HSA Theatre presents In The Heights

Our production of In the Heights is a profound reflection of the school’s core identity

and the lived experiences of its neighbors. Set just a few blocks north of HSA’s campus

on St. Nicholas Avenue, the musical captures the specific rhythm of Upper Manhattan,

mirroring the same subway lines and street corners our students navigate daily. For our

community—where over 85% of students identify as Black or LatinX—this play is more

than a performance; it is a mirror. Our teens see their own stories of "first-generation"

pressure, cultural pride, and the pursuit of dreams in characters like Nina and Usnavi. By

staging this story now, HSA honors the resilience of a neighborhood facing the

pressures of gentrification, reinforcing Dorothy Maynor’s founding vision: That our

community’s heritage, music, and struggles are not just local anecdotes, but world-class

art worthy of the stage.