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WARNING:
SOME OF THE LANGUAGE AND/OR SUBJECT MATTER IN MY BLOG MAY BE OFFENSIVE
TO SOME AND IS NOT SUGGESTED READING FOR ANYONE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE.
READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
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Due to the fact that I’m a hotel concierge there are times that I’m
given the opportunity to go and see Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre
(yes, ‘theatre’ not ‘theater’ I hate when people spell it like that!)
productions for free. Being nowhere near anybody’s theatre queen, most
of these offers I don’t accept but the opening of a new off-broadway
show seem to pique my interest. Well I was actually more interested in
the cute dominican guy in the huge wall ad in my subway station. The
other day the opportunity came along to score two comp tickets so I
jumped at the chance. I called my best friend Mike and we went.
After arriving at the show a little late (all Mike’s fault) we had to
be seated on the mezzanine and not at our orchestra H seats but it was
all good. Once we got over the initial weirdness of walking in late to
the theatre we saw a great show.
"In The Heights" is centered aroud a group of people of various hispanic descents living on a block (probably around 181st Street due to the faux "A" train station on the set, with tiles and all) in the Northern Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights. Being a native New Yorker I could honestly say that the two level set was beautiful while still being functional and very authentic looking with its own taxi dispatch, bodega, beauty salon, and view of the George Washington Bridge.
I won’t give too much of the story away but it centers around Nina (played by Mandy Gonzalez), a girl who is back home in Washington Heights for the summer and is trying to decide whether to go back to Stamford University; the expensive school her parents (played by John Herrera and Priscilla Lopez) are struggling to afford or to stay in the neighborhood go to a community college, help out her family, and be with the love of her life Benny (played by Christopher Jackson, check out his MySpace) who me and Mike happened to notice was blessed in certain areas (and I ain’t talkin’ dancin’ and singin’) he gave me and Mike trouser snake in those black slacks from all the way up on the balcony! I’m sure we weren’t the only one’s who noticed. They even referenced it in one of the songs.
This and the other stories of the show (which I’m not gon’ tell you about here; you gon’ have to go see the show!) are tied together by it’s music and lyric writer Usnavi, the bodega owner (played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, aka the cute guy from the poster). He uses spoken word, song and rhyme to set moods and narrate the story. By the end of the show me and Mike we’re calling him “Hey-Z” (a spanish version of Jay-Z, get it? [insert rimshot here]). Other honorable mentions are Usnavi’s love interest Vanessa (played by Karen Olivo) who dances her ass off and his lovable younger cousin Sonny (played by Robin De Jesus).
The costumes which were mostly regular clothes were styled perfectly. Eventhough the show is not a period piece, so to speak, due to context clues (Northern Manhattan gentrification, the discontinuation of the 9 train) it’s definitely taking place in pretty current tmes and the clothes were picked out perfectly. From the blue patent leather pumps and loud colored dresses the salon owner, Daniela (played by Andrea’ Burns) wears (which are soooo Spanish lady) in this show to the loose fitting garments Abuela Claudia (played by Olga Meridiz) wears (which are sooo old Spanish lady), and the Bape sneakers some of the kids in the ensemble wear. Everything was put together perfectly.
So what have we got here? A good story, a fun show, a beautiful set, great actors, great clothes, and a little trouser snake action, what’s not to like? This replaces Blue Man Group as my favorite Broadway/Off-Broadway theatre production (sorry guys). I wanna see the show again. Next time I’ll take a date and buy an overpriced t-shirt. They had green ones.
Hey ya!
I have to say that I was very informed by your review on the theater, actually, sorry, theatre (the first refers to the movies nowadays) production, "In The Heights". I had never considered the show or even took the time to take in the posters that advertised it as a possible show that I would see. I not only wanted to see it I was wishing I was there with you two watching it.
I've only seen one theatre production so far; "The Lion King". I've made a firm decision to see more ever since that show, but either the time from work or the money to go or the company to go were a problem.
I told one of my friends that he and the rest of my friends had to make the time do some fun, enriching, educational and cultual stuff like that. I told him we had to go see "Mama Mia" fuh sure. He said he went once in one of his prevous relationships with some guy who could afford front row tickets. "Tickets are expensive" is what he told me and he said it was a very enjoyable show. For us we're still working our way to the big times in life, so we're not at the front-row-tickets-just-because-we-can level yet, and I do definately want to sit at the front or close.
(I know I write an essay of a comment)
Thanks to you getting the chance to see it, and your review about it, now it's on my list (I tend to make lists when it involves a lot of things) of theatre productions that I must see before they make a decision to shut down.
My list right now includes:
- "Mama Mia" (I know, gay right? Straight out the gate. [gay and straight and gay right; all togehter]
- "The Color Purple" (I just had to, especially if Fantasia'll be there [a shame she's missing shows])
- "The Lion King" (it was so good the time I saw it, but I got there late with my mother and her friend and we missed the Cirle of Life ceremony)
- "Hair Spray"
- "Avenue Q" (I must hear some puppets/muppets curse and have adult situations)
- "Rent" (apparently I'm one of a few people/gay people that haven't seen it yet and doesn't know all the songs)
- "Xanadu" (a friend told me it's really very funny and entertaining. I need to see the movie though)
- "Legally Blonde" (After the MTV special I'm considering it)
- "Grease" (I'm still a little iffy about it since I love the movie and the soundtrack but I'm not sure I like the people that'll be in it. It's worth a try).
I probably have more on my list of theatre shows I want to see (I should write these lists down). They'll come together eventually.
(W'at an essay! I just went crazy on the writing. Love to do it. That's to tell you how much I love to talk. Thanks for the review and if you feel the need to edit out the parts of my comment that you think are irrelevant before you post it, you have my permission to do so. I just can't; I'm proud of what I wrote)