Either I haven't been around good theater lately or In the Heights is one of kind. I can honestly say that it has been a REALLY long time since I have completely enjoyed a musical from start to finish. Everyone has been encouraging me to see this musical since its conception and, for more than a year, the stars hadn't aligned; until tonight. I enjoyed every minute of it and I must say that part of it was thanks in part to the successful flow that remained throughout the show. I was never bored or wondering what the next scene was. This musical kept me wanting more by balancing their slow song sections with the high energy ones.
One thing that really stood out about the musical was the versatility. Of course the musical is deeply rooted in the Hispanic culture but the storyline touches on a variety of socio-economic issues that are not culture specific such as education and economic survival. Maybe it's because I am a college student that is, A) about to graduate and B) at one point had to reevaluate my college experience in order to come to the conclusion that I would need to transfer. Although the story lines don't match perfectly, they both parallel each other and provided a connection between me and the musical.
Another element of versatility was in the dancing. Thank you Andy Blankenbuehler and Luis Salgado(Latin dance choreography) for the combination of hip hop, jazz, latin, AND contemporary. I loved seeing such different types of movement fused together in one show. Now I understand why the audition postings always recommend that you see the show before auditioning. I'm almost happy that I have, in the past, been unable to attend the audition. I learned so much about the show and casting while watching it. It is truly unlike any other musical.
Overall, I can honestly say that I left the theater wanting more and now have the songs of In the Heights imprinted in my brain. Boy can those singers SING! Forgot to mention this before, the strength of the entire cast is another asset. Aside from the great ensemble, the principles are breathtaking between their singing and acting. Ugh, I just loved every minute of it.
If there's one show that really made me want to jump up on stage, its In the Heights. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. With so much versatility, everyone is bound to love at least one, if not all aspects of the show.
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