Ottawa's St. Patrick's High School has reminded the city just how powerful high school theatre can be, delivering what one young critic described as a transcendent presentation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights.
The production — reviewed as part of Ottawa's celebrated Cappies program — was helmed by an impressive team of five directors: Emily Edwards, Fadi El-Saikali, Christina Sangalli, Pamela Williams, and Caitlin Dubé. That kind of collaborative directorial vision is rare, and it clearly paid off.
A Story About Home, Right Here at Home
In the Heights is a musical love letter to community, belonging, and the immigrant experience — themes that resonate just as powerfully in Ottawa as they do in the Washington Heights neighbourhood where the story is set. The show's signature lyric, "Where people come, people go! Let me show all of these people what I know, there's no place like home," landed with full weight, according to the review.
For Ottawa students performing and watching, that message hits close to home. The city's diverse communities — from Vanier to Overbrook to Gloucester — carry stories every bit as vivid as those on Miranda's stage, and a cast of high schoolers bringing that story to life carries its own special electricity.
The Cappies: Ottawa's Theatre Critics in Training
The review was penned by Théo Djory Dupuy, a student critic from Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School, as part of the Cappies program — a remarkable initiative that trains high school students to review their peers' performances with genuine craft and care. Ottawa has long been a proud participant in the Cappies, and the quality of student criticism produced here consistently stands out nationally.
Having a young critic call a production "transcendent" isn't a throwaway compliment — it reflects real artistic ambition met and exceeded.
Why This Production Matters
High school musical theatre doesn't always get the attention it deserves, but productions like this one from St. Patrick's are a reminder of what's happening in school auditoriums across Ottawa every spring. Students are singing, dancing, building sets, running lights, and writing criticism — all while balancing exams and everything else that comes with being a teenager.
St. Patrick's High School, located in the heart of Ottawa, has a long tradition of strong arts programming, and this In the Heights production adds another chapter to that legacy.
If you missed it, keep an eye on the Cappies awards season — this production is likely to earn some recognition when nominations are announced. And if you have a young performer or theatre lover in your life, the Ottawa Cappies listings are the best guide to catching the next unmissable high school show in the city.
Source: Ottawa Citizen / Cappies, reviewed by Théo Djory Dupuy, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School.
