Lin-Manuel Miranda Casts Himself as the Pirageuro for In the Heights

Beloved Broadway giant Lin-Manuel Miranda won’t just be off-camera on the set of the new film version of his Tony-winning musical In the Heights.

He’ll also be front-and-center in his role as Piraguero, the Washington Heights piragua or ice cream man who competes with ice cream hawking franchise Mister Softee. But despite the hard push of Mister Softee, the piraguero struggles on, continuing to scoop his refreshing mango, strawberry and pineapple ices.

One last bit of casting.
[Rolls piragua cart on set…]#InTheHeightsMoviepic.twitter.com/26ZCfQ19EW

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) June 14, 2019

The role, once generically dubbed “Piragua Guy,” was originally played on Broadway by Eliseo Roman from the jukebox musical “On Your Feet.”

The Warner Bros. project will be directed by Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Jon M. Chu and have a screenplay by playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, a writer behind the original “In the Heights” and most recently, the acclaimed immigration musical for the Trump era, Miss You Like Hell.

Cameras have already started rolling in Washington Heights, and the film is set for a 2020 release date.

With music and lyrics by Miranda himself, the musical first opened in 2008 and was nominated for 13 Tony Aways, winning four for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations.

The musical is set in the Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City as it follows a bodega owner who closes up shop to retire in the Dominican Republic after inheriting his grandmother’s fortune.

Miranda will join the likes of Noah Catala as Graffiti Pete, Anthony Ramos as Usnavi, Corey Hawkins as Benny, Melissa Barrera as Vanessa, Leslie Grace as Nina, Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela, Stephanie Beatriz as Carla, Dascha Polanco as Cuca, Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny, Marc Antony as Sonny’s father, and Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario.