Einstein S.T.A.G.E. To Present In The Heights

By Julie Kessel

Einstein STAGE’s spring musical is “In the Heights,” an exciting, representative choice for Einstein and the most modern musical STAGE has ever performed. However, concerns have been raised over whether STAGE is the right program to put on such a diverse show this year.

“In the Heights,” by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes, takes place in the predominantly Hispanic Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City. As Einstein is a predominantly Hispanic school, “In the Heights” provides an exciting opportunity to represent the school’s diverse community. However, the STAGE program is primarily white, which presents problems with properly casting the almost-entirely Hispanic show. 

As race is an incredibly important factor in casting “In the Heights,” problematic choices may be made to perform this show in an undiverse program. “I think [In the Heights] would represent a lot of…voices at Einstein,” said one anonymous STAGE member. “However, the theater program is not particularly built to support that, which is an issue because the representation needs to be given in the correct way.”

Further, casting “In the Heights” may cause some controversial decisions to be made that don’t properly portray the complex Hispanic characters of the show. “In the terms of…this character is this race, but we don’t have enough people…who counts enough to be cast as this or who looks enough like something to be casted?” said another anonymous STAGE member.

Several STAGE seniors are also unhappy with the choice to do “In the Heights,” citing that the show does not cater to the strengths of the senior class at all. After the incredibly talented class of 2025 graduated, “a lot of the senior class had waited for years to…be able to fill those shoes,” said an anonymous senior and STAGE member. However, “In the Heights” does not provide many opportunities for the strengths of the senior class to shine. “It feels more like a slap in the face to the seniors who expected [Ms. Herman] to be on our side,” said another anonymous STAGE senior.

Alternatively, “In the Heights” also provides a lot of new opportunities for the STAGE program. It gives students who may not have seen themselves represented in previous productions the opportunity to perform in roles that represent them, thereby bringing more diversity to the STAGE program. “I’m excited to see the representation in the theatre program because…there hasn’t been much representation of the Hispanic community…in theatre,” STAGE senior Ricky Matos Hernandez said.

Additionally, “In the Heights” will include Titanes Salseros in a few of the dance numbers, ensuring the show remains authentic while bringing amazing choreography and performances. Director Rachel Herman made this choice to “extend…involvement across the arts,” which will also grow the STAGE community.

Only time will tell if STAGE manages to pull off an authentic and properly representative production of “In the Heights” that does Einstein’s diverse Hispanic population justice. However, “In the Heights” will undoubtedly improve the diversity of the STAGE program and increase its size and appeal for the future.