Jimmy Smits was an early Heights supporter off-Broadway, before the musical moved to Broadway, and well before it was adapted to the screen. When he was asked to do the voiceover for the TV advertisement, he wouldn't accept payment. He just wanted some house seats for Broadway.
The hold music that plays when Kevin is on the phone is a version of King George's melody in Hamilton, another musical by Lin Manuel Miranda.
Filming for "In the Heights" coincided with filming for Steven Spielberg's remake of "West Side Story," with the two often filming just a few streets apart from each other. Director Jon M. Chu claimed that their sets were so close at one point that the catering truck for Spielberg's film was in their shots. At one point, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who had done Spanish translations for the 2009 revival of West Side Story, snuck over to their set, getting a glimpse of filming for the song "Maria."
According to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the role of the Piragua guy was likely to be cut since, as Miranda admits, the character contributes little to story. This broke his heart, since that subplot is meant to show the grit of small, local businesses. Quiara Alegría Hudes suggested that Miranda play the role to avoid its being cut. Miranda agreed, and used the role to pay tribute to his grandfather, who had passed away a week after the Broadway production opened in 2008, reflected in his wardrobe, glasses, and even the book he reads.
In the stage musical, Abuela Claudia tells the story of how Usnavi got his name during a song called "Hundreds of Stories." Since that song was cut, they incorporated the story into Usnavi's dialogue.
Luis Miranda, Luz Towns-Miranda: Lin-Manuel Miranda's parents appear during "Breathe" getting out of a car, with Luis telling Nina, "Welcome home."
Chris Jackson: As Mr. Softee. Jackson also performed and shared the stage with Lin-Manuel Miranda in his other produced musical, Hamilton, as George Washington.