The city's arts briefing this month isn't pointing to a park redesign or a mural project — it's pointing to a stage. Artistry is running "In the Heights" through August 23, and the city is using it as its example of what it calls a neighborhood worth singing about.
The neighborhood in question isn't Bloomington's — it's Washington Heights, the Manhattan barrio at the center of the Tony-winning musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes, the team that went on to make Hamilton. The show follows a bodega owner, a young woman wrestling with the weight of an Ivy League education, and a father sacrificing everything for his daughter's future.
Maija García directs the Bloomington run, with Abby Magalee choreographing, Nora Montañez Patterson as associate director and Kate Mariana Brown leading music direction. A review of the production praised Magalee's choreography as a joy to watch.
Performances run at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road, through August 23. Tickets and showtimes are available through Artistry's box office, which can also be reached at 952-563-8575 or info@artistrymn.org.
It's a fitting pick for a city arts program looking to make the case that a good story about community doesn't have to be local to land close to home.
