STACK #203 Sep 2021

FEATURE FILM

“I auditioned for the movie when it was still with the Weinstein company. I had a terrible audition and thought there was no way I would get the role. And then, obviously, it was pulled fromWeinstein and it went to WB, but they still had me in mind and Jon and I met and had a pretty emotional conversation and I shared how much this musical meant to me; it was the musical that kept me in the game. “I had kinda wanted to quit because there was no lead roles on Broadway. Nobody on Broadway looked like me; nobody is in a rush to write a lead roles for the barely 5‘ 9” freckled 135lb guy! So when I met Jon after A Star is Born , we were both tearing up and, a day later, I got the offer,” he recalls. Despite already being a household name from Orange is the New Black , Dascha Polanco begged to be a part of In the Heights , no matter how small the role. “It‘s a Latinx story, but in reality it‘s a story that transcends that,” she says. “You don‘t have to be Latinx to connect to dreams, culture, and movement. As an actor, you always want to be part of projects that mean something and this was both purposeful and inspiring. Hopefully the audience is ready to receive and feel and have the experience.”

roles are getting louder,” observes Barrera, who plays Vanessa in In the Heights and will next be seen in Scream , a new installment of the hit horror franchise. “We want real stories, not stories told by other people who don‘t have the experience. We‘re holding our ground more and slowly

getting opportunities, and those before us are holding the door open for us. It‘s a snowball effect and finally the panorama is changing to be more diverse and inclusive.” For Ramos, landing the lead role of Usnavi – a witty play on US Navy – was a full circle moment.

Corey Hawkins and Leslie Grace

• In the Heights is out on Sept 22

Strong violence and coarse language Mild coarse language and sexual references

Soundtrack Album on Atlantic Records/WaterTower Music

© 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. “In the Heights” is a trademark of 5001 Broadway Productions, LLC and Barrio Grrrl! Productions, Inc.

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