In the Heights

Kyle Beltran as Usnavi

Now a little over two years in to the run, IN THE HEIGHTS has a nearly new cast, though Priscilla Lopez as Camila and Andréa Burns as Daniela are still plugging away with seemingly fresh performances. Usnavi, the narrator created by the composer/lyricist of the show, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is now being played admirably by Kyle Beltran, who had originated the role on the national tour. American Idol’s Jordin Sparks is currently playing Nina, though she was out at the performance I caught and instead the very wonderful Gabrielle Ruiz was in the role. Ruiz is usually in the ensemble and also understudies Carla and Vanessa. However, she seems ideal as Nina, the Stanford college student who looses her scholarship and ends up back home in the depressed Washington Heights of New York. It shows a certain humility that Lin-Manuel Miranda would write a staring role for himself and yet give over most of story emphasis to the other characters. Although Usnavi is established as the narrator and therefore the leader of the show, importance is placed on Nina’s story about how her parents will help her get back into college so she can become the first college graduate of the family. Usnavi’s job is to observe his neighborhood and his little story about asking Vanessa (Marcy Harriell) on a date and fixing the refrigerator in his crumbling bodega sits secondary to everything else. The character of the show for me was the elderly Abuela Claudia, still being played by the tremendous Olga Merendiz. Her big number, “Patience and Faith,” which comes after she has won the lottery is tremendous––one of the great Broadway moments in contemporary history. Everyone in Washington Heights, it seems, dreams about getting out. They are a marginalized population––the working poor––and America’s promise of dreams coming true do not come easily if at all. Still, they dream and after spending two and a half hours in the company of this neighborhood, most of them leave. Probably they should leave, one thinks, but when Usnavi decides he will use his inheritance of Abuela’s money to rebuild his business and stick by the neighborhood I did feel that I got the happy ending for the neighborhood that I didn’t even know I wanted. IN THE HEIGHTS, with it’s compelling music, street dancing, charming characters and good will, is a true joy on many levels. First of all it was like the little engine that could, when it moved to Broadway and unexpectedly won the Best Musical Tony Award. It was filled with Broadway newcomers––fresh talented faces who had “made it.” It was totally original––made from scratch without having been based on a well known book or film title––and it succeeded big time. Broadway loves a success story and this show represents the fulfillment of all the dreams of the characters come true.