HIGH ART: Lin Manuel Miranda's first musical 'In the Heights' comes to the Hammer Theatre.

The American dream is elusive, especially for those living in Washington Heights at the turn of the millennium. Hamilton writer and director Lin-Manuel Miranda sets his first musical in this Hispanic neighborhood of Manhattan at a time when the area—once identified as the “crack capital of America”—was rapidly gentrifying. Main character Usnavi de la Vega is the owner of a small bodega, which he is struggling to keep up in the face of forces beyond his control. The Tony Award-winning musical explores the Latino experience and marks the beginning of Miranda’s career as a Broadway star. Students get in for $10; the production runs through May 6. (SM)

In the Heights
Fri, 7pm, $20+
Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose