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The Allen, Outcalt, and Helen
Theatres are all located at
1407 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
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The unbearable July heat has the denizens of NYC’s Washington Heights neighborhood in the streets shouting, “Que calor!” Several established businesses have closed. Housing costs – and racial tensions – are on the rise. And the once vibrant, now dwindling community must rally together to preserve their culture and their way of life. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music-filled love letter to the community of his youth, In The Heights, tells the story of the corner bodega where the coffee is hot, light, and sweet, the apartment windows that are always open, and the cool breeze that carries the percussive rhythm of the bustling city and three generations of dreams. And for this community on the brink of change, it tells a story of hope, heritage, and healing love.
The cast of Cleveland Play House's production of IN THE HEIGHTS. Photo by Roger Mastroianni.
Welcome to Inside CPH for In the Heights. Click the icons and verbs below for some ideas on how you can engage more deeply with the themes and ideas of the play beyond the performance.
Special THANKS to our Productions Partners for our 2023-24 Season!
Our partners include:
If you won the lottery and got your $96,000, what would you do with it?
Can you think of a time in your life when you were torn between honoring your past / traditions and cultures / the wishes of your family and pursuing or following some of your own dreams for the future? What was the conflict? How did you resolve it? What did you gain or lose in the process?
Think about where you live. Do you have a sense of neighborhood or community pride? Who are the people who make up the place you call “home?” What are some of the rituals or traditions? Is there a sort of insider knowledge or vocabulary that you all share? How do you respond to visitors, guests, or outsiders? If this isn’t a reality where you live, what might you do to begin to build that sense of neighborliness?
The Evolution of a Cultural Epicenter
The story of how Washington Heights came to be a vibrant, thriving community is a fascinating one. And it has several revealing similarities to and differences from Cleveland’s immigration history.
Washington Heights Immigration History
Washington Heights spans roughly from W155th street of Manhattan northward to Dyckman Street, and stretches from the Hudson River to the Harlem River- less than two square miles now home to just over 2,000 diverse New Yorkers.
1775 - Eponymously dubbed for the fort established by George Washington during the Revolutionary War, the site now hosts a playground for families, nestled on the raised rocky pinnacle that stands as the highest natural elevation point on Manhattan. . George Washington’s headquarters resided down the hill on the eastern bluff of the island at the Morris-Jumel Mansion (on what is today 160th) for just a single month before encroaching British forces seized the real estate. Mary Morris, the house’s original matriarch was one of three women accused of treason in NY, and as such had the home confiscated and sold to cover war debts. The property was occupied by farmers and would soon be owned by NY socialite Eliza Jumel who has an absolutely FASCINATING history (check her out). Will this be a link to something?
Most of uptown Manhattan. Which proved to have a uniquely tenable soil and topography for agriculture, remained rural farmland until the subway to the area was built in 1900. Lower Manhattan’s agricultural efforts proved fairly impossible as it was prone to flooding and incompatible soil and season temperaments.
1889 - Washington Heights became the very first home of NYC professional baseball, with the NY Giants playing at the Polo Grounds at 155th on the east side of the neighborhood until 1957. The NY Mets took a residency at the stadium in 1962-1963. American League Baseball got its start just ten blocks up and a few avenues to the west at what was Hilltop Stadium (what is now Columbia Medical Center) with their debut team, the NY Highlanders (now known as the Yankees).
1900-1950s - The A line of the subway was built (1906) to 157th and with it came a construction boom and huge influx of Irish, Greek, and Jewish communities that had immigrated to America, fleeing economic hardships and political persecution. There was such an influx of German-Jewish immigrants that the northern Heights was referred to as “Frankfurt on the Hudson.” Over these five decades, the groups were able to establish a foothold in the NYC economy and identity.
