Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights role confirmed as he reveals other movie cameos
The Hamilton star will play a minor character in the film adaptation.
Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical drama In the Heights hits cinemas this weekend and, while the Hamilton creator won't be starring as Usnavi, the role he originated on Broadway, he will be making a cameo in the least expected way.
Miranda has revealed that he has a small role in the film, playing Piragüero – a man who sells Piraguas, which are Puerto Rican shaven ice treats, in Upper Manhattan.
Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Broadway star said his cameo in the film almost didn't happen.
"I really was like, 'I don't need to be in this movie.' But Jon [M. Chu, the director] would joke, 'Well, I still haven't cast Piragua Guy.'"
Miranda took the part in the end and "really made it a love letter" to his late grandfather. "I’m wearing his glasses around my neck. I’ve got the dime store Estefanía cowboy novels that he would carry around f***ing everywhere. I’ve got my socks rolled way too high."
The character sings the song Piragua in the film, which Miranda signed up to out of fears that the musical number would get cut - you can see the full In The Heights soundtrack for more details.
"[Screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes] talked me into it," he told CBS News. "‘If you’re in it, it’s the surest way the song doesn’t get cut.
"There’s no plot in ‘Piragua'. It’s a metaphor for the entire neighbourhood. Like, life is hard; prices are going up but we keep scraping by."
Miranda's isn't the only In the Heights cameo that you might have missed: the Hamilton star confirmed that his parents, Luis and Luz, make an appearance during Nina's (Leslie Grace) musical number Breathe.
"That's the moment that I think causes the most unintentional laughter in the Miranda household. Because it's such a beautiful, poignant, somber song and then here come my parents galumping up, 'Welcome home!'" he told CinemaBlend.
He added that hardcore fans will spot some of the original Broadway cast in the film, including the late Doreen Montalvo.
"Seth Stewart, our original Graffiti Pete, is the bartender in the club. You can hear vocalists; all of the vocals for the movie are basically our original and first national tour casts.
"So I hear Javier Muñoz is actually the voice of the guy asking Vanessa to dance in the club. I can hear Janet Dacal as the voice saying, 'I've never been north of 96th street.' There's all these little Easter eggs.
"And then of course the late, great Doreen Montalvo, who was in every version of In the Heights from 2002 to this movie, sings her part in 'Breathe'. The part where she sings, 'Mira, Nina' – that's Doreen, and she passed away last year. And I'm so glad that we were able to immortalise her performance in the movie."
Adapted from Miranda's 2005 stage musical of the same name, In the Heights focuses on a corner in the Washington Heights neighbourhood of New York City's Upper Manhattan with Anthony Ramos leading the In the Heights cast as Usnavi de la Vega, a resident who runs a bodega.
In the Heights is released in UK cinemas on Friday 18th June 2021. Visit our Movies hub for all the latest news. Looking for something to watch tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
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