In the Heights: pulsating, rip roaring rap salsa meringue hip hopping Latino inspired score
Oscar E Moore from the rear mezzanine for Talk Entertainment.com
What makes IN THE HEIGHTS so different from any other Broadway musical is its driving, pulsating, rip roaring rap-salsa-meringue-hip hopping-Latino inspired score written by Lin-Manuel Miranda who happens to be starring in his show at The Richard Rodgers Theatre as Usnavi. He plays a small bodega owner who, unlike Mr. Rogers of PBS’s family show fame, is not wearing a comfortable cardigan when he introduces us to his “neighborhood” – Washington Heights - and its inhabitants in an explosive “In the Heights” opening number where we meet a mixture of Dominican, Puerto Rican, Afro American and Cuban characters and hear of the hopes and desires and aspirations of those living within view of the George Washington bridge.
It is July Fourth weekend and fireworks are not the only things that are going to explode in this bi-lingual musical (It helps to know some Spanish). On a wonderfully detailed Washington Heights street – designed by Anna Louizos with the George Washington Bridge looming beyond - relationships will change, tempers will flare, people will fall in love, someone will die, looters will loot, many songs will be sung and dancers will ignite the stage with their gyrating, hip swiveling, sexy and jumping all over the place choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. Exciting? Si. Gratifying? Not completely.
There’s a lot going on. All of the stories - and there are many, are told in bits and pieces with a lot of the dialogue sung in hip hop fashion. They eventually all interconnect with the help of book writer Quiara Alegria Hudes. There are the Rosarios who own a limo service, have a daughter at Stamford and owe money. Benny a non-Latino works there and falls heavy for the returning from college Nina. We have the Abuela Claudia – matriarch of the neighborhood who is always there to help – especially after winning the lottery. We have the gossipy hairdresser who has to move because of the rent and Usnavi – who has inherited a small bodega from his parents and desperately wants to move up in the world and get a date Vanessa who wants to move downtown but can’t afford it. Whatever will happen?
Under the non stop direction of Thomas Kail the show resembles one huge MTV Music Video. Some of the numbers, especially “In the Heights”, “96.000”, and Carnaval del Barrio” are truly worthy of the ovations they receive. But many other numbers peter out and don’t work especially well. It is when things quite down and we get to hear “Atencion” sung by Mr. Rosario – a strong yet tender Carlos Gomez and “Everything I Know” by a striking Mandy Gonzalez with a golden voice, are we allowed some rest and allowed to absorb the beauty of the music and lyrics.
The entire cast works at full wattage – even during a Con Ed blackout. Especially wonderful is Christopher Jackson as Benny – who had the young girls in the audience swooning. Priscilla Lopez as Mama Rosario does the best with her material – which unfortunately is not the strongest and Andrea Burns sizzles as the gossipy hairdresser. But the evening truly belongs to Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia. She is sensational. Even though she is old with a failing memory and suffering from the heat she stands stage center and belts out a song – “Paciencia y Fe” (Patience and Faith) that will probably win her a Tony nomination.
Of course, IN THE HEIGHTS would not be possible without the vision, patience and faith and fine talents of Mr. Miranda who takes to the stage and commands it like it is his to own. Own it he does but he graciously shares it with all of his fellow neighbors.
www.intheheightsthemusical.com
03-18-08
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