Trust Lin-Manuel Miranda to brighten up everyone’s week. Miranda continues to give In the Heights fans tidbits of information about the upcoming big screen adaptation of his Tony-winning musical. He recently shared a throwback video featuring the film’s leading man, Anthony Ramos. “Never forget that Anthony Ramos was on Caso Cerrado and he sang so well that the judge ruled in his favor,” he tweeted on July 1, sharing a clip of the famed Telemundo Spanish-language court show.
As is the case in every episode of the daytime show, Cuban-born lawyer Ana María Polo patiently listened to two plaintiffs: a young woman (Isabela) who hoped to be emancipated in order to pursue a career in musical theatre (and join her boyfriend in New York City) and her mother (Enid) who wished she would pursue a more traditional career path.
Ramos’ cameo doesn’t come until well into the clip when Polo agrees that there’s no way to arbitrate this dispute without seeing how talented Isabela truly is. That’s when Polo calls in Isabela’s boyfriend Kevin (Ramos), who appears with a mic in hand singing a soulful version of “One Alone” (from the operetta, The Desert Song). He leaves the audience astonished. In that moment, we realize Polo is obviously going to rule in favor of the young couple. The couple then showcases their tap dancing skills, but not before Isabela sings an a cappella version of “Ave Maria” that even leaves her mother in tears. The episode, which looks like its from 2011, is a reminder that Ramos is a talent to be reckoned with. Seeing him get Polo teary-eyed and emotional makes us even more impatient to hear his take on Usnavi in the In the Heights movie.
Check out the full clip below.