"In the Heights", by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda (see photo at left), centers on a neighborhood (Washington Heights!) bodega whose owner has a rivalry with the gypsy-cab center next door. Local personalities include Abuela Claudia, an immigrant from Cuba who plays the Lotto every day. The musical influences of the show are as diverse as its characters. "You hear everything from hip hop to old boleros to merengue," says Miranda. "Growing up, my mom would blast 'Camelot' in the car, my dad would play old salsa, my sister would listen to Belinda Carlisle and I would hear the Beastie Boys and Pharcyde at school."