local
For Mandy Gonzalez, the musical ‘Basura’ tells a story we all need to hear
By Sammie Purcell at Rough Draft Atlanta (intown neighborhoods)
· July 6, 2026
· 16 min read
I can still remember the first time I heard Mandy Gonzalez sing. It was on the “In the Heights” Broadway cast recording, and the first song I listened to was “Breathe.”
It’s still one of my favorite songs to this day. That has a lot to do with composer Lin-Manuel Miranda’s melodies, but also ...
Key takeaway ” After a fight against breast cancer (she was declared cancer-free in 2020) and the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to Broadway as Norma Desmond in 2024.
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About this story
Original reporting by Rough Draft Atlanta (intown neighborhoods) . The Atlanta surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit Rough Draft Atlanta (intown neighborhoods) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local ·
Published: July 6, 2026 ·
Source: Rough Draft Atlanta (intown neighborhoods) ·
Reading time: 16 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? I can still remember the first time I heard Mandy Gonzalez sing. It was on the “In the Heights” Broadway cast recording, and the first song I listened to was “Breathe.”
It’s still one of my favorite songs to this day. That has a lot to do with composer Lin-Manuel Miranda’s melodies, but also ...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 6, 2026 by Rough Draft Atlanta (intown neighborhoods) and curated for The Atlanta readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Sammie Purcell at Rough Draft Atlanta (intown neighborhoods). To learn more about how The Atlanta selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The Atlanta, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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