Holmdel Resident to Play Carla in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights

Holmdel resident Sarah Coleman will be playing a lead role in Phoenix Productions’ upcoming June revival of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights.

This show, sponsored by D’Agostino and Associates “The Injury Firm,” will take place at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank from June 22-24.

Sarah joins the cast as naive Carla, a young and pretty Queens native with Chilean roots who works at Daniela’s salon. “Carla is such a fun, likable character because she is so sweet and innocent” explains Sarah. “I admire Carla’s positivity in every situation, even if she doesn’t know what’s going on half the time!”

PHOTO: Gaby Resende of Roselle and Sarah Coleman of Holmdel star as Daniela and Carla in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony award-winning musical In The Heights

Sarah is a long-time member of the Phoenix family and no stranger to the Count Basie Stage. With Phoenix, she joined the cast of White Christmas as Susan Waverly, The Sound of Music as Brigitta, Evita as a member of the Children’s Choir, Peter Pan as an Indian, Gypsy as a Showgirl, A Christmas Story as Esther Jane Alberry, and most recently as a Bird Girl in Seussical. Within the community, she is a well-known, award-winning actress, securing the 2018 Count Basie Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical for Thoroughly Modern Millie. Over the years, she has performed with the Paper Mill Playhouse, Summer Arts Conservatory, and Elise Klinger Dance Studio.

Set over the course of three days in Washington Heights, In The Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community where the coffee is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythms of Latin-infused music by Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of Hamilton). For a musical that began as Miranda’s senior college project and rose quickly in popularity after being discovered by Thomas Kail (director of Hamilton), it is not surprising that the show was met with unprecedented success. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. In The Heights promises to tell a captivating story about what it means to chase your dreams, cling to your roots, and celebrate the community from which you grew. “The show is a symbol of pride” explains Sarah. “Throughout the show, there are strong messages emphasizing the importance of roots and respecting one’s heritage. In a changing society, it is important to stay grounded and to love everyone for who they are at all times.”

In The Heights will run from June 22nd through June 24th, with performances on Friday at 8:00 pm, Saturday at 8:00 pm, and Sunday at 3:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Count Basie Theatre Box Office at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank NJ, by phone at 732-842-9000, or online at www.countbasietheatre.org

Phoenix Productions is a non-profit community theatre organization that has produced more than a hundred full-scale revivals of Broadway musicals since 1988. For more information on Phoenix Productions or upcoming shows, go to www.phoenixredbank.com