Hollywood High School is the very first high school in America to get the Broadway Rights for In The Heights. The Tony-Award winning play production is all about family, chasing your dreams, and finding where you truly belong. Opening night took place on May 10 running through the 19. Those who missed out, missed seeing a show that won Best High School Musical.
It was the final performance for many graduating seniors and the last time they would step across the school auditorium. It was the ride of their lifetime, and now it’s time to move on to bigger and better things with the skills they have learned and the abilities they have fine tuned.
Abby DeMauri, PAM senior, played Nina, a Stanford dropout who after 4 months goes home to confront her parents, played by Devon Yaffe and Yalitza Lopez, to tell them the news. On the way she starts to fall in love with Benny, a trusted employee of her father’s limousine service, played by PAM junior, Roger Neal.
Meanwhile Usnavi ,played by PAM senior Jordan Mantor, figures out what to do with his life and how to get the love of his life Vanessa, played by PAM junior Ayla Stackhouse. Both Nyallah Noah and Kelly Taylor gave a shining performance as Abuela Claudia. Comic relief was provided by the hairdressers, who were played by Olivia Johnson, and Anna Chavez.
The play was directed by retired English and drama teacher Paul Itkin. Stormy Sacks was the musical director, Lisa Goldschein was the choreographer and Katherine Morrison was in charge of the production design.