Director calls Broadway revival of ‘In the Heights’ at NY City Center a ‘balm for these times’

NEW YORK (AP) — David Mendizábal vividly remembers sitting in the audience for the final performances of playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights.” Almost two decades later, Mendizábal is directing the musical that was once his “portal to the theater.”

“It was the first time I’d ever heard or seen a world that looked and sounded like mine on an American stage,” Mendizábal told The Associated Press, referring to the 2008 musical that was a landmark for Latino representation and won four Tony Awards.

With a new cast of Latino artists, the New York City Center is presenting “In the Heights” for a limited three-week run through Nov. 15. It is the first major revival of the musical debuting at a time when, to Mendizábal, it’s vital to “show people the depth and breadth” of Latino communities.

“I think in this particular moment we need a great balm of joy, and this show brings that,” Mendizábal said.

Miranda, who also starred in the original production, recalled his experience resurrecting his barrier-breaking work. His songs and lyrics, alongside writing by Quiara Alegría Hudes, earned the original production best musical and best original score honors in its debut year.

“I’m really proud of the work Quiara and I did to make it speak across generations,” Miranda told the AP on Wednesday during a red carpet event celebrating the opening performance. “And that this generation is picking up the mantle is incredibly meaningful.”

The show’s revival comes amid ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations that have affected Dominican and Cuban families like the ones portrayed in the musical. An operation in Manhattan last month involved a Dominican national who was shot in the neck by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, as his five-year-old son watched, prompting large protests and condemnation from local and state elected officials.

When Jenny Gersten, New York City Center’s vice president and artistic director, was deciding on the musical lineup for the gala presentation, she recalled wrestling with the question of “what would be a good balm for these times?”

The answer came quickly, Gersten said. “In the Heights is pure joy.”

The high-energy reggaeton romance is set just a 30-minute subway ride north of New York City Center, in the predominantly Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights. The story follows three simmering summer days in the lives of this community’s cast of characters: like bodega-boy Usnavi, played by Matte Martinez; his storefront salon neighbor Vanessa, played by Ashley De La Rosa; and the block’s beloved matriarch Abuela Claudia, played by Natalie Venetia Belcon.

From its three-year Broadway run to the movie-musical debut in 2021, “In the Heights” has been hailed as “an exuberant celebration of the Latino immigrant experience.”

Eighteen years after its debut, the show “still holds up,” Miranda told the AP.

“The songs still hit. Sonny’s rap is more relevant than ever. And it’s still speaking to people.”

The musical number Miranda refers to is “96,000”, the act one anthem in which the cast dreams about what they would do if they won the lottery. Sonny, who is played by Ishmael Gonzalez in the 2026 revival, dreams of investing in the neighborhood, where “the ghetto has a million promises for me to keep.”

“Sonny’s talking about gentrification, he’s talking about immigration, he’s talking about the racism within politics,” Gonzalez said in an interview on Friday. “In some ways, Sonny’s rap feels like the most present part of the show, the most present to the moment we’re living in.”

For Gonzalez, who uses they/them pronouns, the character also symbolizes the “unwavering optimism” of young Latino leaders.

“We are here, and we are a part of this country and this world. Our labor and our love upholds the spine of this country,” they said.

Chris Jackson, the actor who portrayed the character Benny in the original Broadway cast, has passed a baton of sorts to his wife, actress Veronica Vazquez-Jackson, who is playing Camilla in the 2026 revival. The two met in 2003, during one of the earliest stagings of an off-Broadway “In The Heights.”

“It’s a full circle moment of ways I can’t express,” Jackson told the AP during Wednesday’s gala celebration.

“We are literally holding the light on for so many that still aspire to be a part of this society, in our country, in our culture, and also not forgetting who they are,” Jackson said.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, left, poses for photos with Christopher Jackson, right, during the New York City Center's Annual Gala and opening night of In the Heights Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Lin-Manuel Miranda arrives for the New York City Center's Annual Gala and opening night of In the Heights Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Christopher Jackson arrives for the New York City Center's Annual Gala and opening night of In the Heights Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Lin-Manuel Miranda responds to questions during the New York City Center's Annual Gala and opening night of In the Heights Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration has made $15 billion worth of promises to agriculture producers in the last few weeks of the midterm elections, initiatives intended to help offset higher costs for diesel and fertilizer that farmers have endured largely due to his tariffs and the war in Iran.

