmen Ghia in The Producers, and as Zanna in the cult classic Zanna, Don’t! While performing eight shows a week, Jai became a fixture in nightlife with his popular postmodern pop cabaret night at XL called Twisted Cabaret. Since then Jai has become a regular fixture in TV and film guest starring on shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Rookie, The Magicians, How I Met Your Mother, Fantasy Island, and as the scene-stealing Geoffrey in Malibu Country opposite Reba McEntire and Lily Tomlin. Most recently Jai was in the Judd Apatow film BROS and in Uncoupled.

A Thousand Sweet Kisses is a hilarious and touching musical cabaret featuring Broadway and pop classics as well as never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories. Each night will feature a different surprise guest dueting “I’ll Cover You” from Rent with him. You’ll love Jai’s unforgettable return to the NYC stage!

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Where did all In The Heights believers go? 

Last week we were all out in full force on social media and all over the place. The love for the film and the Latino community was in full bloom — as I have never seen it before.

Now, I don’t see much on social media encouraging people to go see the film.

What discouraged you? Was it the headlines in the mainstream media that called the In The Heights performance at the box-office a “flop,” that it “bombed,” that it was “dismal,” and “stumbled,” and “disappointed”? 

Maybe it was the complaints from Afro-Latinos that the “dark-skinned” Latinos were not represented? Yes, I can see how they might feel this way.  However, Lin Manuel Miranda the writer/producer of the film addressed and even apologized for it, saying that he heard the complaints and vowed to do better. It is not like he can do something about right away. The film is already made and out in the theaters. So that will need to be rectified in the future. 

So how are we just going to turn our backs on In The Heights and not go see it again this weekend or encourage others to do the same?  

Is this all it took for In The Heights, whose storytelling, excellent writing, and acting we thought was great last week, for us to lose interest in supporting? Didn’t I hear and read on social media how great the dance numbers and choreography were (sorry, La La Land — not even close)?  Is that all it took for us not to be promoting this second weekend? Where did our belief go? 

Because no matter how much money In the Heights makes this weekend, it will be less if we do not support it.  If we don’t act, you let the naysayers win. 

Is this what we want? For the critics to be proven right when we have it in our power to do something and help the film make more money?

We need to get back into the theaters and spend the dollars to make more money at the box office for the film. Because a hit movie is not always made on the first weekend, the momentum can build. Mi gente: wake up, get excited and rally the troops back into the theater.

There is hope. This from Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian in an article in the L.A. Times.  “In the Heights” could prove to have legs well into the summer box office season, Dergarabedian says. “The good news is that the film has received strong reviews and positive reaction from audiences, so at least ‘In the Heights’ delivers the goods and makes for happy subscribers and [moviegoers].”

If WE ALL get back in the theater and support In the Heights this second weekend, we won’t have to wait 10 years for another film like an all-Latino-created, all Latino-leads movie. Perhaps the next one will even star a darker-skinned Afro-Latino.

Let’s get back out into the movie theater by the hundreds of thousands this weekend so more movies with Latinos can be made.

Because it won’t matter how light or dark-skinned we are, we won’t see many more of these films if this one fails.

We have the box-office power. Why give it away? Let’s use it. Show up again at the theater. You are investing in the future of Latinos in Hollywood.

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The film that has been generating a lot of buzz leading up to today’s theatrical release is In the Heights, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians). It releases today June 11 in theaters nationwide and on HBO Max. Its a film to be appreciated to the fullest on a “big screen” for many reasons.

Almost every single critic has raved about the film, the direction and the casting. You will see an amazing cadre of “new” talented actors (at least on he big screen), starting with the lead Anthony Ramos. Ramos is on his way up with a bullet. Ramos met Miranda when he was cast in his hit play Hamilton. Since then he has worked on four project with him. Even before the release of In the Heights, which is his first starring role in a movie, Ramos’ talent has already led to roles in HBO’s In Treatment, and the Paramount Pictures upcoming untitled Transformers project.

In addition to Ramos, the two female leads Melissa Barrera (Vida) and singer Leslie Grace make their film screen debut and they do it spectacularly! These are now two talents that will be getting a lot more work in Hollywood. As a matter of fact Barrera has already landed her next three films. She just finished shooting Carmen where she plays the lead in the Sony Pictures Classics while also just wrapping Scream for Paramount pictures. The actress just signed a deal to star in Breathe, a six-episode drama series for Netflix.

