| In the Heights |
| Written by Michael Portantiere | |||
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In the Heights Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes Directed by Thomas Kail With Andréa Burns, Robin De Jesús, Mandy Gonzalez, Christopher Jackson, Priscilla Lopez, Olga Merediz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Karen Olivo, and others Richard Rodgers Theatre 226 West 46th Street intheheightsthemusical.com  A scene from IN THE HEIGHTS; photo by Joan Marcus Set at the northern tip of Manhattan in the largely Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights, and featuring an irresistible salsa- and hip-hop-infused score, In the Heights introduces us to the colorful residents of the barrio. There's Usnavi, who owns and runs the bodega; the gossipy ladies who work at the salon; the family that owns the local car service; the Piragua guy, who sings like an angel while selling his ices; the neighborhood graffiti artist; the earth-mother figure, whom everyone calls “abuela”; and so on. There are lots of interesting stories in this vibrant community, the very soul of which is threatened by gentrification. Will Usnavi hook up with the hot-hot-hot Vanessa, whose presence turns him into a tongue-tied mess? Will Kevin and Camila sell their car service business to finance their daughter Nina's college education, or will Nina drop out? Will a sweet-natured kid named Benny connect with Nina? What will Abuela Claudia do with the $96,000 she's just won in the Lottery? And, by the way, how did Usnavi get his name? Quiara Alegría Hudes' book for the show is a thoroughly entertaining and professional piece of work, but it does her no disservice to say that In the Heights is most notable for Lin-Manuel Miranda's amazing score. With songs like “Breathe,” “Pacienca y Fe,” “When You're Home,” “Alabanza,” and the title number, this stupendously talented composer-lyricist adds a new style of expression to the musical theater, almost as if he were spicing an already hearty stew. Miranda won the 2007 ASCAP Richard Rodgers Award, and it's not a stretch to view his portrait of a specific yet universal community as a modern-day answer to Oklahoma!, Carousel, or Flower Drum Song. Various elements of In the Heights also call to mind Fiddler on the Roof and West Side Story, and the happy news is that the show is good enough to deserve being mentioned in the same breath as these classics. The cast is perfection. Miranda is so funny, warm, and ingratiating as Usnavi that he may earn a Tony Award nomination for his performance as well as for his music and lyrics. As Nina and Benny, Mandy Gonzalez and Christopher Jackson make a fetching pair of potential lovers, singing soulfully and acting with aplomb. Olga Merediz is the grandma of everyone's dreams as Abuela Claudia; Robin De Jesús is hilarious and adorable as Usnavi's cousin Sonny; Karen Olivo is an eminently credible love/lust object as Vanessa; and Andréa Burns brilliantly transcends stereotype as Daniela, a sort of sister to The Ritz's Googie Gomez. Thomas Kail, in his Broadway debut, directs In the Heights so skillfully yet so unobtrusively that all of the action seems spontaneous – and that goes double for the spectacular choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler. Anna Louizos' sets, Paul Tazewell's costumes, and Howell Binkley's lighting make Washington Heights look like a really nice place to live. As for musical director Alex Lacamoire, it sounds like he's having a blast as he leads the 13-piece band through Miranda's endlessly inventive score. In the Heights is flawed in that Act II veers into sentimentality. It's surprising that the creators didn't address this, since one or two good up-tunes and a few more jokes interspersed throughout the act would probably have been enough to balance the tear-jerking. But this is a minor qualm about a great show. As Usnavi mentions in the opening number, you can take the A train to get to Washington Heights; or you can take the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, or about a dozen other trains to Times Square and walk to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on West 46th Street, where In the Heights will be delighting theatergoers for years to come. {mos_ri}
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