Don't leave the movie theater at the end of In The Heights—there's a post-credits scene worth watching
If you're a fan of the Broadway production, you'll want to stay in your seat
It’s finally safe to watch movies in theaters again, and In The Heights is a strong contender for many as the first movie to see after over a year of missing out on the comforting feeling of watching a film in a cold room filled with strangers and the strong scent of popcorn. While seemingly everyone is going to see A Quiet Place II, some of us need something light after the year and a half of hell we’ve had. But if and when you go see In The Heights, make sure to stick around after the credits—especially if you’re a fan of the original Broadway production.
Director Jon Chu includes a post-credit scene featuring two members of the main original cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda (who besides writing In The Heights played Usnavi) and Christopher Jackson (the original Benny). This time, Miranda takes on the role as the piragüero, and Jackson plays his rival, Mister Softee. The hidden scene features Miranda singing about his victory after Mister Softee’s truck broke down and the piragüero gained all of his customers as a direct result. The piragüero takes advantage of this, hiking up the price as Mister Softee kicks his truck in defeat. But there’s a sweet moment, where the piragüero offers an olive branch in the form of shaved ice.
Sadly, we don’t get to hear Jackson rap. It’s a bummer, since he was a standout amongst the original Broadway cast—and admittedly, this writer’s favorite performer from the musical. So if you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Jackson perform “Benny’s Dispatch” onstage, this cameo should be a reminder to please check out his version in the Broadway musical’s soundtrack.
And if you don’t feel comfortable heading to theaters just yet but want to watch In The Heights, there’s great news: it’s now available to stream on HBO Max.