Grace is a Latin Grammy Award-nominated singer who in 2015 signed a distribution deal with Sony Music Latin and a worldwide contract with Sony/ATV. After her performance in In the Height, where she shines as Nina, we predict you will be hearing about her next role soon.

There is a wave of support for In The Height, which is literally “opening up” theaters with it’s release this weekend. Celebrities who have seen the movie and asking people to go see it include Oprah, Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande and Hugh Jackman among others.

Social media is a-buzz with excitement for the premiere with several organizations coming out in full force to support.

NALIP, an organization that addresses the professional needs of Latino filmmakers content creators, launched #LatinxGoldOpen Theater Buyout Movement. An extension of the campaign that began with Asian films, it is now expanding to help secure box office success for Latino movies.

Joining to the supporters are Eugenio Derbez who said, “Thanks to NALIP and Gold House we get behind our creative community and Lin Manuel Miranda is one of the creators we are all most proud of. I’m also in Atlanta shooting our next movie and selfishly want to see In the Heights on the big screen ASAP!”

Actress Tatyana Ali of The Young and the Restless fame stated, “Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jon M. Chu’s upcoming film, In the Heights is a much needed celebration of the diverse perspectives and identities that make up our Latinx communities. To experience the sounds and sights of one’s own culture on the big screen is a balm to the soul. This film is also an invitation to listen to the dreams of others—a declaration of the sueñitos we all share. Join the #LatinxGoldOpen movement to ensure that more stories like In the Heights are told!”

Several multi-cultural organizations including CAPE, African-American Film Critics Association, Define American, The Blackhouse Foundation, and more have joined the effort behind #LatinxGoldOpen.

“Countless studies have demonstrated that films with diverse casts in front and behind the camera tend to do better at the box office,” says Benjamin Lopez, executive director of NALIP. “While Hollywood knows this to be true, there is still a long road ahead for proper diverse representation. We’re excited to work with Gold House for the #LatinxGoldOpen initiative promoting Jon M. Chu’s film In the Heights, based on the stage musical by the same name by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes. Added Lopez, “This partnership is a strong example of multicultural organizations coming together to support one cause, amplifying and supporting authentic stories and diverse talent in the media and proving that there is a worldwide audience for them.”

For decades studios and the Latino community have had high hopes for Latino themed film to succeed at the box office, only too see them fail. This time around there is also support from other communities, and even mainstream media. This time it feels different.

There is already buzz about Oscar nominations. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and just get out there, especially if you are vaccinated, and enjoy In The Heights where it was made to be seen, on the “big screen”.

The post Where and why to watch the most talked about film in Hollywood ‘In the Heights’ this weekend first appeared on .

Beginning on Monday, June 7th, Anthony Ramos who plays the lead role of Usnavy, and who is already known to tens of thousand Broadway fans from his role in the Tony award-winning plays In The Heights, will start off the week talking to Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest on Monday, June 7^th. We will get some insight into shooting the film and what we can expect. Already the buzz is strong, with the reviews to discuss the film adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical 

On Thursday, June 10, fresh off receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Jimmy Smits joins Kelly and Ryan for some insight into why he agreed to smaller role in the major production. On Friday, two-time Tony Award nominated Daphne Rubin-Vega will close out the week of In The Heights talks, the day before the film’s premiere on June 11.

There is much buzz on In The Heights and which has a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes while movie critics seem to be all on point with their praise of the film. “Movies and Shakers” summed up the critics’ consensus well when they said, “With Lin Manuel-Miranda’s genius, Jon Chu’s direction, and the fusion of talented cast and crew, this production, filled with exhilarating energy, more than translates from stage to screen.”

Jon M. Chu’s directs the much anticipated Warner Brothers’ adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit musical In the Heights, which opens nationwide on June 11, 2021. 

The post Anthony Ramos, Jimmy Smits, Daphne Rubin-Vega ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’ Starting Monday first appeared on .

