Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and book by Quiara Alegría Hudes
A story of cultural pride and celebration, In the Heights has hit the Comedy Theatre with a burst of carnival joy!
Reviewed by Alex Osborne
Comedy Theatre Melbourne
Season August 1st-September 6th
Tickets: https://intheheightsmusical.com/
Type: Vibrant, dance-heavy, inspirational
If you liked: Hamilton, the film adaptation of In the Heights (2021), Tick Tick Boom
After two successful seasons in Gadigal/Sydney, Tony award-winning musical In the Heights has now opened in Naarm/Melbourne for a strictly limited six-week run at the Comedy Theatre.
Set to the infectious beats of composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), the show tells the story of the residents of Washington Heights, New York. Times are changing for this tight-knit community (“barrio”), and concepts of home and belonging are feeling less familiar as the years go on. Nevertheless, In the Heights represents the strength and connection that comes from a community that knows its identity and is proud of it.
Movement is the beating heart of this production. Choreographer Amy Campbell and associate choreographer Sela Vai have worked diligently to bring Miranda’s music to life onstage, navigating the complexity of rap while crafting numbers that look genuinely fun to perform! Director Luke Joslin appears to have carefully considered the role of dance when informing this production’s Washington Heights, with stand-out moments coming from the show’s score and overall creative design meeting in synchronised perfection.
This synchronicity shines in the number, ‘96 thousand’. Centred around the idea of winning big in the lottery, with hypotheticals and dreams flowing through the barrio, this number was the pinnacle of cohesion through creative design. It’s certainly the moment of the show that has stuck with me the most in the days after seeing it.
This show’s relationship with lighting on opening night was a bumpy one. For seamless scene transitions and dance sections, the lighting was en pointe, but many scenes were plagued by short and unexpected flashes. Microphone difficulties meant entrance and exit lines were missed throughout the show.
It would be impossible to recount every performance and still maintain brevity, but that speaks to how much talent is in this company. This show has community and connection at its core and nowhere is that more evident than in its casting (all credit to the show’s casting director, Rhys Velasquez).
…[González] delivered the faster passages with expert precision
Reprising their award-winning performance as Usnavi De La Vega, Ryan González plays the role of a highly skilled salesperson who happens to be awful at romantic small talk incredibly well. They made the audience feel for Usnavi in tougher moments, but their comedic timing with the character’s awkward situations had us laughing all the same.
Miranda famously does not hold back with speed or word count in his songs, and the opening number especially gave González a lot to work with, and still they delivered the faster passages with expert precision.
Olivia Vásquez commanded the stage as Vanessa – a strong, hard-working woman who knows her worth lies beyond working in a hair salon. This confidence was matched with rich and grounded vocals that cemented her place as one of this show’s leading ladies.
Her co-workers Daniela and Carla (Vanessa Menjivar and Tamara Foglia Castañeda) provided both comedic relief and highlighted a touching friendship between the three. The salon’s gossip-centric number ‘No me Diga’ showcased this perfectly, and the trio’s chemistry was a joy to watch.
Mariah Gonzalez as Nina Rosario shone vocally, with her song ‘Breathe’ showcasing an impressive set of skills. Her accent choice was interesting to listen to, with passages slipping in and out of Australian twang at times, but she nonetheless created an endearing Nina to anticipate in her future scenes.
…a night of vibrant colours, dancing and a heft of cultural pride from the performers onstage
The emotional centrepiece of Washington Heights, Abuela Claudia represents the heart and soul of the barrio, raising many of its inhabitants as her own and doing so with love and cherished memories.
Embodied by Lena Cruz, her song ‘Paciencia y Fe’ showcased the tribulation Abuela faced to get to where she is now, and was delivered with passion and resilience. Cruz’s spirit and excited nature were conveyed with so much soul in this show, and from the audience reaction, I can assume her endearing performance of Abuela Claudia has been held firmly in their hearts.
An attentive opening night audience could have been a reason the use of silence in this show was so powerful, but I certainly hope it stays this way for the rest of the run. It was so silent you could hear a pin drop, or a person loudly taking a sip of their piragua and regretting it (me). In this regard, In the Heights knew exactly when to get its audience to stop and listen.
In the Heights was a night of vibrant colours, dancing and a heft of cultural pride from the performers onstage. The Comedy Theatre has been transformed with the visual and audible atmosphere of Latin America and stopping by the barrio is a musical experience I highly recommend.
Theatre Thought: What would YOU do if you won $96 thousand?
