In The Heights...

Everybody's Got a Job...

...Everybody's Got a Dream.

by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

Tampa, FL

November 1, 2009

As the first stop of the inaugural “In The Heights” North American Tour, Tampa was treated to the first taste of the masterful synergy of hip-hop, classic Broadway and salsa Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In The Heights” combines. From its humble beginnings as an eighty minute one-act musical written by a Wesleyan University sophomore to the full length Broadway smash hit it is today, “In The Heights” will both give you a glimpse into three days in Washington Heights, NY and yourself.

From the opening monologue to the thunderous finale, the energy and passion of the show will dazzle even the blasé theatergoer. With it’s mixture of hip-hop, high energy dance numbers and poignant story lines, In the Heights takes you into the lives of a handful of residents all with jobs and dreams just like everyone else. The music with it’s sometimes simple piano ballads to it’s hip shaking salsa has just the right amount of balance to satisfy the audience old and new.

The moment Usnavi, Kyle Beltran, steps on stage to shoo away the graffiti artist, he demands your ears as he fills you in on how life is like in the heights (pun intended). Running a mom-and-pop bodega with his witty cousin Sonny, Usnavi brews coffee and sells lottery tickets all while dreaming of going back home to the Dominican Republic.

Next door to Usnavi’s bodega, the Rosario’s do their best to keep their gypsy cab business afloat amidst gentrification and their well-to-do daughter, Nina, who just returned home from her first year at Stanford University. The first one in her area to go to college, Nina returns to break the news she couldn’t make the grades and took a “leave of absence” from school. Benny, the only African-American in the neighborhood, works for Nina’s parents’ company. On the day of her return, Benny becomes the new dispatcher for the company and talks Nina into helping his Spanish. They becomes close despite her father’s wishes.

On the other side of Usnavi’s bodega sits the neighborhood salon run by Daniela, with the help of Carla and Vanessa. As the center of neighborhood gossip, the salon houses rumors of “who’s dating who” which adds comedic value. Speaking of comedic, Shaun Taylor-Corbett’s portrayal of Usnavi’s cousin Sonny kept the audience, as well as myself, laughing every time he took the stage.

As we learn more about each of the characters, tensions flare between Benny and Nina’s father, Nina’s parents Kevin and Camila, Sonny and Usnavi, and Usnavi with the neighborhood after his bodega is vandalized. Although, the healing power of love and family overshadow the former as they always do. Benny and Nina contemplate how they can make things work despite everything between them. Kevin and Camila put their marriage to the test as they try to do what’s best for their daughter Nina, even if it means giving up everything they’ve worked for. Usnavi and Vanessa’s will they, won’t they relationship rings true for many as one is in love and the other is only reciprocated after it is too late.

I felt Beltran’s performance of Usnavi was a little too energetic at first. I can’t say if it was nerves or if he was extremely excited to be on stage, but it was a little distracting to see him jumping around stage and trying to rap a complex storyline. Although, after the opening song, he settled into the subsequent story lines. Arielle Jacobs’ flawless performance of Nina warms our hearts as I’ve heard myself say many of the things she laments regarding school, who she is and where she wants to go. At first, Rogelio Douglas, Jr.’s performance of Benny was lackluster and unconvincing up until he took the microphone for “Benny’s Dispatch” and silenced any doubts I might of had for Benny. Kudos. Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer’s portrayal of Vanessa left me breathless as she belted her desire to ride away on the elevator train, coupled with her dancing in four inch heels, bravo Yvette, bravo.

All in all, this was a polished production that glorifies love, family, ambition and most importantly, the meaning of being home. Sadly, last night was the final performance for In The Heights in Tampa. This production will be on tour through next August in various cities around the country. It is also currently playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway if you get a chance to make it up there. If theatre was placed on this earth as an essence to move the soul, In The Heights surely did a number on me. I look forward to March 9th, when "In The Heights” returns to Florida, but this time in Orlando. Get you’re your tickets as soon as possible, because after the buzz this show is generating, you’ll want to be first in line.

www.intheheightsthemusical.com

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