First, let’s get the word out. IN THE
HEIGHTS, the Tony Award winning musical (produced by SpeakEasy Stage Company at
the BCA) has been extended AGAIN, through June 30th. Composer and lyricist
Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote his valentine to Washington
Heights as a sophomore at Wesleyan University. From there it picked up a
book writer, Queria Alegria Hudes, a musical format and a whole lot of awards.
This may be the successor to RENT in the appeal department. The performers are,
many of them, still students at Boston Conservatory (where director Paul
Daigneault teaches) and the feel of the show is definitely young and hip (hop).
IN THE HEIGHTS reminds me of Elmer Rice’s
STREET SCENE, sprinkled with a little WEST SIDE STORY, a bit of LES MIZ and a
hint of O Henry’s GIFT OF THE MAGI. Themes run through the musical instead of a
plot, with a couple of love stories as a backdrop but mostly IN THE HEIGHTS is
about finding community and a place to call ‘home.’
The music mixes rap (clever rhymes like
“hypothetical” and a “set of goals”) with pop, jazz and a Latin beat. Diego
Klock-Perez (as composer Miranda’s alter ego) is a juggernaut as the main
character, with standout help from Jorge Barranco, Jared Dixon, Santina Umbach,
Alessandra Valea and the whole remarkable, high energy cast. For me, Larry
Sousa’s choreography made the show. The dancers fly through the sky, landing in
spectacular splits like the Nicholas Brothers. They grab a funky beat, shake it
out, tie it to a basketball move, jerk its tail inside out and walk it en
masse, Evita-style. What else can I say? The dancing left me completely wowed.
