It’s no secret that Lin-Manuel Miranda is now one of the biggest names on Broadway. His talent for writing and composing is almost unparalleled, and it’s thanks to "Hamilton" that he’s become as famous as he is now.

However, there were people who knew Miranda long before "Hamilton" hit the stage because that wasn’t his first musical to win the Tonys. Miranda’s first big hit, was a funny but heartfelt musical called "In the Heights."

The musical is set in the real area of Washington Heights, New York City (where Miranda actually grew up), centering around a community of colorful characters who are all struggling to make their way and achieve their dreams so they can get out of their run-down neighborhood. The story has a perfect blend of comedy, family, and love to make you fall in love with all the characters.

I guess, in a way, you could call it "Rent" without AIDs. But don’t let that make you think that this is just a carbon copy of "Rent." Far from it, in fact. The music style has a very Latino feel to it, flawlessly incorporating both English and Spanish into the lyrics.

While "Hamilton" starts with an intense and, for lack of a better word, epic start and slowly descends into deep and depressing territory with a bittersweet ending, "In the Heights" is definitely more upbeat. It has a lot of energy, a generally more happy tone, and while the ending can seem bittersweet, it definitely leans more towards sweet than "Hamilton" does. I mean, just about all the characters come out of it alive and happy, so that has to count for something.

The show ran on Broadway, at the Richard Rogers Theater, the same theater that would later host "Hamilton" and ran from 2008 to 2011. The musical even went as far as to win four Tonys, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

Listening to it now, it almost makes you wish that you knew about this hidden gem before it closed. But luckily, the social media and internet has found this little lost musical and has been trying it’s hardest to put it on display and spread how great it is.

One of the differences from "Hamilton" that really stands out is how open the story and setting is. "Hamilton" is very reliant on history, so changing the story at all involves re-writing history. ‘In the Heights’ on the other hand, features original characters in a present-day setting; and since the musical takes place over three days (whereas "Hamilton" spreads over thirty years), the story and characters are completely open to interpretation.

Fans have latched onto their favorite characters and have started to add their own little touches to make them their own, like making up backstories and life-changing events before and after the musical’s main story. It gives every fanfiction from this musical it’s own unique spin, making them stand out among the rest. The fandom’s only hope is that more people learn about "In the Heights" and have them add their own contributions to the show so it can continue to grow.

However, if I had to nitpick one thing about the musical, it’s that the songs don’t completely flow with the storyline. Not that the story or songs are bad, it’s just that it doesn’t have the same smooth transitions that "Hamilton" does.

When listening to "Hamilton," you can listen to the soundtrack without having seen the musical at all, since both the music and story are almost perfectly matched. "In the Heights" on the other hand, is a regular musical, therefore there’s dialogue in between songs. So unless you’ve seen it onstage or already know the story, you’ll have no idea what’s going on when the next song rolls around.

But honestly, that’s such a small complaint, I don’t think I can even call it a nitpick. Just be aware that if you want to introduce someone to this musical through the soundtrack alone, be ready to explain what happened in between songs, or have them look up a synopsis. Anything to avoid that awkward car ride involving you being totally into something while you’re friend is sitting there completely confused at what they’re supposed to like. But if you manage to successfully convert their attention, you’re in for a great ride.

So, if you’re ever interested in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s past work, want to find a new musical to get into, or getting sick of "Hamilton" (it could happen), head over to iTunes, YouTube, or Spotify and give "In the Heights" a listen, or even better, a viewing if a theater company of high school near you is putting it on!

You’ll be itching to jump out of your seat and dance as you become entranced by the stories from "In The Heights."