October 27, 2023
My God, you could run the world. I love the energy, the passion. Thank you for inviting me. And thank you for the special sound effects. It wouldn’t be a life in the heights without a little extra noise there. But welcome, welcome to the tent where it happens. Right here, right now, you witness this. And this is a place when this is all said and done, that will magically transform this venue into a place where dreams do come true.
And I’m so honored to be here today as your Governor to be able to say, “I was here.” But I’ll tell you right now, I will be here in 2026 – even earlier – to get this open. So thank you for the honor of representing you and being here today.
We think about the performances that will soon unfold here. They’ll stimulate our minds. They’ll lighten our hearts. They’ll bring us joy in so many different ways. And that’s the power of performance in art. People who come here will walk out forever altered because of the stimulation and the creativity that will unfold in this space.
A place where people could only imagine what could happen and now, we’re on the verge, the cusp with this groundbreaking of seeing it become a reality. And also, what we’ve found in the past that if people go to performances and they never see people who look like them, who’ve had shared experiences, they don’t get the same connection that they otherwise would have had.
We think about opportunities that have been lost. When West Side Story first was a smash hit on Broadway back in 1957, it attempted to showcase the experience, but every Puerto Rican actor was played by a white performer, I dare say did not have the same experiences, the same story to tell. And their portrayals, therefore, could not have been really, true to life.
That’s what made Lin-Manuel’s In the Heights such a towering achievement. It really was the first time someone says that the story needs to be told by people who lived the story. And that was what has changed how we view performances going forward. You made a spiritual successor to West Side Story. One that is much more relatable to the people who’ve come here since, and that’s the power of it.
I also want to talk about the people who have such incredible passion who brought us here today. Mino, I don’t know where you get the energy from, but Mino – you want to help me run this state? I could use you. We’re good? Okay. This will be your legacy. Years from now, generations from now, people will say, “When did this all begin? Who was in charge? Who brought this to life?” And you and the members of this incredible organization will deserve the credit. So, your names will go down in history as someone who made change, whereas others could not see the possibility. So, let’s give another enormous round of applause to our leader, Mino Lora.
And to great backers like NewYork-Presbyterian, Dr. Steve Corwin. Thank you for making the magic happen with the resources brought here that were so necessary. Steve, congratulations. Luis Miranda, yes, I’ve worked so closely with you. When you want something done, it happens. And so, “The Governor, you’re going to be at this event.” “Yes, Luis, I’ll be there.” So, thank you.
And to Lin-Manuel Miranda, thank you for bringing joy to our lives. There’s not a person in this country who has not been touched by something that you created. So, you’re a humble person, but today we also celebrate you and what you’ve done for this community and all immigrants who have a powerful story to tell. Let’s give Lin-Manuel Miranda a round of applause.
I also have great partners in government, Senator José Serrano is here, Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Council Member Sean Abreu, and also, representing the City, Andrew Kimball. Let’s give them all a round of applause.
So, what we’re changing here today is the recognition now, from this day going forward, that Latino stories are American stories, that immigrant stories are American stories, that Dominican stories are American stories, that Puerto Rican stories are American stories, and they must unfold right here in this place and be transported to other neighborhoods, other venues, and indeed across the nation.
Because what starts here with these incredibly talented young people who have voices that need to be heard – we can take them and cultivate that and nurture that here, give them the power. But I want to see them on stages all across America, sharing the New York experience that they came from. That’s the power of what’s unfolding here today.
So, we’re breaking ground on the People’s Theatre Project’s first home. I walked it. It’s a big space right now, a lot of concrete, a lot of dust. Check the bottom of my shoes, they’re kind of dirty, but that’s alright. From that dirt becomes a flower of a story. The seeds have been planted. I was so proud to witness this here today. I’m proud the state could invest four million dollars to make this become a reality.
And being in the business as long as I have, I have a feeling that’s not the last ask, but that’s alright. That’s alright. I always go with my pockets a little lighter, but that’s alright. That’s alright. But this is worth investing in. This is worth it. Also, what is sitting on top is brilliant. The confluence of people who will be able to live in beautiful new homes, 300 of which will be affordable housing for people just starting out. Maybe our young artists and our young performers who haven’t quite made it yet, who need that place to begin their home. And they’ll be able to come down and hear the music and the laughter and the joy and the performances in the very building where they live. That is uniquely New York. I mean, that is so incredible.
We broke ground for that back in May, that’s a $400 million project right above it. These are the kind of investments we’re investing here in Inwood and Washington Heights because these communities matter. That has been overlooked for far too long. We’ve worked closely with your elected officials to deliver for here. But sometimes people will say, “It’s always somewhere else. People don’t care about us. We’re forgotten.” That chapter, that era is forever now closed. The curtain has dropped on that era. Now we recognize that this place has a voice that needs to be heard – recognizing it, and this is what’s going to give it that opportunity.
300 artists will come here. Perhaps they’ll go out in the world with their voices and their stories and change the hearts and minds, especially in places where people are feeling under siege right now. A lot has happened to our state in the last few years. There’s been a lot of pain out there. People feel there’s chaos, uncertainty. It doesn’t feel the same anymore. But art and performances, plays can bring us back to this common ground to deepen the understanding of each other’s experiences.
The people you heard here today, just a few moments ago, these young performers, they all came from a different part of the world, but they all have hearts. They all want something better in life and the immigrant experience – and as the granddaughter of very, very poor Irish immigrants who came here and worked as migrant farmers themselves because they had no other jobs, I believe New York State is so uniquely special and creative and dynamic because we welcome all.
We are the confluence of all those voices and stories. No other state can do this the way we do here, and it has enriched us in powerful ways that we must always harness. So, perhaps at the end of the day, that’ll be the power of the art that’s created here, the ability for there to be more shared understanding of people from different backgrounds who right now may feel in conflict, who may not appreciate each other, may be hateful to each other.
If we can break that down with the power of song, and dance, and art, and performance, and start it right here, that will be our shared legacy to the rest of the world. I’ll be back in 2026 to cut the ribbon. I will think of one phrase – paciencia y fe. We’ve heard that before. Sí? And we will get this done because immigrants get the job done, right? Okay, let’s get that done. Thank you everybody. Congratulations. Congratulations.
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