BWW Reviews: Lin-Manuel Miranda Makes IN THE HEIGHTS Soar in L.A.

Once in a while, one of the most fortunate things about west coast debuts of touring shows is when a Broadway hit finally transfers here, bringing with it some of the original stars that helped launch it. For those able to catch the Los Angeles premiere of the 2008 Tony® Award-winner for Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS (now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through July 25), the pleasant surprise is the presence of the show's original lead actor, who also happens to be the man who conceived the hit musical, as well as write the show's music and lyrics. Not to disparage those that have (and will) take on the same role, but at the very second Lin-Manuel Miranda appears on stage as Usnavi—the show's central hero and de facto narrator—the electric energy is palpable. In Miranda, we see the show's very heart and soul, filled with the hopes and dreams of the characters he helped personally craft. With his lead, the show literally comes to effervescent life.

IN THE HEIGHTS has "labor of love" graffiti-sprayed all over it, which makes seeing Miranda reprise Usnavi for L.A. audiences all the more authentic (that thunderous applause he gets when he appears is no accident). The very likable, genial star (who will once again revive the same role in Kenny Ortega's forthcoming feature film version) gives his stage persona a pleasantly snarky, yet sweetly vulnerable vibe, all while dispensing some of the most clever, rat-a-tat lyrical rhymes that has ever dared grace the musical theater stage. Here, hip-hop isn't a musical oddity, it actually works genuinely well in a manner that is both fun and absolutely sensible. Hey, Lin-Manuel, you gots some mad, dope skillz, yo! (My apologies for affecting the language, but props must be delivered).

His studied-genius is evident. Who else but the talented Miranda can intersperse a Cole Porter reference into a rap song? In addition, engaging latin grooves that fill the stage creates an atmosphere of, well, being smack-dab in the middle of that very burrough of New York. (Or perhaps more locally, Santa Ana or Lincoln Heights here in the Southland—no wonder Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa extended an official welcome to the cast during the opening night curtain call).

The stories that interweave within IN THE HEIGHTS are a little familiar, yet are given a spicy new coat of paint. As another sunrise greets a scorching-hot July 3rd morning, residents of the Washington Heights barrio begin their daily routine... all striving towards earning another dollar to keep them moving forward, closer to this so-called American Dream. In the distance, you see the George Washington bridge—a towering reminder of what may be a better life outside this Latin enclave. The neighborhood's beaming hub of activity is the corner bodega, where Usnavi (Miranda) serves coffee con leche, daily newspapers and lottery tickets.

On this particular morning, Usnavi is a little perturbed: the store's refrigerator broke, turning the milk bad; a graffiti tagger is busy creating a "masterpiece" on a side wall; his young, rambunctious cousin Sonny (Shaun Taylor-Corbett) is late for work; and the girl of his dreams, Vanessa (Sabrina Sloan at this performance) doesn't seem to return his feelings. Across the street, the hardworking Rosarios (Danny Bolero and Natalie Toro), who are relatively successful with their taxi and limousine business, are excited to have their daughter Nina (Arielle Jacobs) back home from her first year at Stanford. Little do they know that their most trusted employee Benny (Rogelio Douglas Jr.) is secretly in love with their daughter. Down the street, gossip is the order of the day for Salon owner Daniela (the muy accented Isabel Santiago).

Meanwhile the residents sing of hopes and dreams while drowning in a sea of mounting bills and endless debts. Happiness, however, is a feeling that's not too difficult to muster: though despite life's hardships, they are reminded of their roots "miles away" and that someday their struggles as immigrants will hopefully pay off handsomely. This idea complies with the show's central philosophy ("Patience and Faith"), which is the repetitive mantra upheld by the neighborhood's adoptive mother, Abuela Claudia (Elise Santora), who upon the death of Usnavi's parents, took him and Sonny in as her own.

IN THE HEIGHTS is deeply moving at times, gut-bustingly hilarious at times, and is effectively brilliant at times. It achieves so by dipping its pen in some of the best assets of every kind of pop culture inkwell that has burrowed into both Miranda and its book writer, Quiara Alegría Hudes. By combining the edginess of hip-hop and the sexiness of latin rhythms, with the pathos of a telenovela and the comic timing of television situation comedies, this "new-school" song-and-dance makes the Broadway musical feel like it could be for anybody. Under the direction of Thomas Kail and aided by the fluid, beautiful choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler, the show feels splendidly grounded in the now. (In one instance, Miranda approves of a lyric change, proclaiming that "Arizona be hatin'!")