1940s-1980s - Dovetailing into the 40s through the 60s, having gained social, financial, and political traction within NYC, these groups started moving north, south, and east. In the gradual exodus, New York saw a major surge of immigrants coming from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, and just a short time after, from the Dominican Republic. While each culture made a definite and distinct impact on the neighborhood, the Dominican culture reached a greater prominence within the Washington Heights neighborhood. This was primarily due to three major factors:
Cleveland Immigration History
In 1914-1915, many southern African Americans migrated northward where there were more enterprising factory jobs during WWI in the resource rich area near Lake Erie.
Immigration restriction legislation kept immigration suppressed in the Midwest. Displaced immigrant communities who came to settle in America migrated to larger metropolis hubs like NYC and Chicago.
1948 witnessed the repeal of the National Origins Act and a loosening of a number of immigration restrictions in the Midwest. It’s at this point in Cleveland’s history that opportunities for communities from the Indian Diaspora, China, and Korea were able to make a home. During the 50s and 60s, social and political upheaval across Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and the Middle East created a surge of diverse immigrant communities that came to Cleveland.
Throughout the 50s and 60s, a huge population of Puerto Rican immigrants came to Cleveland through a range of recruitment efforts for the wide variety of work opportunities that were booming in the region. Originally Puerto Ricans made a home on the east side of Cleveland, but, like NYC, after establishing themselves, moved closer to where the jobs and financial resources of the city existed: to the Near-West and in the Flats districts of Cleveland.
When Castro took power in 1959, there was a swift and significant increase in the number of Cubans who immigrated to Cleveland. By 1980, the Cuban population of Cleveland tripled but then declined substantially over the next ten years as families moved to other neighborhoods a bit further out such as Lorain, Painesville, and Brooklyn.
PIVOT!
DO NOT miss the cool stuff happening right here in your own backyard.
The Pivot Center on West 25th Street has something for everyone. In just one building they host LatinUs Theatre - the premier globally Hispanic theater in Cleveland, Ohio. Their productions are in Spanish and they build inclusively large-scale projections of English subtitles into their set design. Seeing their work is a feast for those who love the performing arts.
If media arts are your thing, check out the gallery at the Community Arts Center - a branch of the Cleveland Art Museum - to see incredible larger-than-life sculptures, mammoth puppets, costumes, masks, and other works of art. You can catch some of the wearable pieces on full display at Parade the Circle on Saturday June 8 from 12:00-4:00.
Stroll just across the lobby to grab some artwork for yourself from Future Ink Graphics (FIG) who have all sorts of gorgeous prints and other locally made artwork.
Down the hall you can take in the rotating gallery of paintings and photographs on your way to Inlet Dance Company, a troupe that has been growing for twenty two years now, offering full scale dance productions, special event programming, educational opportunities, and space rental.
And if you’re feeling worn out from a full day of art exploration, no sweat; inside FIG’s commercial space is Dahila Coffee complete with sweet treats and caffeinated goodness.
IF WE COULD, WE WOULD
Of course, we’re referring to hosting a genuine piragua stand in our lobby after its tempting product placement in In the Heights.
Piragua is a staple sweet treat of Puerto Rican culture: shaved ice, with a sweet syrup poured over it, with a traditional conical or canoe shape jutting upwards from the lip of the cup it’s served in (as opposed to the rounded shape of the Americanized commercial snow cone).
Fun Fact: Piragua translates to “canoe.” Etymologically it’s a combination of two Spanish words, piramide (pyramid) and agua (water), and was originally used to describe the pyramid-shaped boats.
Luckily this sweet treat can be enjoyed from your own home with a little preparation.
When making your own piragua, it’s so important to work with shaved ice instead of blended crushed ice. Texturally it’s a world of a difference AND it hugely impacts how the syrup coats the ice and is enjoyed during consumption. Don’t skimp on the shaved part. There’s a wide variety of stand-alone electrical ice shavers and Kitchen aid-like attachments if you have such equipment. Simpler and more affordable is an actual handheld steel ice shaver. Their online retail cost lands somewhere around $12-$30.
Secondly - freeze yourself some pucks or blocks of ice. Repurposing old tupperware or sanitized desktop office drawers can be perfect. Puck molds for electric shavers or shaving attachments can also be found online.
Either place the pucks into your electric shaver or scrape your steel shaver across the block of ice and put the shavings into a cup - packing it in tightly to hold its shape when you pour the syrup. You want to pack the cup full and then stack on one more packing portion to the top of your treat.
Now for the syrup!
Make your own fruity syrups by combining macerated fruits, fruit nectars, sugar, and a bit of water and bringing it all to a simmering boil. Strain the mixture through a sieve and chill the contents so that it is ready to pour over your cool treat. The typical ratio for a plain simple syrup (sugar water) is 1:1 sugar to water. Depending on the level of liquid garnered from the fruit and your preferred level of sweetness, alter that ratio accordingly.
A signature of piragua syrups is sweet cream or crema. To make the piragua crema syrup add evaporated milk, condensed milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract together, whisking until it is homogeneously mixed. Allow the mixture to chill, then pour over your shaved ice.
Explore making your own syrups and see if you can come up with any home-spun favorites.
(Camila Rosario) Broadway: Beetlejuice (Miss Argentina), A Bronx Tale (Rosina us), Rocky (Angie, Adrian us), Jersey Boys, A Chorus Line (Trica,revival) Sound of Music (Lincoln Center). Nat. Tours: A Bronx Tale (Rosina), West Side Story (Anita), Jersey Boys, Les Miserables (Fantine us), Mamma Mia (Sophie) Favorite regional: Billy more
(Ensemble, U/S Kevin & Piraguero) is a Mexican Actor thrilled to be working at Cleveland Play House. Recently he was part of the workshop of ¡Americano! A new musical at the New 42nd street Studios. He was also seen at the revival of Evita at NYCC/Encores! Into the Woods more
(Swing, U/S Benny) is a Cleveland-based performer originally from North Carolina and he is so grateful and honored to be making his Cleveland Play House debut with this beautiful group of artists. Some of his favorite roles include Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream more
(Graffiti Pete) is an American actor, director, dancer & singer. He performed on FOX TV SYTYCD S15. He directed and starred in his first short film called Left Alone, which can be seen on his YouTube channel CourtTooReal. His drive and passion with creating and growing in the arts more
(Daniela) is thrilled to be making her Cleveland Play House debut. She is a New York based actor, singer, and vocal coach. Recently seen in the World Premiere of “Real Women Have Curves World the musical” at the American Repertory Theater (Featured Ensemble, u/s Carmen, Rosali, Ms. Wright, Fulvia). more
(Ensemble) (she/her) is a proud peruana and feels grateful to be making her Cleveland Play House debut with a show that means so much to her. She is currently studying at Baldwin Wallace as a first-year music theatre major and was recently featured in Pippin (Ensemble, Fastrada u/s). At more
(Ensemble) (she/they) is honored to make her Cleveland Play House debut with a show so close to her heart. Alyssa is an NYC born, bred, and based Nuyorican Actor, Director, and Founder of CO-OP Productions. As a performer, Alyssa was last seen originating the role of “Ceci” in the more
(Ensemble, U/S Vanessa) is a multi-hyphenated artist and entrepreneur. As a proud Afro-Latina born and raised in the Bronx. She is thrilled to be bringing a little piece of el barrio to the Cleveland playhouse. National Tour: Tina The Tina Turner Musical (Ikette/Ensemble). Off-Broadway: Runaways (New York City Center) more
(Carla) (she/her) has been coming to CPH ever since she was a kid and still feels it's a dream to be performing here. She is even more blessed to be able to work alongside her Mom and forever idol, Trinidad Snider. She wants to thank the creative team for more
(Ensemble, U/S Usnavi, Graffiti Pete, and Sonny) is thrilled to be making his Cleveland Play House debut with In The Heights! Off-Broadway: Aloha Boricua (Puertorican Traveling Theater). Regional: La Havana Madrid ( South Coast Repertory), Guys and Dolls (ACT), Rent (ACT), Man of La Mancha (Plaza Theatricals), Sweeney Todd more
(Benny) (he/him) is a nigerian-american actor, musician, and model based in New York. A New Jersey native, he was last seen in Cleveland as Orpheus in the touring company of Hadestown. Being a child of immigrants himself, he is so grateful to be a part of this beautiful story. more
