The Bible’s Moses story told in the book of Exodus has been the subject of many films, documentaries and series with The Ten Commandments being the grandaddy of them all.  So much so that to this day an Easter week cannot pass without the 1956 blockbuster being broadcast repeatedly starring Charlton Heston in his most Technicolor role.  But perhaps the most notable version is DreamWorks’ ingenious 1998 animated musical film, The Prince of Egypt.  Featuring songs by America’s greatest living theater composer Stephen Schwartz of Wicked fame, Angelinos will soon get to see the unique stage adaptation of this retelling of how  Moses discovers his Hebrew heritage and leads his people to freedom from slavery in ancient Egypt. This musical’s central plot focuses on the powerful bond between Moses and his adoptive brother, Ramses, who are torn apart by their diverging destinies.  

Although DreamWorks crafted a family friendly animated feature film, it was not without controversy.  The movie was challenged for its depiction of prophets (forbidden by Islam), assigning God a male gender, emphasizing the not-Biblically accurate storyline of fraternity between Moses and Ramses, and its disputed portrayal of Egyptians’ violent mistreatment of the enslaved Jews.  

Despite these hurdles, The Prince of Egypt had a remarkable debut and was universally praised as “stunning”  (L.A. Times); “a breakthrough” (New York Times);  and “an outstanding artistic achievement!” (Variety). Stephen Hunter from The Washington Post lauded the film, writing, “The movie’s proudest accomplishment is that it revises our version of Moses towards something more immediate and believable, more humanly knowable.”  The film went on to become the most successful, top-grossing non-Disney animated film to date.  A fan base grew around the film as musical afficionados speculated that a live theatrical version was in order.  After all many animated films had already been successfully adapted into hugely profitable Broadway shows like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin – why not The Prince Egypt?  Fans were overjoyed when in 2020 it was announced that Stephen Shwartz had written additional songs for London’s new West End live theatrical version.  It is that much heralded stage adaptation that the creatives at Casa 0101 are so excited to be presenting November 22 to December 21, 2025.

Casa’s Founding Artistic Director, Josefina López, is thrilled to take on this daring project, saying, “My dream of starting my own theater 25 years ago has flourished successfully over the years to bring us to this point where we are presenting one of the most epic stories of all time on our stage.  I am so proud of our artistic work and overjoyed. Here’s to the next 25 years!”

Emmanuel Deleague, Producer and Executive Director of CASA 0101 Theater is equally effusive: “This production will amaze audiences.  It is truly a Broadway caliber play in an intimate theater setting.  I am very grateful for (director) Rigo Tejeda’s big vision and the entire cast and crew’s dedication to breathe life into this epic story. But beyond the spectacle of this production, the story is what matters, locating your moral compass and having the courage to act in the face of adversity and fear.  I believe this play will leave our audiences inspired.”

“I am beyond excited to be directing this classic story based on the Book of Exodus as a staged musical,” says director, Rigo Tejeda. He continued, “ I remember as a child always eagerly looking forward to watching the film, The Ten Commandments, on television and being awed by the production values of the story telling.  That sense of wonderment and pageantry through the marriage of glorious music, choreography, costumes, sets and special effects is what audiences who come to see this production will experience.”

Producer Abel Alvarado adds, “There will be over 60 costumes in this new production designed and/or assembled by Tony Iniguez, Costume Designer for RuPaul’s Drag Race, which has won 27 Primetime Emmy Awards.  Iniguez’s creations have also appeared on Bravo’s Botched, Next Top Model and Saturday Night Live, and he has dressed stars like Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain and Beyonce.”

The cast of principal actors include (Actors Equity*):  Diego Huerta-Gutierrez* (of Santa Ana, CA) as Moses (Actors Equity); Christopher J Thumé (of Studio City, CA) as Ramses; Joslynn Cortes* (of Sherman Oaks, CA) as Tzipporah (Actors Equity); Jabriel Daniels (of Los Angeles, CA) as Seti/Jethro; Chrissi Erickson (Highland Park, CA) as Miriam; Aiden Ricardo Heredia (of South Los Angeles, CA) as Young Aaron; Danielle Johnson (of Glendale, CA) as Queen Tuya; Sammy J Kohler (of Escondido, CA) as Aaron/Guard; Naledi Miga (of Koreatown, CA) as Nefertari; Sofia López(of Riverside, CA) as Young Miriam/Leah; Tal Toker (of Chatsworth, CA) as Hotep; and Toni Elizabeth White* (of West Hollywood, CA) as Yocheved (Actors Equity).

The talented singing and dancing ensemble include:  Julian Armaya,  Christopher D. Baker, Aaron Gibbs, Kayleigh Long, Gabriella Ortiz* (Actors Equity), Emily Ann Pember, Faith Perez, Alyssa Rojas, Joseph Rosales and Abraxaz Efrain Sanchez López.

Both Tania Possick (Choreographer) and Gabrielle Maldonado (Music Director) are experienced professionals who are going to bring great song and movement to this glorious production.  

This writer, along with all the theater community are excited about Casa 0101’s commitment to presenting innovative musical theater like The Prince of Egypt to the Los Angeles. Once again, this is a rarely produced piece whose  message of speaking truth to power is an inspiration in our times.  This show is a “must see!”  Bring the whole familia to experience the joy and majesty of The Prince of Egypt.  

WHO & WHAT:  CASA 0101 Theater presents DreamWorks THE PRINCE OF EGYPT:  THE MUSICAL.  
WHERE: Gloria Molina Auditorium at CASA 0101 Theater, 2102 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033

WHEN:  Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 3:00 p.m., November 22 – December 21, 2025.
TICKETS:  $35.00 per person for General Admission; $30.00 per person for Students and Seniors 60+, $25 per person for Boyle Heights residents & Groups of 10 of more.  For tickets, please call the CASA 0101 Theater Box Office at 323-263-7684, E-mail tickets@casa0101.org or buy online at www.casa0101.org<http://www.casa0101.org>

AGE APPROPRIATENESS: This show is recommended for children ages 8 and up.  Children three and under will not be permitted.  

GALLERY: A free art exhibit entitled “Always Running:  Photography by Luis J. Rodriguez,” (Los Angeles’ Poet Laureate from 2014-2016) will be open to attendees.  The exhibit includes images related to Rodriguez’s book, “ALWAYS RUNNING:  La Vida Loca:  Gang Days in L.A.”  

PARKING:  Free parking is available on several streets surrounding the theatre.  Limited free parking is available at the Boyle Heights City Hall Parking Lot located at 2130 East First Street (at Chicago Street) by entering the lot from Chicago Street.

CASA 0101 Theater Supported in Part By:  The State of California, Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture, National Latinx Theater Initiative, Herb Alpert Foundation, Perenchio Foundation, The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, California Arts Council, U.S. Bank, The Herb Block Foundation and the David Lee Foundation.
For All Show Info: visit www.casa0101.org<http://www.casa0101.org>

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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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