Lin-Manuel Miranda on In the Heights Film, Watching Cheer and the Song That Makes His Kids Dance

The coronavirus crisis has affected many films in production, including In the Heights, which is based on Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes' Tony-winning musical. “We were literally recording the score when all of this started happening,” Miranda told Rosie O’Donnell during his appearance on The Rosie O’Donnell Show benefit for The Actors Fund. “We were finishing the score and the mixing and just getting the music exactly right.”

The three-time Tony winner says he’s confident the highly anticipated movie will see a theatrical release. “I’m really hopeful that that’s something we all get to watch in the theaters together," Miranda said, "when it's time and we feel safe to.”

Ever the optimist, Miranda is trying to find the bright side of the stay home rules—his sons are happy to be spending more time with their parents, for example. “This has just the super mom and dad sleepover of their lives,” he said about Sebastian, age five, and Francisco, who is two. Miranda said he recently introduced them to Singing in the Rain, and Francisco loved it. “The baby saw [the song] ’Moses Supposes’ and started fake tap dancing all over the house. He made us rewind it five times. So, the youngest one’s the dancer.”

Gmorning pic.twitter.com/AMTtcxZ7cV

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 23, 2020

Something else that the Miranda family has been watching: the Netflix documentary Cheer. “Oh my God! Jerry [Harris] deserves the world!” exclaimed Miranda. “Who knew [cheerleading] was that dangerous?” O'Donnell asked. “I did because I'm the co-writer of Bring It On on Broadway," Miranda replied. "I basically had a heart attack every night until it was over. It brought a lot of memories back of working on that show.” Miranda then had to leave to bathe his kids. Watch the entire chat between O’Donnell and Miranda below! Donate to The Actors Fund here.