03/18/2026
With this year marking the 18th anniversary of In the Height Broadway opening it reminded me there was a stretch of time when the cast album was the only thing the kids wanted to listen to in our car.
Their mom brought it back from a trip to New York after seeing the show, and from then on, we were hooked. What I didn’t fully understand was that this album wasn’t just our family soundtrack, it would help mark milestones and unlock something in Jaiden.
The In the Heights album was the kids’ introduction to musicals. Jaiden was 4 years old, Mateo about 3. A few years later, when the tour came to Chicago, it was the first live musical theater experience we had as a family.
What started with singing during our drives led to Jaiden taking chances on stage, first plays, violin, piano, first musical theater performances, guitar and now Jaiden’s 1st year at the Berklee College of Music for songwriting and musical theater.
Thank you to , , and the original Broadway cast for creating something that lived so deeply in our home. It was how we bonded, escaped and opened the door for the artist in Jaiden.
Slides:
1. A pre-nap Jaiden channeling Vanessa
2. Some Usnavi for you.
3. Jaiden’s first musical
4. Jaiden sings her first solo
5. Randomly meeting KO in a gas station because I forgot Jaiden’s water bottle.
6. In the Heights at Milwaukee Rep.
7. Graduation Party and In the Heights Movie premiere.
8. Getting to see KO perform a piece with Collaboraction
9. Jaiden is accepted into the Goodman Theatre Summer program
10. Mean Girls
11. In the Heights at the Marriott Theater (Bonus of getting to see .pr as Usnavi)
12. Young Frankenstein
13. New Guitar for college.
14. Drop off day. Berklee College of Music
