"In the Heights", winner of three 2008 Tony's (Best Musical, Original Score and Choreography), opens the Fifth Avenue's season with joyous Latin-inspired music and dance and an excellent touring cast.
Beginning life as Lin-Manuel Miranda's (music and lyrics) sophomore project at Wesleyan University, it is the first musical to incorporate rap, salsa, hip-hop and a focus on Hispanic-American characters.
Set in Washington Heights on the north end of Manhattan, "In the Heights" recounts stories of the neighborhood's mostly Dominican residents. Usnavi, played by the appealing Jose-Luis Lopez in the role originated on Broadway by Miranda, is a rap Greek chorus providing a narrative thread throughout these tales of immigrant aspiration and hardship. Most notable are the stories of Nina (Arielle Jacobs) who returns to the neighborhood after struggling to succeed at elite Stanford and fears to face her immigrant parents who have sacrificed to send her to college; Benny (Rogelio Douglas, Jr.), Nina's African-American boyfriend who persists in the face of Nina's traditional parents' disapproval; bodega owner Usnavi who loves beautician Vanessa (Lexi Lawson) but is too shy to approach her; and Abuela Claudia (Elise Santora), grandmother to the neighborhood and Usnavi's foster mother.
If all this sounds the stuff of soap opera that is the most commonly voiced criticism of "In the Heights." But the richness of the dance numbers performed by an athletic ensemble of dancers, the originality of rap against a traditional Latin backbeat, the energy of contemporary street slang peppering the book, the sentimental portrayal of warm community and some satisfying pathos more than make up for deficits in the story.
The Tony award-winning choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler incorporates hip-hop, jazz and break-dance moves with salsa dancing ranging from the joyous ("Carnaval de Barrio") to the sensual ("The Club") to the streets ("In the Heights.") His dancers provide visual interest with their cinematic transition from one scene to the next, moving backwards in slo-mo, reversing to forward movement in real time.
There are voices to enjoy as well. Nina and Benny show lovely chemistry in a number of duets including their charming reminiscence on childhood in the Heights, "When You're Home." Daniel Bolero and Natalie Toro as Nina's parents bring a polished musical comedy professionalism to their songs, Elise Santoro injects soulfulness in her solo "Pacienca y Fe," "No Me Diga" (You Don't Say) presents beauty shop gossip in a humorous light and David Baida's joy is infectious as he peddles piragua (a Puerto Rican shaved ice treat.) The 10-piece band nimbly covers the gamut from hip-hop to acoustic guitar solos to Latin big band; unfortunately the band playing as a group frequently reaches a crescendo that all too often drowns out the singing leaving the performers practically shouting the lyrics.
Anna Louizos's set design successfully places us in the graffiti-peppered neighborhood under the shadow of the George Washington Bridge, augmented by Howell Binkley's flashy lighting design that delivers such pleasures as a starry sky over Havana or a Fourth of July fireworks display.
In spite of some incomprehensible lyrics due to the aforementioned overly amplified instrumental accompaniment, "In the Heights" energetic young cast and superb dance numbers deliver all the joys of live performance.
"In the Heights" plays through Oct. 17 at the Fifth Avenue Theatre.[[In-content Ad]]
