Tony-winning musical In the Heights, Lin Manuel-Miranda’s precursor to Hamilton, was spectacularly transformed into a bold movie musical back in 2019. Now, it returns to bring Washington Heights to the New York City Center stage with Hispanic flair and seamless choreography. Everything about the dancing and stage itself can be seen as a rousing success. There are a few glaring miscasts that keep it from being a complete home run, but this iteration of In the Heights carries enough heart and crowd-pleasing moments to justify its revival.
In the Heights follows a tapestry of diverse, mostly Latino characters who live in New York City’s bustling Washington Heights. Hilariously named bodega owner Usnavi (Matte Martinez) dreams of a life far from the constriction of De La Vega Deli and Grocery. Usnavi’s sweet self-appointed abuela (Natalie Venetia Belcon) and his coworker/cousin Sonny (Ishmael Gonzalez) orbit his everyday routine of pumping out Café con leche and lottery tickets. Usnavi has eyes for cute salon worker Vanessa (Ashley De La Rosa), but will she actually notice him?
In addition to Usnavi, the married owners (Ivan Hernandez, Veronica Vazquez-Jackson) of Rosario’s Car and Limosine struggle to stay afloat as their daughter, Nina (Jaci Calderon) returns home to the Heights having dropped out of school. A relationship is hatched from the chemistry between Nina and new Rosario’s employee Benny (Aaron James McKenzie). This duo has excellent chemistry, and make up the romantic backbone of the entire show. Their duet that opens Act II is a sugary-sweet delight. McKenzie no doubt has one of the strongest vocals of the ensemble—and those abs speak for themselves as he is also asked to show the most skin.
In general, act II is much better than Act I, and truly nails the familial, emotional elements of the story. It also highlights the stronger actors of the ensemble, and relies less on the Dominican caricature that can weigh down some of the other performances. Naturally, Matte Martinez emerges as the standout. His suave and nerdy Usnavi channels Lin Manuel’s cadence and rap timing without leaning into a nasally portrayal. The sweetness in Martinez’s voice shines through; his acting makes some of Usnavi’s bumbling missteps amusing. Meanwhile, Natalie Venetia Belcon tugs at the heartstrings as Abuela Claudia. “Paciencia y Fe” is an exclamation mark of beauty, made even better by the accompaniment of a riveting interpretive dance as Belcon belts.
The stage of the New York City Center has been reimagined, putting the orchestra on the massive George Washington bridge that adds a second floor to the set. It also divides the action up nicely, serving to make an already staggering ensemble cast feel that much more impressive. A graffiti-covered back layer allows for the action to vanish, while the forefront shifts out locales between Usnavi’s bodega, a salon, the streets, a fire escape, and Rosario’s. The hugeness of this space is filled entirely by its actors. It rarely feels overwhelming, instead highlighting the general hustle and bustle of NYC. Native Brooklynites may connect deeper to the material than the average audience member, and those who can recognize the cultural relevancy should find even more to sink their teeth into.
A couple songs sway on the boring side, but the propulsive rap numbers and deeply moving ballads were both major crowd-pleasers. Manuel’s inspirations from Rent are quite obvious, from the characters struggling to pay rent, the structure of a beloved character death, and even songs that emulate familiar Larson tunes. Even if In the Heights never touches the greatness of Rent or the iconic status of Hamilton, there’s still plenty to love. As my first time experiencing this story on the stage, I did miss the added bookend with Usnavi that the movie executed so seamlessly. As it stands though, this iteration as realized by director David Mendizábal manages to recapture some of the original production’s obvious magic. The dance moves are a marvel to behold, and the cultural specificity are enough to make In the Heights an easy recommendation for any fan of Miranda and his catchy tunes.
In the Heights is now playing performances at New York City Center through November 15th. For ticketing information, please head over to the official website.
