First, they checked out suburban New Jersey, where Luz had been raised. Meh. Then Luis read the Sunday real-estate section of the New York Times and saw a listing for a townhouse in the Washington Heights area in upper Manhattan. “We showed up and loved what we saw,” he says. “And we sensed that it was changing to become a Latin neighborhood.” That decision ultimately inspired a joyous, Tony Award–winning Broadway musical and movie adaptation, courtesy of Luis and Luz’s baby boy, Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the Heights (in theaters and streaming on HBO Max on June 11) is more than just a tale of a local dreamer experiencing mixed feelings about closing his grocery store and returning to his roots, moving back to the Dominican Republic. With music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel (who also starred in the original Broadway production and now cameos in the film), the salsa-and-Latin-pop-infused project is a deeply personal ode to his community’s people, goals, heritage and aspirations. The new movie stars AnthonyRamos as Usnavi (the role played by Lin-Manuel onstage), plus CoreyHawkins (from The Walking Dead), singer-songwriter LeslieGrace and MelissaBarrera, who starred in the Starz TV series Vida. Warner Bros. “This was my first attempt to bring all of me into my work,” says Lin-Manuel, who also documented his journey in the new coffee table book In the Heights: Finding Home (available June 15). Though the talented star led a cultural revolution (and picked up Tonys, Grammys, the Pulitzer Prize and a Kennedy Center Honor), thanks to his musical Hamilton, he says In The Heights is a true reflection of who he is. “The setting made sense to me because I grew up and live in one of the most musical neighborhoods in New York,” he says of the show, which he started composing in 1999. “This is a world where bodies in the street sing, sweat and dance. Characters live and rise together.” And during these unsettled times, he adds, “That theme is actually poignant right now.”
Like Father, Like Son
Luis, 66, and Lin-Manuel, 41, have always been close—but they’re not, at least not literally, on this chilly New York City afternoon. The elder Miranda is checking in on Zoom from his downtown office; Lin-Manuel is taking a lunch break during a typically chaotic day from his family’s weekend house in rural upstate. But they are close in every other sense. Both relentless and tireless multitaskers, their enthusiasm for their work and each other practically leaps off the computer screen. “I love how sensitive and caring Lin-Manuel is,” Luis says of his son. “He must have gotten that from his mom.” His son marvels at the productivity of his father. “I have a fraction of his work ethic,” Lin-Manuel says. “I still get a lot of s–t done with just that fraction, and I can’t imagine if I had the whole thing.” During the week, they live within walking distance of each other—in the Inwood/Washington Heights neighborhood. The elder Mirandas, now married for 43 years, still live in that first house and have no plans to move. “If we did, it would require 10 moving trucks!” Luis exclaims. “We’ve saved everything, including Lin-Manuel’s letters when he was a little boy.” (Lin-Manuel pipes up: “Can we please not call it ‘hoarding’ for Parade magazine?”) His onetime bedroom is now occupied by a college student named Miguel, whom Luis took in and became guardian for years ago. The rest of the townhouse, Luis explains, is a shrine to his famous son, including a custom-made stained-glass artwork with official artwork from In the Heights and Hamilton. “It’s actually pretty cool,” Lin-Manuel admits. And he sees it frequently: Lin-Manuel estimates that he and his wife of 11 years—chemist VanessaNadal, 38—along with their sons, Sebastian, 6, and Francisco, 3, stop by every few weeks and on the weekends. He loves the mutual neighborhood, of course. He also takes advantage of free babysitting services. “Living close by became incredibly important once Vanessa and I had children,” he says, noting that his in-laws also reside in his high-rise apartment building (where the family moved in 2017). “Now that we’re all fully vaccinated, there are a lot of visits.” Beyond geography, father and son spend many of their working hours together in an arrangement that plays to each other’s strengths. Luis, who spent decades as a political consultant for New York City mayor EdKoch and later on Senate campaigns for HillaryClinton and CharlesSchumer, now throws his energy into promoting his son’s projects and their social endeavors. In 2019, when Puerto Rico was still recovering from 2017’s Hurricane Maria, Luis helped his son bring Hamilton to the island for a series of benefit performances. And in April, they helped open a COVID vaccination site in New York City’s Times Square intended to jump-start the local entertainment industry. “We have very similar instincts,” Lin-Manuel says. “There’s a lot coming at me all the time, and my dad is sort of a natural gatekeeper. But also, his years in politics transfer nicely into the art space.” Luis learned grace under fire, and that’s helped him navigate the work with his son. “I learned through politics that you should always be respectful,” Luis says, “and I also care about the details of everything.” How much so? Despite having a heart attack in 2017, Luis continues to keep a rigorous schedule. He constantly works the phones, says his son, and he recently spent a few days in Georgia to outreach to Hispanic voters. “I have actually slowed down considerably and will only do 30 more trips before the 2022 election!” he vows. Responds Lin-Manuel, “I love how passionate he is about the things he cares about.”
