Jay Z is joining the big-screen adaptation of the Tony winning Broadway musical “In the Heights” as a producer. Harvey Weinstein made that announcement on Sunday at his pre-Oscars party according to Page Six. It was announced last fall that “In the Heights” would make its way to cinemas, with production expected to begin this spring — maybe Beyonce will cameo!
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“In the Heights” made a star out of composer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda when it opened on Broadway in 2008. It won the Tony for Best Musical and Miranda won Best Original Score. Of course Miranda became an even bigger star when his musical “Hamilton” opened in 2015 and a few months later won him two more Tonys for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical.
Miranda has also won a pair of Grammy Awards for Best Musical Theater Album for the cast recordings for both “In the Heights” and “Hamilton.” And he won an Emmy for Best Music and Lyrics for writing the song “Bigger!” for the 2013 Tony Awards. The Oscar is the only award he needs to complete his EGOT grand slam of showbiz awards. He had a chance this past year when he was nominated for his song “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney animated film “Moana,” but he lost to “City of Stars” from “La La Land.”
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But perhaps Miranda will get another chance at Oscar sooner rather than later. He likely won’t reprise the lead role in “In the Heights,” but he may play another role in the film. And he’s also co-starring in Disney sequel “Mary Poppins Returns,” and he’s also working with Alan Menken to compose the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.”
Jay Z hasn’t had the same wide-ranging awards success as Miranda has, but he’s nevertheless a master in his field. The rapper has won 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time. He also earned an Emmy nomination in 2015 for “On the Run Tour: Beyonce and Jay Z.”
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