Jul 255 min read

In the Heights - Sydney Opera House (NSW)

Presented by Sydney Opera House in association with Joshua Robson Productions. Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

A production of contrasts is made up for in the outrageous energy and skills of its cast and a superb musical direction that brings Lin-Manuel Miranda's score to life

Reviewed by Justin Clarke

Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House

Until 25th August, 2024

Tickets: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/musical-theatre-cabaret/heights

Presented by Sydney Opera House, in association with Joshua Robson Productions, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights returns after a 2018 debut at the Hayes Theatre before a 2019 Sydney Opera House Concert Hall transfer. It’s now nestled into the downstairs theatre for audiences to once again gain a sense of why, in my opinion, In the Heights rivals the greatness of Hamilton.

While Hamilton looks at America at its foundations, told through the voices of those originally marginalised in the background of its history, In the Heights is instilled with authenticity and plenty of heart in a much smaller, intensely personal story. It’s no secret that Miranda instilled the lead protagonist, Usnavi, with a bit of himself and members of his family, and the love story between Usnavi and Vanessa isn’t too dissimilar between Miranda and his long-time partner of the same name.

In the Heights (2024). Images by Daniel Boud

In the Heights is a story about the Latinx and South American communities. It’s a love letter to the families we choose and the dreamers who dare to fly high. The show has a beating, fiery heart that is full of grit and passion, and is a momentous step from which Miranda leaped into the musical theatre hall of fame.

The story itself covers a few days in the barrio of Washington Heights, as we follow Usnavi (a returning Ryan Gonzalez who still shines in the role after so many returns) and his family-run bodega on the corner from which he sees the neighbourhood alive. Usnavi dreams of returning to his roots in the Dominican Republic, whilst navigating his unsuccessful attempts to ask out the larger than life, Vanessa (Olivia Vásquez stealing the show at every moment).

Gonzalez masterfully delivers Miranda’s fast paced text; an energetic mix of musical rap, hip hop and song.

It’s a slice of life tale in which we are welcomed to witness, “I hope you’re writing this down, I’m gonna test ya later” teases Usnavi in an opening monologue rap. Enter the apple of the barrio’s eye, college student Nina (Olivia Dacal in her professional debut with a classical voice that will melt your soul) who harbours a secret from her family, the Rosarios. Benny (Barry Conrad with a smooth voice that cuts through the soundscape) works for Nina’s father at the transport service company, and their love story unfolds throughout.

Then there’s Usnavi’s cousin Sonny (Steve Costi pulling off impossibly quick choreography), the crowd-favourite Piragua Guy (Richard Valdez having the most fun with a small role), Daniella (Janet Dacal, an original cast member of the Broadway production) and Carla (Tamara Foglia Castañeda revelling in the ditzy) the owners of the local salon.

Overseeing the community is the matriarchal Abuela Claudia (an extraordinarily loveable and powerfully voiced Lena Cruz) who has seen most of our main characters grow up around the barrio and has become a motherly figure to most.

Throughout the course of a few days, we experience the heatwave in the depths of the barrio, a blackout that throws everyone into chaos, characters who move away, and love that blossoms and fades. Underneath it all is an authentic South American score, with numbers such as ‘96,000’ and ‘Carnaval del Barrio’ standing out thanks to Amy Campbell’s cramped but extraordinarily daring and energetic choreography.

Under the baton of musical director Victoria Falconer, the cast deliver the playful call and response motifs and riffs with ensemble precision.

Gonzalez masterfully delivers Miranda’s fast paced text; an energetic mix of musical rap, hip hop and song. They are an all-round talent, leaving you wondering what they possibly can’t do! It’s the mark of a powerful actor when you can extract and hold chemistry with every performer on stage and Ryan Gonzalez embodies this.

Vásquez is a powerhouse Vanessa, bringing a depth and authenticity that blurs the lines between character and actor. Her voice will make you quiver in its power and her ability to move and shake to Campbell’s choreography steals the eye at any given moment.

Luke Joslin’s direction soars when it comes to extracting the authenticity in some of the character’s key relationships, and the appreciation for the culture at the centre of the story. The Rosario’s family drama cuts straight to the core on a family falling due to their fear of letting each other down, while Usnavi and Vanessa’s will-they-won’t-they relationship carries us through to the satisfying conclusion.

However, there’s a significant lack of heat in a show set in the midst of a heatwave which essentially plays out as the show’s metaphysical antagonist. The heatwave is the cause and effect at play here; the struggling Bodega shop overrun on electricity, the blackout fiasco in the end of the Act 1, Abuela Claudia’s struggling air conditioner, and the pathetic fallacy that’s needed for the heat of love to foster.

Jasmine Rizk’s lighting design uses a great deal of cool blues and shades throughout, which keeps the faces of the cast in shadow more than necessary and drains the heat entirely from the set. The overall direction here doesn’t do the text justice in bringing the vibrancy of the production to life. It simmers instead of bursting into its flaming potential.

The adrenaline fuelled energy of the cast makes up for this in abundance. Under the baton of musical director Victoria Falconer, the cast deliver the playful call and response motifs and riffs with ensemble precision. A stunning choice of adding a change in tune to some of Usnavi’s mostly rap-based score is subtly added by Gonzalez, meanwhile Dacal opts to go up an octave in the introduction to ‘Carnaval del Barrio’. The sound mixing tends to drown out some of the more spoken word lyrics and takes its time to find the right balance.

This is a production of contrasts, it doesn’t entirely replicate what makes In the Heights so powerful, but neither does it fail in bringing a great deal of authenticity, heart and humour from the culture at the core of the text. The music of Miranda will remind you why he’s a household name in contemporary musical theatre.

Sydney is about to be spoiled with the return of Hamilton to the Sydney Lyric Theatre, and if you’re in the midst of choosing which to go to based on ticket prices, the Hamilton $25 lottery will avoid the sting of a post-pre-sale ticket price. Meanwhile Sydney Opera House will run a Heights Nights Special to see the show on Tuesday and selected Thursdays from $59.90. So really, there’s no reason not to get your Lin-Manuel Miranda fix this winter.