‘Write What You Know’
Though Lin-Manuel’s upbringing in the Heights featured music constantly booming from cars and the streets, life inside the Miranda household was more low-key. He watched NBC sitcoms like Family Ties with his dad and L.A. Law and NYPD Blue with his mom. (The latter series both starred JimmySmits, who plays a patriarch in the new movie version of In the Heights.) “My dad and I also saw every single [Steven] Seagal, [Jean-Claude] VanDamme and [Arnold] Schwarzenegger action movie and [the musical] Newsies on opening weekend,” he says. He credits his older sister, Luz Miranda-Crespo, for introducing him to his favorite hip-hop artists, including A Tribe Called Quest, Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. Certain childhood memories pop up, like seeing Les Misérables on Broadway in 1987, his first musical. “I remember crying when Fantine died and falling asleep for a spell and waking up to Javert’s suicide,” he says. “I was also jealous that there was a little kid onstage [the character of Gavroche] and thinking, Wait, how do you get that job in theater?!” He also vividly recalls his mom listening to the cast album, always crying during the ballad “Bring Him Home.” Even as a 7-year-old, he says, “That music was very formative.” Lin-Manuel also regularly saw a special film close to his father’s heart: The Unsinkable Molly Brown, starring Debbie Reynolds, a big 1964 fictionalized musical about the real-life woman who, among other things, survived the sinking of the Titanic. As a kid, Luis was so taken by the actress’ grit that he wrote her a fan letter and was giddy when she personally responded. He quickly adopted that can-do spirit and credits the character for inspiring him to leave Puerto Rico in 1973 and move to New York City to pursue his American dream. “We watched that movie so many f—ing times,” Lin-Manuel says with a groan. Some swearing aside, Lin-Manuel admits he was never much of a troublemaker (“I watched my sister fight my parents, with limited success”) and had zero interest in pursuing his father’s cutthroat world of politics. Instead, he threw himself into writing and composing. When he was accepted into Wesleyan University in Connecticut, he felt the responsibility to overachieve and aimed to treat his experience as an intense four-year residency. “I watched my parents struggle to pay for my sister’s education and was keenly aware that my dad suddenly had three new jobs when I entered school,” he says. “She was studying to be an engineer. I’m a f—ing writer! So I remember thinking that I really had to leave with more than a degree.” Luis nods, recalling, “When my daughter told us that she wanted to take another class, my wife and I burst out crying. We had to save every month to make all my kids’ tuition payments.” The extra effort was worth it: As a sophomore, Lin-Manuel wrote the first draft of In the Heights—which includes a close-to-home plotline involving a father trying to pay for his daughter’s Stanford University education—and continued to fine-tune it after graduation. “I saw it as an opportunity to create my dream show,” he says, “because there was nothing in the musical cannon with an all-Latino cast. It’s as simple and as complicated as writing what you know.” When he had a choice between teaching seventh grade at his public-school alma mater or pursuing the show full-time, he sought his father’s advice. Though Luis was worried about his son traveling down an uncertain road, he wrote him a letter that encouraged him to go for his dreams. (He keeps a copy of the letter in the house, obviously.) “If I want my kids to learn anything,” Luis says, “It’s that they have to do everything they can to make sure their own kids move ahead in society.” The show eventually worked its way to Broadway, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2008. Its success led to a national tour, a higher profile and the means for Lin-Manuel to work on his next project: a historical musical based on Founding Father AlexanderHamilton. But perhaps the most meaningful perk of all, certainly for his father, was a private meet-and-greet with—yep—Debbie Reynolds herself. It happened when Lin-Manuel brought In The Heights to Los Angeles in 2010 and a mutual friend arranged a post-show get-together. She held court for 45 minutes. “My dad acted like a kid again,” Lin-Manuel marvels. “And the first thing he asked her was if she really got his letter!” Indeed, Luis notes that she made an impact in several ways. “Because Debbie Reynolds answered me when I was a kid,” he says, “Lin-Manuel answers every single letter that he gets.” The star will even autograph $10 bills, which—of course—bear the likeness of Alexander Hamilton. But he has a request. “Please,” he asks nicely, “stop sending me money. I feel bad if I don’t return it!”
