In The Heights...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 12:33pm

I went to see that show...in a few words...it was a mess!!!

Am I the only person who didn't enjoy this musical? I only enjoyed the character that owns the hair salon.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 12:35pm

I found the Spanglish in WSS to be extremely effective and powerful, but not in this.
Also the rapping was awful! The score, I just didn't enjoy it a bit. My friend and me wanted to like it so much, but we couldn't.

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 12:40pm

SOMETHING WE FINALLY AGREE ON!!!

It all reminded me of a bad soap opera on Telemundo. What an effing mess. Ugh.

xoxo

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 12:55pm

I love ITH's score, but the book/storyline have some problems IMO.

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 1:08pm

I've seen it twice, and despite the flaws in the bood, I found it thrilling. Olga Merediz alone makes the ticket worthwile.

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 1:14pm

Well, that was an informative message from O.P. What exactly was a "mess" - the music, the sound, the lighting, the choregraphy, the book, the acting, the seats, the bathrooms, the parking garage?

[FrontRowCenter2]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 1:25pm

the magnets!

[danmag]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 1:28pm

"the magnets!"

BWAHAHAHAHA!!

I am seeing this in Ft. Lauderdale in March...I'm hoping it's better than people are saying it is. I've looked forward to seeing it for a long time and love the score.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 1:36pm

Well, if you like the score, you might enjoy the show.
Glad at least one person agrees with me and thought it was a bad Spanish telenovela nightmare.
I think I forgot that 2008 nominees for best musicals were Cry Baby, Passing Strange and Xanadu.
I think that the team got lucky that year with basically no competition at Tony Awards time.
Ok gg I thought the score and the book were a mess.
That book could have been written by a 7yo child.
Also it just doesn't have the right trimmings to be a good musical, and the Spanglish and the rap made the show look "cheap" to my eyes.
I think there could be a good musical on Broadway with some rap in it, but this just didn't work out for me.
The only thing I will say in its favor it's that it's different from anything I've ever seen. Something different but BAD! But something different at least.
The same could be said about Fela! But I think Fela! at least had African dance in it, and that was far more interesting/exotic, although I didn't like the musical either.

[once a month]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 2:06pm

Sorry you couldn't connect...better luck next time with your theatrical choices! I felt completely burnt after seeing Passion, Will Rogers Follies, Fosse, and Spring Awakening, all Best Musical winners.

I loved In the Heights.
Updated On: 1/11/10 at 02:06 PM

[Mark_E]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 2:21pm

Aww im sad you didn't like it. I saw it in the summer and hadn't seen/heard anything of it apart from the TONY performance which I was unsure about.

I completely fell in love with the show and all the characters. Would love to see it again!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 2:23pm

Passing Strange was the strongest competition, and the only reason that lost was because of...oh, let's not bring that card into it.

[catalana2]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 2:54pm

(speaking on the touring version) The book has some issues, but the music and acting on tour was exceptional. There are some broadway pros from the original cast in it and a few newcomers who own the stage. I did feel though that it was sometimes hard to hear the actors since so much is going on stage at the same time and the theatre techs seem to be having trouble finding the right balance. If you want to appreciate the show in a new was listen to some songs on the cast recording. its great.

[maddiekinzzz2]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 10:10pm

Yeah, I think the movement of the show is awkward and fast at points, and some of it seems hastily underdeveloped, but I love this show.

As for what muscle23ftl said "Also it just doesn't have the right trimmings to be a good musical, and the Spanglish and the rap made the show look "cheap" to my eyes."

Yeah, I didn't enjoy the rapping all that much and I understand what you'd think it's 'cheap'. But the Spanglish is made it seem like it was my family. That's the "language" we speak, how can that be cheap in a musical about Latinos? I understand that some can't understand it... but other than that, I don't get it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 10:16pm

I liked it, at best. I thought there were WAAY too many stories vying to be told and therefore, Act I was long and tedious. I thought Act II had much stronger focus.

