Bangalore, March 6: The middle and high school students of Stonehill International School, Bangalore, performed In the Heights, a Tony Award-winning musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda at Bangalore International Centre from the 27th of February to the 1st of March. The school’s annual production gives its students a larger platform to display their talent to a large and diverse audience.

This year’s production blended hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul to tell the story of a vibrant Latino community in Washington Heights, New York City. The show is about Usnavi, a bodega owner with dreams of returning to the Dominican Republic, and his neighbors as they navigate love, ambition, and identity. Over three days, the community faces change, challenges, and celebrations, with themes of family, perseverance, and the meaning of home.

Joe Lumsden, Head of School, Stonehill International School, commented, “The Stonehill musical production this year was stunning. Our students worked on this production for six months, giving up their evenings and weekends to ensure that the show was as professional as possible. All members of the crew and cast can be immensely proud of the performance that they put on. The audience loved it.”

The look and feel of the play were enhanced by a realistic-looking set of a high street with candy shops and boutique salons – all designed by the school students and teachers. Costumes, props, lighting, makeup, choreography, and music were all conceptualized and executed in-house.

Jason Gallant, a teacher at Stonehill, who directed the musical performance, has a long association with theatre productions. Trained in dance and having performed in plays since a young age, theatre became his pathway to teaching and he initially worked as a music and drama programmer at a summer camp, using performance to support children with physical disabilities. At Stonehill, he encourages students to take part in drama as a way to build confidence and collaboration skills. As an international teacher, he feels In the Heights is a perfect choice for this year’s production as it is a story about finding a sense of belonging and creating a community wherever one is—something the diverse student body at Stonehill can truly relate to.