By Marco Antonio Gonzalez 

While there have been a few films, and I do mean a few, inspired by and for Latinos in the Hollywood factory, never has there been a film, much less a musical, where Latinos are not only the subject matter but also the behind the scenes, front and center of a plot. The celebration of community, Latino cultural pride and heritage have rarely been depicted or delivered in such a majestic manner by Hollywood as it has been in Jon M. Chu’s much anticipated Warner Brothers’ adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit musical In the Heights, which opens nationwide on June 11, 2021. 

To be fair, there have been some notable and remarkable films in the limited Hollywood archives that have been reserved for us in a dark corner of their basement and that are worth mentioning as legacy Latino films; some of these iconic films include Zoot Suit, Mi Familia, Stand and Deliver, La Bamba, El Norte, Selena, Frida, The Motorcycle Diaries and most recently, Disney’s Coco. But for the most part, our stories have been relegated to play second fiddle or simply stand in as extras on the sideline of American cinema–Think West Side Story, whose only redeemable element is the presence of our iconic Rita Moreno as the only real Latina in a reinvented Latino-themed Romeo and Juliet Broadway musical-turned-film. 

In the Heights stars Anthony Ramos (A Star is Born, Hamilton, Honest Thief, In Treatment), Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, Kong: ), Melissa Barrera (Vida, Scream, and Carmen), Lin Manuel Miranda, Jimmy Smits, Marc Anthony, singer/songwriter Leslie Grace in the lead role of Nina and Olga Merediz, who is the only cast member from the original Broadway musical that captures the essence of community and family in her reprised role as Abuela.

In the Heights marks a dramatic and most defined line between visibility and invisibility of the Hispanic experience in America as told by Hollywood, and while it may have taken some time to get here, it makes a bold statement about the importance, contributions and influence of Latinos in America.  In the Heights may take place in New York City’s Washington Heights, but it unites us all by subtly and elegantly embracing all Latinos under one beautifully wrapped bow; it could be the immigrant story of any of our families. Yes, language and culture are perhaps a common thread between the diverse and complex Latin American diaspora in the U.S., but in the end, as members of this rich and mixed culture, we understand that we all inevitably experience our “Latinoness” in a very unique idiosyncratic nationalist way, without failing to accept the fact that we still belong to a larger tribe, and that is the Latin American tribe, where the triumph of one is the triumph of us all. It’s hard for me as an American born Mexican to not move my hips on cue with the first note or beat of a cumbia or salsa track, or the contagious rhythms of Colombian vallenato, or feel pride when I see the Aztec dancers on Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles or hear the dazzling and intoxicating notes of a Brazilian samba; that’s just who we are!

“In the Heights is more than a movie to me,” said Barrera exclusively to Latin Heat. “It represents honoring our people, it represents honoring our culture, it represents honoring generations of our ancestors that have long felt erased from the narrative and I love that the world will get to see our community in all of our complexity, in all of our beauty and glory too, and to see us celebrate each other and lift each other up because I feel that’s the essence of the Latinx community.” 

When you watch In the Heights for the first time, you feel that type of sensation and a warm fuzzy feeling, and you forget about your own Mexicanness, Puertoricanness (if those are even words), or your own family’s immediate national heritage and you embrace that rich culture that we all call Latino (or Hispanic, Latinx or whatever term you prefer), a culture that is expressed by this musical film in an explosion of color, music, dance, emotion and raw honesty. It took two influential and talented people of color, Miranda and Chu, to get Hollywood to finally tell our story with dignity and respect. 

In the Heights, the musical film is the product of two brilliant minds that bring to life our Latin experience in the U.S., the life of hard-working immigrant families who have been a quintessential part of the American fabric and the greatness of this nation. It is also a celebration of community, family and cultural pride, and heritage. The film is brilliantly directed by Chu as a musical of colossal proportions, with a crescendo effect of color and music that result in an explosive cinematic masterpiece with musical choreographies and numbers that are reminiscent of some of Hollywood’s most epic musicals of yesteryear. 

While the Broadway musical focused on the life and aspirations of Nina (played by Dominican singer Grace) and her personal conflicts between fulfilling her academic dreams and leaving her barrio behind, the film actually pivots its attention to the romantic storyline between the film’s lead characters Usnavi de la Vega (Ramos) and Vanessa (Barrera). The on-screen chemistry between Ramos and Barrera is pure magic and seamless. You believe their romance and truly fall for their love story from the opening of the film to the last frame that closes this unapologetic musical. 

