Steel reeling off their success from the film Mama Mia!, Universal Pictures just announced that they’re griping the rights to Broadway’s other popular adventure, In the Heights. Production talks first sparked Playbill and Hollywood’s interests during October’s Revival: Broadway’s Next Act panel discussion that included In the Heights creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda. Since rumors emerged that both Broadway hits Spring Awakening and In the Heights might make it to the silver screen, In the Heights tickets have been flying off the webpage at http://www.stubhub.com/in-the-heights-tickets/.



The screen adaption has already been bought by Universal, according to Variety, as the Broadway musical continues to sour on stage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Keeping himself busy before the Tony Award winning play leaves its staged home for the hills of Hollywood, Miranda met up with pop singer Jennifer Lopez, who has mentioned her interest in putting the play on the silver screen, while reprising his role as Usnavi in the movie musical and producing it along with Meryl Poster.

Miranda isn’t the only one to keep the Broadway In the Heights family intact for the film – Broadway producers Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller and Jill Furman will executive produce, while Quiara Alegrai Hudes, who wrote the book for the stage, plans on creating its silver screenplay adaption. During Revival Miranda announced his date of departure from the play (February 2009) but knows that the four Tony’s (Best Musical, Best Music and Lyrics, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations) will keep his creation stable whatever stage it performs.

Earlier this year the ensemble was honored with Equity’s Second Annual ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The award honors “the distinctive talents and contributions made by the chorus of a Broadway musical,” according to press materials, and was given to the opening night cast, which included Michael Balderrama, Blanca Camacho, Tony Chiroldes, Rogelio Douglas, Jr. Rosie Lani Fiedelman, Joshua Henry, Afra Hines, Stephanie Klemons, Nina LaFarga, Doreen Montalvo, Javier Muñoz, Krysta Rodriguez, Eliseo Román, Luis Salgado, Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Rickey Tripp.

In the Heights first arose from the mind of the then Wesleyan University student Miranda during his sophomore year. After graduation and with the help of director Thomas Kail, Miranda’s campus hit was reworked and set for Broadway, thanks to the production work of the original producers Furman, McCollum and Seller. Its initial stint began at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in Connecticut followed by Off-Broadway’s 37 Arts Theatre. Just seven years after initial conception, In the Heights was premiering on Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre in February 2008.

The musical tells the story of Manhattan’s “most vibrant communities, 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,” according to In the Heights’ website. Born in the Heights -- that is Washington Heights in New York -- Miranda took his upbringing in the diverse neighborhood to begin his career as a writer, composer and performer.