(Kevin Rosario) is making his Cleveland Play House debut. He is excited to be stepping back into Washington Heights, having recently played Kevin at Marriott Theatre. Other favorite roles include Quixote in Man of La Mancha, J. Bowden Hapgood in Anyone Can Whistle, Sweeney and Judge Turpin in Sweeney more
(Nina Rosario) (she/her/ella) has recently concluded her run on the Broadway National Tour of Les Misérables as Cosette. Favorite regional credits include Evita (Drury Lane Theatre), In The Heights and The Sound of Music (Marriott Theatre), Steel Magnolias (Casa Mañana), West Side Story (Barrington Stage Company, North Carolina Theatre, more
(Usnavi) is thrilled to return to Washington Heights again after playing Usnavi in the First Broadway National Tour of In the Heights. Previous credits include: Hamilton in Hamilton (Original Chicago Company/Original Philip Company), If/Then, Bombay Dreams, Rock of Ages. Regional: Marriott Theatre, The Old Globe, Pioneer Theatre Company, La more
(Ensemble, U/S Nina and Daniela) (she/ her) recently appeared in The Old Globe’s Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Other regional credits include Sunday In The Park With George (CCAE Theatricals), An American In Paris (MTW), The Wedding Singer, Something Rotten!, On Your Feet! (Moonlight Amphitheatre), Evita (Cygnet more
(Associate Choreographer, Swing, U/S Carla, and Dan) is thrilled and humbled to be a part of this wonderful team at CPH. As an Afro-Latina, Amy is grateful for the opportunity to share the stories of various cultures through the performing arts. Recently, she has toured with recording artist Lisa more
(Abuela Claudia) (She/Her) is extremely humbled and honored to make her CPH debut! For the past 5 years, she has served as the Artistic Director at Near West Theatre. She has performed and directed on various Cleveland stages over the past 35 years. This will be the 2nd time more
(Piraguero) is extremely excited to be making his Cleveland Play House debut! Regional productions include Dallas Theater Center: In the Heights (Piraguero), Into The Woods (Jack u/s, Rapunzel’s Prince u/s, Steward u/s), The Odyssey (Featured Musician), and Babalu: La Vida Es Muy Larga (Orchestra), The Old Globe: How The more
(Sonny) (he/him) is so grateful for this opportunity to be performing in his debut at the Cleveland Play House. He is a rising sophomore at Baldwin Wallace University majoring in music theatre. Coming from New Jersey, he received a Rising Star Award from Paper Mill Playhouse for his portrayal more
(Ensemble, U/S Sonny, Usnavi, Graffiti Pete) is originally from West Texas, and earned his B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He has performed regionally at Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, The Fireside Theatre, and Studio Tenn to name a more
(Vanessa) (she/they) The Prom Broadway (Shelby, u/s Emma, Alyssa); The Gardens of Anuncia LCT Off Broadway (Young Anuncia); Gigantic Off Broadway (Marlie); The Prom 1st National Tour (Alyssa Greene); Mean Girls 1st National Tour (Ensemble). NY: Nikola Tesla Drops The Beat ATF (Kat Johnson); The Demise NYMF (Natalie); PopStar more
(Book) is the recipient of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Broadway: In the Heights (2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, Tony nomination for Best Book, Pulitzer Finalist). Off-Broadway: Water by the Spoonful (Pulitzer Prize), In the Heights (Lucille Lortel Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), The Happiest Song Plays more
(Music & Lyrics) is a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winning songwriter, actor and director. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning Hamilton and In the Heights. His additional Broadway credits include Freestyle Love Supreme (2020 Special Tony Award recipient, co-founder, guest star), Bring It more
(Director) is excited to make his Cleveland Play House debut. He is a Resident Artist at The Old Globe Theatre, where he directed the world premiere of American Mariachi, the west coast premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things, and their annual production of Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas, more