In her film debut, Barrera steals every scene she appears in and unravels her singing, dancing and acting abilities in a similar fashion that Moreno must have done in 1961 when she swept Hollywood off its feet with her performance as Anita in West Side Story, which won her an Oscar for best actress in a supporting role that year. Barrera is not the next anything, she may very well be Hollywood’s newest quadruple threat, singer, actor, dancer and perfectly bilingual, a feat not seen or accomplished since Moreno’s successful and legendary career in entertainment. “I’m so excited for all the world to see us, to see our stories and to empathize with us, because I feel like we’re so much more similar than we are different,” said Barrera.

The film opens with the title track of “In the Heights,” and it is then that you immediately realize that you’re in for a very exhilarating and unforgettable cinematic experience because what comes next is an amalgamation of stellar choreographies, great music and a beautiful story that will endure the test of time. The grandeur and colorful performances of the “96,000” musical number in the community swimming pool are simply mesmerizing, and perhaps one of the most memorable moments in recent cinematic splendor. It truly is difficult to pick just one favorite moment, because Chu practically makes any plot fragment a gem without even trying, as is the case with the musical number “When You’re Home” with Hawkins and Grace dancing away on the side of an apartment building with the sunset as a golden backdrop or “It Won’t Be Long Now” with Barrera and Ramos. The art direction and the clever, timely insertion of the Dreamers storyline, which is not part of the original Broadway musical, are undoubtedly both carefully crafted characteristics that give the film and its characters a breath of depth and dignity you would never come to expect from a musical. 

Like Barrera said, In the Heights is more than a movie, it truly is an experience, the collective narrative of a group of people that have long been ignored by and intentionally left out of the Hollywood storytelling machine. In the Heights is the story of all Latinos living in the U.S. and a celebration of our communities, our cultural heritage and our powerful voices. In the Heights is truly the story of all of us. 

Featured Photo: ‘In the Heights’ (Credit: Warner Bros.)

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Showing a force of unity, fifty-two Latino based organizations come together to support the hour long special the Latino Inaugural 2021: Inheritance, Resilience & Promise. Eva Longoria Bastón hosts the special which will air on The Choice channel on Peacock, and on Telemundo’s and Univision’s digital and social platforms on Tuesday, January 19 at 9:30 p.m. EST as part of the official five day-slate of inaugural programming from the Biden-Harris Presidential Inauguration Committee. https://latinoinaugural.org/.  

Longoria Bastón and Henry R. Muñoz III are the executive producers of the program. the Inauguration special will focus on telling the stories of Latino contributions to society and stories that touch on the Latino American narrative in the United States, its history and challenges, and the promise for a better tomorrow. The show will honor members of Latino communities who kept the country running during the pandemic as members of our front line and essential workforce.

The production has engaged 52 of the country’s largest and most influential Latino organizations so serve as co-hosts who have come together to develop this inaugural event under the banner of Latinos Unidos.

The event will feature appearances by Edward James Olmos, John Leguizamo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Becky G, Ivy Queen, Farruko, Shaggy, Gaby Moreno, Emilio Estefan, Former Boston Red Sox David Ortiz aka Big Papi, Erik Rivera, Ana Navarro-Cárdenas, and Nicholas Gonzalez.

With musical performances from:
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Luis Miranda with a touching tribute to Puerto Rico; Gaby Moreno featuring David Garza performing Fronteras

An Emilio Estefan produced performance of One World, One Prayer performed by The Wailers, featuring Skip Marley, Shaggy, Farruko and Cedella Marley. Also, Reyes spoken word performance of The Promise, Gilberto Santa Rosa performing Canta Mundo, Mariachi Nuevo, Santander performing This Land is Your Land, All-Star Tejanos United – Stefani Montiel, Joe Posada, Shelly Lares, David Marez, Chente Barrera, DJ Kane, Art Tigerina, Mark Ledezma, Mario Ortiz, Members of LA, 45 and Mariachi Azteca de America performing America The Beautiful: A Salute to the Latino Imprint .