On the surface, IN THE HEIGHTS is a very current, groundbreaking musical theater piece, but its roots are also very much deeply seeded in traditional book musicals. The show truly reveals how much Miranda is quite the studious student of musical theater. He peppers IN THE HEIGHTS with flavors from shows past: everything from West Side Story (the opening sounds of striking claves alone remind of it) to Rent (rent woes and a power outtage!). Despite dipping a bit too much in clichéd storytelling and conventional song lyric devices (at least in a few of the ballads), these reminiscent guide posts—portrayed so wonderfully by its extremely talented ensemble cast—still all somehow manage to be fresh and alive, coming together to produce a vibrant show with plenty of honestly-earned laughs, a few moments of great heart, and some of the most buoyantly entertaining musical numbers to ever appear in a recent show. At its core, it is simple... yet amazingly heartfelt. There's quite a lot to love here.

It helps too to have an enthusiastic, superb cast to service the material. To watch Miranda is nothing short of spectacular. You see the guy really inhabit Usnavi, switching effortlessly from adorably timid (while crushing on Vanessa) to quietly vulnerable (when hearing of bad news in the second act). He's confident as a rapper and supports his co-stars like a proud father. Along with Miranda, many of the ensemble players have plenty of chances to shine. Both Sloan and Jacobs possess seriously gorgeous voices, while Douglas Jr. proves to be a triple threat as a rapper, singer and dancer. Santora's portrayal of Abuela Claudia is touchingly brilliant, while Santiago easily steals the show as the sassy, loud-mouthed Salon owner Daniela.

Overall, IN THE HEIGHTS is a refreshingly new, yet comfortably familiar show that is a musical ode to those who hope and dream of things beyond their particular social and economic station. A vibrant slice of barrio life, it feels alive even with its static set. The people move about as if this little neighborhood really is living and breathing with the sights and sounds synonymous with a culture. On the outset, their struggles are monetary. But in reality, their struggles derive primarily from the constant duel between honoring their cultural pride and assimilating their geographic identity, all in an effort to bridge the gap between them and the American Dream. The idea hits home no matter which ethnic or socio-economic background you belong to. Southern California, of all places, may very well feel much of the emotional struggles experienced in the show. Richly affecting and merrily celebratory, IN THE HEIGHTS tirelessly tries its best to please, and succeeds in ultimately becoming one truly entertaining theatrical experience. Even when the electricity literally goes out, the joy of the cast performing this pleasant musical is just simply contagious.

Score: 8.8 / 10 *

Top Photo: Lin-Manuel Miranda by Joan Marcus.
Middle Photo: Elise Santora & Arielle Jacobs by Joan Marcus.
Bottom Photo: Sabrina Sloan by Janet Macoska.

*Broadway World's scoring system. For details, click here.

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The extended engagement performances of the National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS continue at the Pantages Theatre through July 25, 2010.

Please note that Lin-Manuel Miranda is NOT scheduled to appear in five performances: Sunday Matinee 6/27, Thursday Matinee 7/1, Sunday Matinee 7/11, Sunday Matinee 7/18 and Sunday Matinee 7/25.)

IN THE HEIGHTS is produced by Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman Willis, Sander Jacobs, Robyn Goodman/Walt Grossman, Peter Fine and Sonny Everett/Mike Skipper with associate producers Ruth Hendel and Harold Newman. Music direction is by Alex Lacamoire, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and is directed by Thomas Kail. The Original Broadway Cast album is available on Ghostlight Records.

The national tour cast also features Jose-Luis Lopez, David Baida, Elise Santora, Genny Lis Padilla, Isabel Santiago, Danny Bolero, Natalie Toro, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Sabrina Sloan (as Vanessa, June 22-July 4), Lexi Lawson (as Vanessa, July 6-July 25), Arielle Jacobs, Sandy Alvarez, Christina Black, Natalie Caruncho, Oscar Cheda, Dewitt Cooper III, Wilkie Ferguson, Rayanne Gonzales, Rebecca Kritzer, Joseph Morales, April Ortiz, and Carlos Salazar. Swings include Daniel Cruz, Kristina Fernandez, Morgan Matayoshi, Antuan Raimone, Noemi Del Rio, and Kevin Santos.

The performance schedule for IN THE HEIGHTS is Tuesday through Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm.  Please note that there will be no evening performance on Sunday, July 4th, and there will be one added weekday matinee on Thursday, July 1st at 2:00pm. Running time is 2 hours and 15 minutes, with one intermission.

Tickets range in price from $25 - $85, although prices are subject to change without notice. The Pantages Theatre is located in Hollywood at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard at Vine Street. Tickets are available online at www.BroadwayLA.org or 1-800-982-ARTS(2787). Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Pantages Box Office and all Ticketmaster ticket outlets.

Following the Los Angeles engagement, the National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS will travel to Costa Mesa for a two-week engagement at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, August 3-15.

IN THE HEIGHTS is presented locally by Broadway/L.A. as the seventh show of its 2010 Pantages Season.

For more information, please visit the Pantages Theatre's official website at www.BroadwayLA.org. For more information on IN THE HEIGHTS, please visit www.InTheHeightsTheMusical.com.