In the Heights

In the Heights
Review

Audiences love a good musical—they just do. To begin with, musicals are fun, and unabashedly so. Then there’s the dancing, the singing and physical feats that accompany any musical worth its salt. But regardless, a musical is truly at its best when it follows the cardinal rule: Only use music and dance when simple spoken word cannot match the intensity of emotion. When a show veers from this formula, endless, pointless songs parade onstage while onlookers want to throw themselves off any close balcony. But, when it is, tingles ripple through the audience as it feels what can’t be described in regular conversation. The music surges into emotion, and sentimental or not, that can’t be denied by any snarky comments in our cynical world. Essentially then, hope is the third gift offered by the best musicals and sought out by theater goers whether they realize it or not.

And this full-fledged, wide grinning, heart pounding hope is exactly what In the Heights brings with its sexy salsa strut. A gutsy bite and heartfelt underpinning are the staples in Lin Manuel Miranda’s tale of Washington Heights in modern day New York. Usnavi, the bodega owner (perfectly played by Lin himself), raps his way through the hilarities, anecdotes and struggles of el barrio, introducing a troupe of colorful characters along the way. When an unexpected lottery win forces the entire hood to reconsider goals, they must decide whether to follow new dreams or stick to the old. In its immigrant roots, the show touches upon ethnic specificity while retaining a universal truth—without a home and family, what will dreams-come-true really mean? The writer’s voice rings sharp and precise, gathering the particulars of a people and place that are clearly so dear to him, without masking them in rose colors—an impressive new kid on the block for sure.

The cast magnificently fills out characters that could easily become caricatures. Most impressive is Robin De Jesus as Sonny, the insecure but adorable sidekick who always says the wrong thing but means well. His voice is strong, with aptly-twitchy movements and puppy eyes—casting at its best. The voices that blow out of young lovers Nina and Benny played by Mandy Gonzalez and Christopher Jackson, are show-stopping tear-jerkers, and while some of the love moments can seem canned (there are kids in the audience mind you), by the end of the show the two have fully grown the relationship. Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia has now been nominated for a TONY and rightly so. Shifting between a supporter of the blooming youngsters around her, to a woman with her own fears and dreams, Abuela is the unsung glue that holds the barrio together. And Merediz herself, seems to play the same role in the cast.

The ensemble steps up to the main players’ standards, vividly depicting the gang of spunky New Yorkers. Although their roles border on sentimental at times (they smile for the most part and the poverty that resides in the area is only touched upon), there is real work being done to flesh out each individual onstage. Andy Blankenbeuhler’s choreography, a blend of Latino slink, fluid contemporary and hip hop funk offers the entire cast moments to melt and pop, and the area’s joyous quality is lived most fully in his dance sequences.
With the show’s finale, “Home,” it’s impossible not to get swept up in the genuine voice set forth by Miranda. A new talent with wild potential, he brings a fresh perspective to the melting-pot stance and offers hope that a chile-hot kick is still available on the Great White Way.

In the Heights
Rating: To Die For