“A record number of Latinos cast ballots in our recent Presidential elections andoverwhelmingly voted for change,” stated Frankie Miranda, President & CEO of Hispanic Federation, a presenting partner of the LatinoInaugural 2021: Inheritance, Resilience & Promise. 

Hispanic Federation brings together more than 52 Latino organizations to support the historic event.  David Chavez of INGEÑUITY, Elaine Coronado of Argus Events and Ben De Jesus of NGL Studios are the co-producers.

Photo: latinoinaugural.org

The post Latinos Unite for Biden/Harris Inauguration Special first appeared on .

While attending Wesleyan University Miranda wrote the draft of what would become his first hit Broadway musical, In The Heights. The play, about a Latino neighborhood in New York, premiered on Broadway in 2008 and was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, winning four: Best Musical and Best Original Score and a Best Actor Tony Award for Miranda, and a  Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

The world-renowned musical Hamilton about President Alexander Hamilton was Miranda’s next Broadway hit.  The idea for the play started with a rap about Hamilton which he wrote and performed for the White House Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word in 2009.  

On the first night of the Hamilton previews (prior to opening), over 700 people were lined up for tickets. The play opened on Broadway in 2015 to rave reviews and sold-out houses.

Hamilton won the Tony Award for Best Musical; Miranda won the Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical and received a nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Miranda won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical, and the Hamilton cast album won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. 

While these two groundbreaking musicals launched his career, they do not uniquely define the artistic genius of Miranda.  He has had numerous musical collaborations, appeared in TV shows, and was in the film Mary Poppins Returns.  In 2021 Miranda makes his directorial debut with the musical drama film tick tock, BOOM based on a musical by Jonathan Larson. 

Featured Photo: Grammy Awards

— Latin Heat News Service

The post Happy Birthday Lin Manuel Miranda! first appeared on .

Based on the autobiographical musical by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jonathan Larson (Rent), the drama tells the story of an aspiring New York composer having second thoughts about his career choice. The film is one of a slate of new projects Netflix has for this year.

Miranda will share producer credit with acclaimed Hollywood filmmakers Brian Grazer, and Ron Howard, who directed Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind. Also producing will be Julie Oh (The Spy Who Dumped Me, Hillbilly Elegy).

Tick, Tick…BOOM! takes place in the Big Apple of the 1990s where an aspiring theatre composer in his late 20s waits tables while writing what he hopes will be a successful American musical. Jon is about to turn 30 but his girlfriend is tired of supporting his dreams at the expense of her own. To make things worse, his roommate and best friend is leaving the creative world for a well-paid career in advertising.

Starring in the musical will be Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Love, Simon), Vanessa Hudgens (Beastly, Spring Breakers), and Robin de Jesus (Camp, The Boys in the Band).

This will be the second time Miranda works on Tick, Tick…Boom! He starred in the off-Broadway revival of the musical in 2014. One year later, Miranda would star in Hamilton, his acclaimed Broadway musical hit that incorporates rap music and garnered 16 Tony Award nominations, winning for Best Musical, Leading actor original score and book.  Also for writing the musical, Miranda won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The Hamilton cast album also won a Grammy.

After Hamilton’s success, Miranda has expanded his film and television credits and the film Mary Poppins Returns. He has also contributed to movie soundtracks; Star Wars: Episode VII and Moana, for which Miranda received an Oscar nomination for the theme song. Currently he stars in the HBO dramatic series His Dark Materials.

Featured Photo: Hamilton Production

— Cesar Arredondo

The post Lin-Manuel Miranda To Make Directorial Debut first appeared on .

By Cesar Arredondo

The new CBS television special, Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event, created by Henry Munoz III and executive produced and hosted by Eva Longoria, brings together a coalition of mega superstars who will pay tribute to Latinos in the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic while celebrating the U.S. Latino contribution and culture.

The TV special will highlight the grassroots work done by some individuals and organizations during the Covid-19 crisis with the participation of actors John Leguizamo, Rita Moreno, Lin Manuel Miranda, Freddy Rodriguez, Isabela Merced, and Wilmer Valderrama, comedians George Lopez and Arturo Castro, and musical performances by Juanes, Gloria Estefan, Pitbull, Luis Fonsi, Kelsea Ballerini and Ricky Martin–with the latter two also also co-hosting the one-hour special. The special will also be available to stream live and on demand on CBS All Access.

