“The immigrant story really hits for me because that’s what my grandparents did,” says Gonzalez. “They came over on boats and found it really hard to set themselves up in a predominantly white place. I feel like this is my dad’s story,watching his parents give up their life for their children.”

There have been numerous other productions of In The Heights in Australia over the years,including a short run at the Melbourne’s National Theatre in 2016,and a controversial staging at Brisbane Powerhouse,which was later cancelled amid furore over its predominantly white cast.

Gonzalez says it was important that the show’s Latinx authenticity is maintained.

“The Brisbane production would have been an interpretation of how this community acts,” they say. “But people with that lived experience already have that story within them.”

“We have Hispanic performers as well,and some Filipino performers,” says Gonzalez. “The casting team has done an amazing job to keep looking right down to the final week before rehearsals to make sure we have the right cast. They said,‘We need to look until we find them’.

“We’ve had a lot of Latinx and Hispanic performers in and out over the years,and the company keeps finding more,which is really beautiful,” says Gonzalez. “It proves that they are there,they just need the opportunity to get the experience.”

In The Heights is at the Comedy Theatre from August 1.

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