Kiara Alegría Hudes

practicing storytelling in my mind and on pieces of paper every day.

So I have studied dramatic structure since my musical studies ended, but I actually think those musical studies are more informative for how I structure a long-form narrative and also how I kind of think about writing at the

The cadence of words and just sentences are the funnest place to play in service of a larger story.

I can see now that one of the things that weaves through the pieces I've done with Lynn is we're very playful.

They're joyous works.

They're effervescent works.

You know, In the Heights is probably the happiest thing I've ever written, followed closely by Vivo.

And we just get that kind of playful side out of each other.

It's a little bit more natural to him.

He's a very upbeat and optimistic person.

I definitely have a dark, broody side that comes out in pieces like The White Hot.

So it's really about just being like, you know, you remember when you were a kid and you'd have a friend and you'd just be like, hey, you want to come over and play?

That's it.

Like, that's the basic relationship that we have when working.

You want to come over and play?

And what are we working on today?

you know, I had this idea.

I wrote this scene, but maybe it will be better as a song.

Check it out, Lynn.

And an hour later, he's like, I've got a hook for it.