In The Heights: Interesting People On 181st Street

You might call In The Heights the musical Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Leonard Bernstein might have written if one was Puerto Rican, another was Dominican and the other was…  well, Leonard Bernstein… and they were all born and raised in Upper Manhattan circa 1980.  Not that this frantically New York musical by Lin-Manual Miranda (concept, music and lyrics) and Quiara Alegria Hudes (book) is another Wonderful Town or On The Town, but the uplifting sincerity and optimism of its simple story, combined with a sturdy musical theatre structure, a dynamic score that would be a serious Tony contender if it weren't playing at Off-Broadway's 37 Arts Theatre, the best theatre choreography I've seen in years and a sizzling leading performance make In The Heights, directed with an electric crispness by Thomas Kail, an exhilarating evening and easily one of the best musicals to open in New York this season, if not the best.

With a production that could nicely fit in a smaller Broadway house, Anna Louizo's gritty, but vibrant set depicts a Washington Heights main drag near the 181^st Street A train stop on a sweltering present-day Fourth of July weekend.  (Paul Tazewell's costumes and Jason Lyon's lighting complete the splendid visuals.)  The cornerstone of the neighborhood is the bodega where Usnavi (Miranda) sells everyone morning coffee and a potential better life via lottery tickets.  Political science major Nina (Mandy Gonzalez) has returned from her first semester at Stamford University knowing that her parents Kevin and Camila (John Herrera and Priscilla Lopez) cannot afford her tuition.  Kevin decides to sell the family car service business rather than accept his daughter's plan to transfer to a cheaper local school, determined to give her the best life possible, but doing so would cause economic hardship for the locals who work for him and for Usnavi, whose business relies on purchases from Kevin's drivers.

There are romantic entanglements involving Nina and her father's hard-working dispatcher Sonny (Christopher Jackson) and Usnavi's tongue-tied attempts to woo beautician Vanessa (Karen Olivo).  Power shortages, a blackout, fireworks and a winning lottery ticket all play a hand in the plot, but of even more importance than the story is the positive sense of community promoted by In The Heights.  While recognizing the negative factors of crime and poverty, the authors are more concerned with celebrating the neighborhood bonds and flavorful culture of the predominantly Latino community.  How refreshing to see a musical where everyone is supportive of one another, elders are respected and kids stay out of trouble.  And if Hudes' book leans a bit toward the corny side, what of it?  Corn is good for you when served with artful sincerity.

Miranda's score is an invigorating mix of salsa, merengue, funk, hip-hop, rap and showtune, carefully separated as to give each character's ethnicity and generation a sound of its own.  His lyrics are spot-on clever, especially in the raps he performs as Usnavi which rapidly bombard you with witty references.  His romantic and dramatic lyrics are heartfelt without ever getting sappy.  A solo for Kevin, "Inutil" ("Useless"), describing his escape from the family's cycle of poverty in Puerto Rico to a life in America where he sacrifices everything for his daughter, is a powerful piece of musical theatre lyricism and composition.  In one of the show's sweeter moments, a character known simply as Piragua Guy (Eliseo Roman), crosses the stage with his cart of shaved ice singing a simple tune called "Piragua".

Andy Blankenbuehler's character-driven, plot-advancing choreography has the excitement and dramatic sophistication that is sadly rare these days, as he matches Miranda's myriad of styles with panache.

Though theatre-goers should generally be wary of authors who write starring roles for themselves, Miranda's performance as Usnavi is loaded with charisma, humor and showbiz flair.  Pile on all the superlatives you like for the spirited belting of the passionate Gonzalez and the sensual Olivo, the soul-crushing dignity of Herrera, the tender sincerity of Jackson, the comic knack of Lopez (severely underused) and Andrea Burns (as the gossipy salon owner), and the entrancing vigor of Olga Merediz, who stops the show cold with a rapturous solo remembering the exciting nights of her youth.

In The Heights proves that a musical doesn't have to be different to be fresh, new and exciting.  Sometimes it just has to do the standard things really, really well.

Photos by Joan Marcus:  Top: Lin-Manuel Miranda (center)

Center:  Andrea Burns, Karen Olivo, Mandy Gonzalez and Janet Dacal

Bottom:  Olga Merediz