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Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents for one night only, Hitting New Heights: Mandy Gonzalez & Javier Muñoz on Sunday. March 5, 2023 at 2:00pm in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.
After both appearing in Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights and Hamilton on Broadway, this duo of multi-talented performers is gearing up for a performance of showtunes, new music, and more!
After making her Broadway debut in Aida in 2001, Mandy Gonzalez has played many notable roles on Broadway including Elphaba in Wicked and Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. Gonzalez originated the role of Nina Rosario in In the Heights on Broadway and enchanted audiences with her sweet yet fierce performance that resonated so deeply with many first-generation college students.
New York native Javier Muñoz made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of In the Heights where he understudied Lin Manuel Miranda before eventually assuming the role of Usnavi. As the right-hand man to Miranda on numerous shows, history repeated itself when Hamilton opened on Broadway and Muñoz served as the Hamilton alternate for Miranda in select shows. When Miranda left the show, Muñoz played the role of Alexander Hamilton for two years with glowing reviews.
Tickets start at $39 and are available at online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236.
Mandy Gonzalez is an accomplished film, TV, and stage actor and author. She possesses one of the most powerful and versatile contemporary voices of our time. Mandy has starred on Broadway in the megahit Hamilton as Angelica Schuyler. She also originated Nina Rosario in the Tony
Award-winning Broadway musical, In The Heights, for which Mandy received a Drama Desk Award. Mandy also starred as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked, blowing the roof off of New York’s Gershwin Theatre each night as she belted out the signature song, “Defying Gravity.”
Mandy also received an OBIE Award and overwhelming critical praise for her performance in the
Off-Broadway production of Eli’s Comin’. Television viewers have had the pleasure of seeing Mandy in her recurring roles in the hit series “Madam Secretary” and “Bull”, and alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short in “Only Murders in the Building.” Equally at home on the big and small screen, she has appeared in “Across the Universe,” directed by Julie Taymor, “After,” starring opposite Pablo Schreiber, and “Man on a Ledge” with Sam Worthington. Mandy can also be heard as the voice of Mei in Disney’s “Mulan 2.”
A frequent concert soloist, Mandy has performed with symphony orchestras around the world, including at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. Mandy is a Warner Music East / West artist and released her debut album, FEARLESS, which debuted at #13 on the iTunes pop charts.
Mandy is also an author—she wrote the Young Adult novel series, FEARLESS, published by Simon and Schuster.
In her quest to create positive change, Mandy is the proud founder of #FearlessSquad—a social media movement for inclusiveness and positivity. #FearlessSquad connects people around the world, encourages them to be their best selves, and helps them empower each other.
Javier Muñoz is an actor and activist whose impressive body of work spans theater, film and television. He is currently starring in the pre-Broadway run of the The Devil Wears Prada: A New Musical, with music by Elton John, based on the feature of the same name. He plays Miranda Priestley’s right hand man, Nigel.
Javier is best known for starring as Alexander Hamilto” in the cultural-phenomenon musical Hamilton on Broadway for two years, after Lin-Manuel Miranda departed the show (and was his alternate prior to that). He got his break starring as Usnavi in In The Heights on Broadway, also created by Miranda.
On the TV side, he’s appeared on “Shadowhunters,” “Blindspot” and “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.” Recent theater credits include The New Englanders at MTC and the starring role in the North American premiere of Stephen Lloyd Helper’s A Sign of the Times. He also voices a lead character on the Disney Jr. animated series, “Eureka!”
Javier appears in the Paramount+/MTV Films feature, “Three Months,” and recently starred in the indie feature, “Monuments,” by Jack Newell, which took home several awards on the festival circuit. Next up, he’ll appear in “Love Reconsidered,” opposite Sophie von Haselberg and Colton Haynes.
Javier is also an outspoken activist for LGBTQ+ rights and a Global Ambassador for (RED), which fights to end HIV/AIDS. Muñoz was honored with the prestigious OUT100 “Breakout of the Year” award in 2016, as well as the Howard Ashman Award by the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). Javier now serves on the Board of GMHC.
