BWW TV: When Lin-Manuel Met Nicholas 'IN THE HEIGHTS'

Thanks so much for posting that! What a wonderful thing for Nicholas!

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I have deleted my post. I didn't mean to offend anyone. Just stating opinions.

Updated On: 12/6/08 at 01:15 AM

Well I think they wanted it to be known that they did it (hence the filming). But I don't think the *sole* reason was just PR.

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four months ago- August 08- that was the first time I posted anything about Nicholas' youtube channel on here, and that was in reply to someone else's post, so we've been taking about him since at least then, maybe earlier...

And is the cast performing in street clothes while volunteering their time a concern for equity (you AEA types are gonna have to help here- now that it's been mentioned I'm curious)? I could understand having to get it ok'd to use the set, the music, the choreography, but would equity have to have ok'd the cast appearance?

And, honestly, it didn't feel like the BWW press about this video was planned (apologies BWW staff if it was), rather BWW news 'covering' the story of the creation of this video all felt like it came abouts after the fact, ie: oh, people are posting/talking about it, maybe we should do a story on it. Otherwise why the video interview w/ Lin after it all happened, why no BWW footage of it while it was happening? (Hey, y'all have your cynicism, I'll have mine. :))

link to Aug 2008 chat about Nicholas' youtube channel

I understand.

Updated On: 12/6/08 at 03:06 AM

I can say it was 100 percent not planned but a very last minute interview. In fact, I was doing something else (video wise) entirely when we shot his little video about Nicholas. Lin had noticed all the chatter on BroadwayWorld's message board and we decided to ask him about it when (as I said) we were shooting something else with him.

I CAN tell you that in speaking to Lin with no cameras rolling how excited he was to talk about Nicholas and the whole experience. This wasn't a PR stunt in the slightest. This was Lin identifying with a kid not unlike himself with a passion inside to perform.

Performers can never win it seems. If they reach out to their fans, they get accused of doing it for alterior motives. If they ignore their fans, they get ridiculed for being snobs. It's a tough position to be in as to WHERE that line is.

I've seen it with several performers both here on BWW and "off line".

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I read the story, watched Nicholas' videos and then watched the video he did with the cast and the interview with Lin-Manuel. I am sitting here at my computer STILL in tears.

Kudo's to the Cast of In The Heights! Wonderful, wonderful! Just lifts the heart!

Craig, thank you for sharing that!

And who cares what clearances had to be made for this to happen! It happened!! Whoever cleared what, it is evident that ALL involved wanted this to happen! So don't worry about that stuff and just enjoy that this kids dream came true beacause of some wonderful people!

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Updated On: 12/6/08 at 08:26 PM

I know we're all having deep discussions about the impetus behind the video and the ethics of the situation, but I'm still giggling about the fact that this kid brought his own homemade costume! Seriously, even if it was a PR stunt (and it doesn't seem that it was), who gives a ****? It was a beautiful thing and I would have committed murder to have the opportunity that kid had when I was his age!

jennafan, I did not get to read the posts that you deleted so I am not responding to you.

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ok, no worries.