“We have comedy, we have music, we have these wonderful… documentary packages” about people and organizations helping the Latino community in the pandemic, said Longoria during a recent virtual press conference promoting the event. “It’s such a beautiful 360 (degree perspective) of our culture.” There will be documentaries about entrepreneur immigrants, a woman who provides children of farmworkers with school supplies, feeding programs for people in need, and nonprofits.

The show is produced by Momento Latino, a coalition that came together in the beginning of the pandemic to tackle the challenges facing Latinos in the tragic time of Covid-19. “As we move from crisis to recovery, we know that this is our moment to speak up and fight for US Latinos,” declares the group’s website.

Companies co-producing the CBS special are Will Ferrell’s Funny Or Die and Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment along with the consulting firm Global Philanthropy Group. Executive producers are: Henry Muñoz for Momento Latino; Longoria and Ben Spector for UnbeliEVAble Entertainment; Maggie Neilson for Global Philanthropy; and Mike Farah, Joe Farrell, Jim Ziegler, Moira Noriega, Gloria Medel Solomons and R.A. Clark for Funny Or Die. The special is directed by Ron de Moraes, who won a Primetime Emmy for the XIX Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony and a Daytime Emmy for Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade.

A COALITION IS BORN
Launched earlier this summer in response to the impact of the pandemic on Latinos, Momento Latino is a coalition of activists, artists and allies “lifting our voices to push for change and elevate issues important to #Latino communities,” according to its Facebook page.

Munoz, who co-founded the group along with Longoria and created the television special said the Momento Latino’s idea started in New York back in march as the Big Apple became the epicenter of the pandemic. As Muñoz was driven to a coronavirus testing site through a desolated metropolis in lockdown, going through the National Guard and state and local police, he recalled imagining the intimidation some Latinos might feel facing all those challenges juts to get a Covid test, especially those with language barriers or with immigration status issues. Muñoz, a prominent businessman, designer and social justice activist who until recently was also the longest-serving Democratic National Committee finance chair, called Longoria and Estefan and told them, “We’ve got to do something.”

Momento Latino now boasts members such as U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, United League of Latin American Citizens, Acevedo Foundation, Hispanic National Bar Association, Hispanic Federation, Latino Policy Forum, Latino Community Foundation, and California Association for Bilingual Education, among others.

POSITIVE GOALS
The coalition aims at uplifting Latino stories and voices, talking action on issues relevant to the community, and celebrating Latinos’ diversity while highlighting commonalities in events that bring them together. Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event seems to check off all those boxes.

The Oct. 26 show will present stories that exemplify American Latinos’ resilience, ingenuity and caring during the pandemic which, according to organizers, has hit their community especially hard. “We are 18 percent of the population of the United States but we’re 34 percent of frontline essential workers,” said Longoria during a virtual press conference promoting the event. Those people include nurses and other medical professionals, farmworkers and delivery, restaurant and hotel workers, among others, added Longoria.

A recent study published in the Annals of Epidemiology shows that Latinos contract the virus and die from Covid-19 at disproportionately higher rates for their population. They account for 33 percent of all confirmed Covid-19 cases nationwide when they only represent about 18 percent of the country’s total population. Also, about one in five deaths from the disease is a Latino.

KEEPING U.S. GOING
“The majority of frontline essential workers that are keeping this country running and going are from our community, the Latino community,” stated Longoria, noting that many of them lack personal protection equipment. There have been numerous news reports, especially at the start of the pandemic, of medical staff, food processing plant employees and other workers toiling without proper protection or protocols against the coronavirus, risking their lives to make a living and support their families.

Workers from restaurants, farms, food industry and medical facilities are among those considered essential by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

While inevitably addressing the pandemic’s disproportional negative impact on Latinos, the CBS special appears to be an attempt to lift spirits and offer hope with community stories and entertainment.  

A short clip from Essential Heroes played at the conference highlights a family-owned Mexican restaurant La Guelaguetza, which was started by a food street vendor who immigrated from the Mexican state of Oaxaca. In the video, Estefan introduces the Los Angeles-based iconic eatery as an example of entrepreneurial creativity in the face of adversity. Estefan also attended the press conference via Zoom.

Two singers featured in the one-hour special offer uplifting songs. Grammy Award winner rapper Pitbull will perform his single I Believe That We Will Win, a song penned and released in the pandemic.

For her part, Estefan will sing a version of her pop dance hit Get On Your Feet especially adapted to serve as send-off at the end of the show.

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Disney Pays Lin Manuel Miranda $75 Million for worldwide film rights to his hit musical Hamilton

Lin Manuel Miranda’s phenomenal hit Broadway show Hamilton which won two Tony awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama will be distributed theatrically by Disney. The theatrical production was filmed and Disney dished out a cool $75 million for the exclusive worldwide distribution rights. The staged performances will release in theaters in the fall of 2021.

The original show and cast was filmed over three days with an audience much in the same way that the groundbreaking film version of Luis Valdez’s classic musical play Zoot Suit was filmed by Universal  way back in 1981. Lin Manuel Miranda stars in the title role that made him a star, much like Edward James Olmos was catapulted to stardom with his Tony Award nominated role as El Pachuco in Zoot Suit.  Miranda next will be seen in the big screen version of his musical play In The Heights, directed by Jon Chu and released by Warner Bros on June 25, 2020.

Emilio Estevez returns to The Mighty Ducks for Disney + series

Emilio Estevez (Young Guns, St. Elmo’s Fire) will be reprising the role of Coach Gordon Bombay from the original 1992 The Mighty Ducks hit movie in a new Mighty Ducks Disney + series.  In the original movie, Estevez played attorney Bombay who’s arrested for DUI and ordered to coach a youth hockey team as part of his court ordered community service and leads them to a championship. The series will run for 10 half hour episodes that will connect the new show to the original movie trilogy.  In recent years Estevez, the son of actor Martin Sheen and brother to Charlie Sheen has steered away from acting to concentrate on a behind the scenes career as a feature film director (Men at Work, Bobby, The Way).

Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street To Be Made Into a TV Series

Gaumont Television, the producer of the hit series Narcos, is developing Sandra Cisneros‘ classic novel The House On Mango Street into a television series with Cisneros attached as executive producer. Published in 1984, The House on Mango Street is a best-selling novel made up of a series of vignettes about the characters that populate a blue-collar Chicago neighborhood as seen through the eyes of a Mexican-American teenager who acts a narrator.

JLO and Shakira Music Sales go right through the roof right after their explosive Super Bowl Halftime Show

Due to their rock the house performances at the Super Bowl LIV Halftime show this past Sunday, both Jennifer Lopez and Shakira saw major sales gains for their entire catalog of songs according to Billboard reports from Nielsen Music/ MRC data. Music sales and streaming figures have continued to spike since Sunday’s show. It’s no surprise that both artist’s biggest selling songs were the ones performed during the halftime show. Shakira’s top three biggest sellers were Whenever, Wherever (4,000; up 1,264%), Hips Don’t Lie (3,000; up 1,201%) and Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (2,000; up 1,456%). As for Lopez, her top three sellers were On the Floor (2,000; up 1,193%), Let’s Get Loud (1,000; up 861%) and Waiting for Tonight (1,000; up 1,266%). All songs sold a negligible sum on Feb. 1, the day before the game.

 The first All Latino Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Latinas, certainly brought Latino music and culture center stage to a national and worldwide viewing audience.

Many viewers may not have been familiar with either JLo or Shakira’s music. Their show stopping dance and music performances introduced them to a new audience segment. Shakira’s curves and sexy gyrations and JLo’s sliding down the pole in her shimmering body hugging outfits are some of the memorable moments that also included Lopez wrapped with a Puerto Rican flag in recognition of her heritage and a subtle reminder of the border crisis where children are imprisoned in cage-like cells when she was joined in song by her young 11 year old daughter with a children’s all girl chorus.

 SuperBowl Sunday has become a yearly American family tradition and it garnered the highest ratings in five years watched by over 140 million people nationwide and another 50 to 65 million worldwide. Elevating Latinos on a worldwide level.

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