(Choreographer) (he/él/theirs) is a New York-based theatrical multihyphenate. His recent directing/choreography credits include Sister Act at Geva Theatre and On Your Feet at North Carolina Theatre. He specializes in Radical Inclusivity (Re-envisioning the Classics with Contemporary Practices) and has received award nominations for La Dulce Caridad at New Haarlem more
(Music Director) is thrilled to return to Playhouse Square, where he previously performed with the national tour of A Bronx Tale in 2019. He is a New York-based music director, conductor, pianist, and orchestrator. Broadway/NYC: Hamilton, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. National Tours: Hamilton (Angelica tour), A Bronx Tale more
(Scenic Designer) (he/him/his) Proud Gay Mexican designer with Indigenous Mexica (Aztec) roots. Selected credits: Travels (Ars Nova); The Harder They Come (Public Theater); The Merry Wives of Windsor, Stir (Old Globe), Cowboy Bob (Alley Theatre); Hair, Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really (Portland Center Stage); Gruesome Playground Injuries (St. more
(Costume Designer) is delighted to be back at CPH where he previously designed Shakespeare in Love (SD/CD), Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville (CD), The Three Musketeers (CD), The Little Foxes (SD/CD) and many others. Int’l/Nat’l Tours/NYC/Off-B’way: 100+ productions, including Judy Gold’s Yes, I Can Say That! currently playing at Primary Stages, more
(Lighting Designer) has a career in lighting design with credits in New York, Puerto Rico, major U.S. cities, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, México, and the Dominican Republic. She is the founder and Executive Artistic Director of Boundless Theatre Company. Broadway: Associate on Jagged Little Pill (2021). Off Broadway: Sancocho (WP more
(Sound Designer) works nationally and internationally focusing on experimental, commercial, academic, political and socially conscious theatre. Recent designs: Cleveland Play House, The Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, A.C.T., Dallas Theater Center, Portland Center Stage, TheatreWorks of Silicon Valley, Indiana Rep, Asolo Rep, American Rep, Seattle Rep, Artists Rep, Milwaukee Rep, more
(Wig Designer) (he/him) is a Portland, OR based wig & make-up designer. Recent designs include Carmen, Lucia di Lammermoor, Luisa Miller, and Deceit Outwitted at Sarasota Opera. The Barber of Seville at Florida Grand Opera. Porgy and Bess, A Thousand Acres, and Americian Apollo at Des Moines Metro Opera. more
(Casting Director) Off-Broadway: Deadly Stages,‘Til Death, Queens Girl In The World, Eve Ensler’s Fruit Trilogy, The Gentleman Caller, The Boy Who Danced On Air, and Mother of Invention. Regional credits include: Denver Center Theatre, Geva Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Cape Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Trinity more
(Stage Manager) is excited to make his CPH debut! New York credits include; Broadway: Funny Girl, Chess (Benefit Concert), Off-Broadway: What The Constitution Means To Me (New York Theatre Workshop), Atlantic Theater Company, New York City Center, The Public Theatre. Regional credits include: The 5th Avenue Theatre, Paper Mill more
(Assistant Stage Manager) is grateful to be return with Cleveland Play House. CPH credits included Teddy Bear Mountain(SM), The Great Leap(ASM)and Becoming Dr. Ruth(ASM), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein(PA). Previous stage management credits include Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Cain Park, Karamu House, Cleveland Public Theatre, Ohio City Theatre Project, Baldwin Wallace, Independence more
By Jenifer Warren Cleveland Play House’s Festival of Trees continues to bring holiday cheer to thousands while providing important support for ...
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Education
The Allen, Helen and Outcalt theatres are located at Playhouse Square
1407 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115
Administrative Offices and Education Center
1901 E. 13th Street, Suite 200 Cleveland, OH 44114 (216) 400-7000
Production Center
7401 Detour Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103