Written by contributor Stephanie Lottes
In The Heights had its first Broadway preview on February 14th 2008, and opening night on March 9th, 2008. The musical closed on January 9th 2011 after 29 previews and 1,185 performances. On Broadway’s biggest night, the 2008 Tony Awards saw the musical win Best Musical, Best Choreography for Andy Blankenbuehler, Best Original Score for Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Best Orchestrations for Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman. In 2009, the Original Broadway Cast Recording won the Best Musical Show Album at the Grammy Awards. In The Heights featured a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, and music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In The Heights, both Broadway and the movie, follows bodega owner Usnavi La Vega on his mission to get back to the beach in the Dominican Republic, and features his interactions with neighbours in his Washington Heights neighbourhood. Nina Rosario is a rising sophomore at Stanford University coming back to her neighbourhood the summer after her freshman year. There is a romance between Nina and Benny, one of the workers at her dad’s cab company. Vanessa Morales is working at the neighbourhood salon, wanting to get out of the heights, and achieve her dreams of being a fashion designer. Abuela Claudia, cares for everyone in the heights, and she touches everyone. Daniela, Carla, and Cuca are the salon owners and salon worker respectively, who eventually move to the Bronx for higher paying clients.
Fans like myself who first knew about In The Heights from the stage musical will notice that the movie has some changes. The character of Camila Rosario, Nina’s mother, has been eliminated from the movie. Songs are in new places because of an updated storyline. Fans of the musical will notice that songs such as Sunrise, Everything I Know, Hundreds of Stories, and Inutil, are not included in the movie or on the soundtrack, but they are not really missed due to the updated storyline.
The movie also adds a new song in the end credits, Home All Summer, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and performed by Anthony Ramos, Leslie Grace, and featuring Marc Anthony.
The score is an essential part of any stage or movie musical, and In The Heights is no different. Part of the storytelling in In The Heights lies in the music. The Latin flare to all the songs transports you to Washington Heights. All of the company numbers like ‘In The Heights’ are upbeat and fast paced, giving the audience and listener a break from the heavy elements of the story. ‘In The Heights’ is the opening number, and it’s a fantastic way to meet all the characters in the story. Solos and duets such as ‘Breathe’ give you a look into the characters’ lives. These numbers are primarily ballads, and as such can be more emotional for the listener. ‘Breathe’ follows Nina as she coming back to Washington Heights thinking that she has disappointed everyone.
Lyrics are also an essential part of the story of any musical stage or screen. The lyrics of the big numbers bring the listener into the fun and light hearted moments of the residents of Washington Heights. This is a welcomed feeling because the story of In The Heights is an emotional one with ups and downs because it’s based on the lives of the residents. Solos and duets focus more on the individual and are more complex and emotional as they expose the feelings of the character in that moment. ‘Paciencia Y Fe (Patience and Faith)’ is an emotional hard hitting number by Abuela Claudia reflecting on her life before she passes.
The soundtrack to In The Heights is filled with wonderful performances, however, there are a few that stand out in my listening. Anthony Ramos does a fantastic job of telling the story as Usnavi, showing the highs and lows of Usnavi’s life as the story progresses (It Won’t Be Long Now and Champagne). Nina has always been one of my favourite characters in the story, and Leslie Grace gives a fanciful performance bringing Nina’s story to life (Breathe). As noted above, one of the most emotional songs for the audience and listener is ‘Paciencia Y Fe (Patience and Faith)’, which bonds the character of Abuela Claudia with the listener. Olga Merediz plays the role with friendly emotion and makes the audience feel for her character. Benny is a featured character and a big part of Nina’s life played with humour by Corey Hawkins (Benny’s Dispatch and When You’re Home). Vanessa is a fan favourite character and Melissa Barrera doesn’t disappoint, hitting the highs and lows and making the audience root for her at the end of story. ‘It Won’t Be Long Now’ highlights her strong voice, and while not evident on the soundtrack The Club shows her dancing skills in the movie.
At the core, In The Heights is a story of family, and the friends that you think of as found family. The other major elements are finding your dream, and realising you had it all along, and the fact that you will always be welcomed back home. The movie soundtrack handles all these elements musically and lyrically. Get the In The Heights soundtrack from Amazon or stream it on Spotify
Product description from Apple Music: The immensely popular American hip-hopera Hamilton may have made him a household name, but Broadway patrons and musical theater aficionados knew Lin-Manuel Miranda long before he made the Founding Fathers spit bars. Earning Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Original Score in 2008, his In the Heights regaled audiences for nearly three years with an unforgettable uptown chronicle told via irresistible songs that deftly blended Times Square panache and tropical rhythms. With the release of its highly anticipated film adaptation comes a corresponding soundtrack that keeps the enjoyment going long after the credits roll, with listeners benefiting further from the immersive Spatial Audio experience. Beginning with Usnavi’s spirited exposition on the title track that sets the proverbial stage, the songs depict a layered narrative full of family traditions, romantic longings (for people and homeland alike), and dramatic turns aplenty. From the lottery ticket dreams of “96,000” to the panic and promise of “Blackout,” the diverse cast encapsulates everything that made both the musical and the movie great. Recusing himself from his iconic Broadway run as Usnavi to play the neighborhood Piraguero, Miranda rails proudly against the dark forces of soft-serve on the plucky “Piragua.”
