Gabriela Garcia on Meeting Lin-Manuel Miranda, Auditioning for Hamilton & Playing Nina in London's In the Heights

Gabriela Garcia has risen from ensemble player to the leading role of Nina in the much-acclaimed London production of In the Heights, the 2008 Tony-winning best musical now enjoying an extended run at the King's Cross Theatre. Still only 25, the Mexican-born Garcia chatted exuberantly to Broadway.com about living her dream role and her continued excitement at finding the show's original creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda in the audience. Oh, and whether the West End premiere of Hamilton might be next.

What was it like to have In the Heights' composer Lin-Manuel Miranda in your London audience recently?
  It was so surreal! When I think of that night, I still get shivers down my spine. I can't believe it happened, and I can't believe I did a show with him there. It was the most amazing experience.

How did his presence affect your performance?
It was the most beautiful experience from the moment I began "Breathe," which is the second song in the show and the first song my character sings. Later in the act, I have a song "When You're Home" and I just saw [Miranda] there where my eyesight was going. The lyrics were coming out of my mouth but my head was going, "Oh my God!"

Did the audience realize he was in the house?
Oh my God, they were going crazy! I have never experienced an audience like that before. They just couldn't believe he was there; for every song, there was roaring applause. We normally have really good audiences, but that was something else. We even had a standing ovation in the middle of the show; it was like a stadium!

Did Miranda say anything to you afterward?
I asked for a picture and he just said, "You were fantastic tonight. Thank you for telling my story." The thing about the show is that Nina is him: he wrote himself into In the Heights and everyone thinks he's Usnavi when in fact he is Nina. So I just replied, "Thank you for writing my story!" I was in a bubble after, like I couldn't really speak. 

Did you know the musical before it came to London?
Absolutely. I watched it three times in one week on Broadway and was so obsessed with it; there was so much to take in! I'd seen a few Broadway shows before but In the Heights was the first that hit home, where I went, "You know what? Theater can actually change people's lives!"

Were you at all familiar with Washington Heights [where the show is set]? 
I didn't know anything about it. The first time I saw the show, I didn't even get that it was a neighborhood in New York. I was just looking at all those bodies moving in time with the music so perfectly. Also, my English wasn't very good at the time, so it was really the poster that attracted me to it—[an image of] someone who didn't look white: I thought, that might be fun and a bit Latino. 

As a Mexican resident in London, was it a slam-dunk for you to be part of the U.K. company?
Funnily enough, the first time I was seen, I didn't get through. I was told I wasn't Latina enough, and I was, like, "I am Latina, what do you mean?" Luckily, my agent did an amazing job getting me another shot at it, and that time it went well. It's interesting how the pressure you put on yourself can be good and bad. When Lin-Manuel came to see us, the pressure contributed to probably one of the best shows I have ever done whereas with that early audition, the same pressure held me back. 

You moved into the role of Nina having opened in the smaller part of Yolanda.
It's been the best of both worlds. I got to see two different Ninas play the part both on Broadway and here before taking over the role myself in May. Though playing Nina was a dream of mine, I never thought I would actually get to do it.

Nina has to make all sorts of life choices during the show.
Yes, and I really connect with her in the way that she had to leave everything behind to pursue a dream. I feel as if she risks even more than I did, and though I try not to judge the characters I play, I always admire her courage and how persistent and determined she is. The reason why she wants to go to college is not to be the first one out of the barrio but because she actually wants to make a difference. She wants to make a change.

What brought you across the Atlantic to London?
I realized that I had to train to be in musicals so I came here age 16 to enroll in a musical theater course and then stayed on and auditioned for university and got into Arts Educational [the west London drama school]. I remember calling my dad and saying, "I have the opportunity to stay three more years here. What do you think?" He said, "Why are you even asking? Go for it!" Before long everything started fitting into place, and because I have a Spanish passport, getting a visa wasn't a problem. 

You must be excited about Hamilton coming to London in 2017.
Of course! I actually saw it on Broadway during the first holiday I had from In the Heights. I managed to get tickets for my mom and me through Lin-Manuel's father, whom we had all met doing In the Heights. I got to meet Chris Jackson, who was the original Benny, and I was there the same performance as the original Abuela [2008 Tony nominee Olga Merediz], who was watching the show as well. 

Are you planning to audition?
It's a show that obviously interests me, but I think it interests everyone in the musical theater industry! I'd love to get seen for it and would love to do Eliza one day, but I don't know how much else I should say.

Fair enough. And we must just mention your name, which brings to mind the great Latin American novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
It does, and the funny thing is that at one point I wanted to be a writer. But that was at a time in my life when there was so much stuff I wanted to do that I realized I couldn't do them all. Then I decided acting had to be the main thing.