As for the music....I purchased the CD...although I'm not sure why. (Maybe I bought it PRE viewing) I don't think I've been compelled to listen to it more than a song here and there.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 10:29pm

I really love the score and I only wish there was a stronger book to back it up. I really didn't like the show the first time I saw it, but I went back a 2nd time to see Marcy Harriell and I enjoyed it more even though it's not the best show ever.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 10:57pm

Maddie, Im Latin myself, and that's why I dislike Spanglish. Spanish and English are both beautiful languages and I hate to hear people ruin that beauty. It sounds uneducated to me. Sorry.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 1/11/10 at 11:32pm

I enjoyed the show but it is very low on my list of shows from favorite to least favorite. The performances and some of the music were excellent, but the book and the technical elements were sorely lacking, and I could not understand a word anyone said while they were rapping, not to mention that I just plain dislike rap, and that the theatre was about 200 degrees when I saw it. The show definitely adds up to more than the sum of its parts, though, and somehow manages to be quite moving.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 1/12/10 at 1:20am

I'm sorry you didn't like it, it's one of my favorites.


I'm seeing the tour in Boston on Saturday and I've heard that there were some rewrites? Would anyone who's seen the tour be willing to confirm/elaborate on what they were?

[Amaranth9]

Posted: 1/12/10 at 6:06pm

^ I saw the tour last Friday in Hartford and did notice some changes in the dialogue, mostly in conversations with Nina. For example, when Nina arrives, Usnavi asks if she "kicked college ass" in California and she replies "More like I got mine handed to me on a silver platter" instead of offering this info on her own. Then, before "No Me Diga" she says "That's right" rather than "Oh no" when Daniela tells her the salon is closing. After she leaves, Vanessa says something different when they try to figure out what happened instead of the C in gym class and fire escape line. I'm sure there are more small changes like that but I can't remember other examples.

Kyle did make a mistake before "Paciencia y Fe" because he forgot the paper bag for Abuela. He started to say the line as normal, but when he realized he didn't have the bag he said, "I'm so sorry. I forgot your breadcrumbs, Abuela!" It was so cute and they handled it well.

I loved the show, although I do echo some of the concerns that have been mentioned with the sound. I am not sure that it is a simple case of sound techs raising the volume however. I do think that a lot of the cast needs to project and support their notes more, which would help. Still, the overall vocal performances were great (with Rogelio as Benny a standout) and the acting and dancing was top-notch all around. The lighting in combo with the choreography was really effective. It was great to see so many families and students in the audience, many of them Latino. There is a large Latino population in Hartford, and the audience loved the familiarity of the characters and the use of language in the show.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/12/10 at 6:27pm

Yankee, what happened to Passing Strange? I don't know what mean by that?

[dshnookie]

Posted: 1/12/10 at 6:52pm

I'm seeing the tour here in Boston in two weeks and I'm surprised at the line changes. I really like that "she got a C in gym once..I had to talk her off the fire escape" line. Forgetting a prop this far into the tour, Ay Dios Mio.

[HeightOfNonchalance]

Posted: 1/12/10 at 7:16pm

In the Heights is unsubstantial and ridiculous. Nothing much happens, yet they carry on about their problems as if they're starting another French revolution.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/12/10 at 8:58pm

For example, when Nina arrives, Usnavi asks if she "kicked college ass" in California and she replies "More like I got mine handed to me on a silver platter" instead of offering this info on her own.

That's how that scene has always gone, though
Usnavi: So, did you kick some college ass?
Nina: Yeah right, I got mine whooped.


I'm seeing the tour in Boston on Saturday and I've heard that there were some rewrites? Would anyone who's seen the tour be willing to confirm/elaborate on what they were?

I haven't seen the tour yet, but these are small changes that I noticed the last time I saw the Broadway production that I'm wondering if they've been incorporated in the tour:
- The choreography in Carnaval del Barrio changed (they no longer do the lift!)
- In Everything I Know "you can tell it's from the 80s..." is now "you can tell it's from the 90s..."
- Sonny's Twinkies line right before Nina first appears had changed from "thank you, I love Twinkies" to "sell? I give em out for free. I'm the Robin Hood of El Barrio."

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 1/12/10 at 9:43pm

Thanks, I knew about those. The "You can tell it's from the 90s," sounds SO awkward. The choreo in Carnaval was also changed for the tour because that lift was such a killer on the arms. The new choreography looks good though.