Kids Are Forever
Not surprisingly, the Mirandas are big on holiday traditions. On New Year’s Eve, Luis says the family celebrates together either in his beloved Puerto Rico (where his relatives are still based) or New York. On birthdays, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, the designated honoree gets a homemade breakfast in bed. Growing up, Lin-Manuel made personal mix CDs for his parents as presents. This Father’s Day, the three generations—including Luis’ six grandkids—will convene for a big lunch in New Jersey. “My sister’s house is the center of family gatherings, so it’s party time over there,” Lin-Manuel says. “I bring the dog and my sister has two birds and we try to keep them from killing each other.” Food is brought in, though Lin-Manuel says his father is great in the kitchen. (Luis, in turn, raves that his wife is a “fantastic cook, almost like a chef.”) It’s all loud and chaotic, which is exactly how they prefer it—even more after COVID forced everyone to see each other only via their computer screens last year. After all, if the pandemic taught them anything, it’s that family matters. “My kids are my No. 1 priority no matter what I’m doing,” says Lin-Manuel. As he tinkers with everything from directing the fall musical Tick, Tick…Boom! to crafting the score for the November Disney animated movie Encanto from home, “It’s interesting to see what their brains have picked up. The other day, my six-year-old son told me that one of my songs was too long. I have two little test audiences!” That’s certainly music to the ears of his father. “The biggest lesson for my kids is that they know they are the most important things I have,” Luis says. “No matter what is going on in my life, your kids are forever.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Best Roles on Stage and Film
Lin-ManuelMiranda has mastered stages of all specialties, most recently by turning his Tony Award–winning Broadway musical In the Heights into a new film (in theaters and streaming on HBO Max) starring AnthonyRamos, CoreyHawkins, LeslieGrace and MelissaBarrera. Where else have you seen—and heard—the Hamilton star? Find out here.
The Sopranos (2007)
Miranda was working as a substitute teacher when he landed a small part as a Miami bellhop in one of the mob drama’s final episodes.
In the Heights (2008–11)
It’s showtime! His first Broadway outing—for which he wrote the songs and played the lead role—ran for 1,184 performances and continues to be staged around the country.
Do No Harm (2013)
Remember this NBC drama? (Er, probably not.) Miranda was a series regular (Dr. Ruben Marcado) on this modern-day take on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that ran for only 13 episodes.
Hamilton (2015– )
He was on vacation in Mexico reading a bio of founding father AlexanderHamilton in 2010 when the lightbulb went off. Five years and 11 Tonys later, the hip-hop musical (in which he played the titular character) remains a modern-day phenomenon.
Moana (2016)
Miranda helped compose the Polynesian-flavored music for this animated Disney hit about an adventurous teenager searching for her identity.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2017)
Playing an ultra-entitled version of himself, Miranda barked orders, rapped lyrics and dueled star LarryDavid (à la Hamilton) during two hilarious episodes of this sublime comedy.
DuckTales (2017–21)
A fan of the original 1987–90 animated Disney series, he provided his voice to fan-favorite character Gizmoduck, a Duckburg hero whose true identity is Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera.
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
How super(califragilisticexpialidocious)! As Jack the lamplighter, he got to sing and tap-dance in a sequel to a Disney classic. He also acted alongside his idol and original Poppins star DickVanDyke. “I was geeking out!” he says.
Fosse/Verdon (2019)
Not only did Miranda co–executive produce this acclaimed FX miniseries about married musical theater and film legends BobFosse and GwenVerdon, he appeared as actor Roy Scheider—who starred in All That Jazz, a movie directed by Fosse and based on his life.
His Dark Materials (2019)
In this BBC/HBO adaptation of the fantastical smash book trilogy by PhilipPullman, he portrayed Texan aeronaut and adventurer Lee Scoresby. He shot all nine episodes overseas in London.
Tick, Tick . . . Boom! (2021)
Coming to Netflix this fall: His feature directorial debut, based on the semi-autobiographical musical of the same name by JonathanLarson (Rent), follows the aspirations of a composer (AndrewGarfield) to define himself in the NYC theater scene. Next, Tour the Real-Life NYC Spots Where Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights Was Filmed
