Hamilton's Anthony Ramos to Star in In the Heights at the Kennedy Center

Anthony Ramos, who originated the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, has taken on the role of Usnavi in the Broadway Center Stage production of In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s debut Broadway musical with a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegria Hudes. Joshua Grosso, previously announced in the role, has withdrawn from the musical because of a minor foot injury. Presented as a part of the inaugural season of Broadway Center Stage, a Kennedy Center-produced series of musicals in semistaged concerts, In the Heights will run March 21-25 at the Kennedy Center in the Eisenhower Theater.

Winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score, In the Heights tells the story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood — a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams, and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you and which ones you leave behind.

As previously announced, Vanessa Hudgens (Gigi) will take on the role of Vanessa, with Ana Villafañe (On Your Feet!) as Nina, local DC actor Mateo Ferro as Sonny, Eden Espinosa (Wicked) as Daniela, J. Quinton Johnson (Hamilton) as Benny, original Broadway cast member Blanca Camacho as Camila, Saundra Santiago (Nine) as Abuela Claudia, Broadway cast member Rick Negron returning to the role of Kevin, Virgil Gadson (After Midnight) as Graffiti Pete, Arianna Rosario (On Your Feet!) as Carla, and original Broadway cast member Eliseo Roman reprising the role of Piragua Guy.

The ensemble includes David Baida, Nico DeJesus, John Edwards, Hope Easterbrook, Rosie Fiedelman, Henry Gainza, Carlos Gonzalez, Morgan Marcell, April Ortiz, Khori Petinaud, and Voltaire Wade-Greene.

The production is directed and choreographed by Stephanie Klemons, who recently choreographed the NFL Super Bowl ad featuring Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr.

For tickets and more information, click here.