Whether that will motivate more voters to turn out in agricultural states where traditionally Republican seats are now seen as competitive is unclear. It may explain his increased attention on rural areas, including visits Sunday to Iowa and Kansas, two days before the election.

A look at the Republican administration's pledges to farmers:

Besides the more than $15 billion worth of payments and initiatives announced by Trump's Department of Agriculture, the agency plans $13.8 billion in safety net program payments for eligible producers for the 2025 crop year, offsetting shortfalls for farmers who grow key crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat and rice.

Of the $15 billion, more than half will go toward an $8 billion one-time payment plan for farmers buffeted by soaring diesel prices. The USDA said it will release more details about the payments this month. It is not clear when the payments will go to farmers, who rely on diesel for trucks, tractors and combines.

Gregg Ibendahl, a farm management specialist at Kansas State University, said he estimates the payments to “more than cover the increase in fuel costs,” and that the money could help with high fertilizer prices.

At least $5 billion was announced in guaranteed loans for ranchers and fishermen. An additional $1.8 billion in payments is for producers and landowners who participated in conservation programs, $573 million will go toward fertilizer manufacturing projects and $57 million is for expanding meat processors. For specialty crop producers, $86.6 million in grants will be awarded to innovative projects.

On Thursday, the agency said it would purchase up to $472.5 million in agricultural commodities to support producers and give to charitable programs.

The USDA also announced other efforts, such as expanding sales of a diesel normally used only for off-road use, helping ranchers by making cattle sale data more transparent and strengthening wolf management policies to protect livestock.

It has been a frustrating year for farmers. Increased costs for fertilizer and fuel have made it difficult to turn a profit. Last year, tariffs drove up expenses for other equipment that farmers use, and the trade war with China resulted in a near boycott of U.S. agricultural goods.

On Friday, diesel was averaging $6.32 per gallon, down slightly from its peak in September but 70% higher than the price a year ago, according to motor club AAA. Filling up a 100-gallon tank now costs $260 more than it did one year ago.

“That input side risk, I think, is the thing that really has hurt farmers this year, as well as the fact that there has been a lot more uncertainty about what’s going to happen in the world,” Ibendahl said.

He said he expects these ad hoc payments to be a big help for farmers who otherwise would not make a profit this year, but they do not address the broader issues driving up prices.

“It’s hard to go to your lender in the next spring and say, ‘OK, well, we’re looking pretty good this year, but it’s all because of these extra temporary government payments, so how much can you make me a loan (for) next year for my crop?’” he said.

Alexandra Middlewood, an associate professor of political science at Wichita State University, said she has heard mixed reactions from farmers, who are happy their business will survive this year but see these programs as one-time bailouts rather than a long-term solution.

Rural voters, including farmers and those who rely on the agricultural economy, have been an instrumental voting group for Trump.

Michael Smith, a political science professor at Emporia State University, said many rural voters like the president, but some of his policies have hurt the agriculture industry. Immigrant deportations have threatened the agricultural labor force, and cuts to foreign aid and SNAP food stamps hurt the market for agricultural products.

“Some people who admire Trump really just admire the person, the man,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean they necessarily like his policies. Well, Trump himself isn’t on the ballot this year. His policies are.”

Cost of living and access to health care are top issues for rural voters, Middlewood said. She added that there is a perception the administration has not done enough to address these issues, even as Trump boasts at campaign rallies about a booming economy.

Middlewood, who is based in Kansas, does not expect frustrated rural voters to shift to the Democratic Party, given how long the state has been a Republican stronghold. But some voters may decide to sit out of this election or vote independent, which would hurt Republican candidates.

“Independent voters make or break elections," she said. "And so that’s really what it’s going to come down to this year is those independent voters and who they’re breaking for.”

FILE - Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks as President Donald Trump announces action to help farmers and ranchers, as a group of farmers and ranchers stand behind, Sept. 4, 2026, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - People listen as President Donald Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wis., June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe, File)

FILE - Kernza grows at a farm in Halstead, Kan., on July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks and announces action to help farmers and ranchers, as a group of farmers and ranchers stand behind, Sept. 4, 2026, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)