Interview: Anthony Lee Medina Talks Life IN THE HEIGHTS and Bringing His Usnavi to TUTS

You may recognize Anthony Lee Medina from your TV screens, but this week he begins his turn as Usnavi in the Theatre Under The Stars-mounted production of IN THE HEIGHTS, Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Tony Award-winning show. With music and lyrics by Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegria Hudes, IN THE HEIGHTS was a late addition to the TUTS 2016-2017 season, but one that has had theatre-goers salivating ever since.

Today we catch up with Medina to talk about the show, the "glamorous" life of a working performer, and the awesomeness of Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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IN THE HEIGHTS premiered off-Broadway in 2007. Do you remember the first time you encountered the show? What was your first impression?

Anthony Lee Medina: I first encountered the show at my audition for the PACE [Musical Theater] program. The head of the school asked if I had seen it and told me that I'd make a great Sonny. But I didn't actually get to see the show until the summer of 2008 while in rehearsals for SPRING AWAKENING.

I remember being overwhelmed at the end of Act 2. The music was right in the pocket of what I was listening to at the time: hip-hop, R&B and musical theatre, with the added spice of the Latin flavor I grew up hearing in my Abuela's, Titi and Tio's houses. It was one of the first shows that helped me believe that I could be an actor and not spend most of my career continuing to perpetuate the horrible stereotypes that the entertainment world created in regards to Latinos. But, above all, the show hit very close to home. So many of the themes stood true to my experience as a Latin American and the son of immigrants.

If you would, introduce us to Usnavi. Who is he? What is he like?

Anthony Lee Medina: Usnavi is a hard-working, logically driven, sometimes goofy, bodega owner. He spends most of the show deeply questioning what home is, what family is and what his responsibility to his community, as well as his parents, is. He's an immigrant, but the first in his family able to make moves in America, and because of that he is constantly battling his own head and heart in an attempt to make sure his legacy is something to be proud of. As a first generation kid myself, every day of my life is spent with a similar idea constantly stewing in my head -- am I doing everything in my power to make my parents sacrifice worth it? Usnavi and I live in a very similar mental state. It's a beautiful marriage for me.

For many, Usnavi is very much associated with creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. How do you approach playing a character that is so synonymous with one person? How do you make the character your own?

Anthony Lee Medina: Well, the first day of rehearsals our director Nick DeGruccio said to Philippe Arroyo (Sonny) and I that we were not to lean on the original creation. He wanted us to make it our own and to find history and nuance in our characters that made our Sonny and Usnavi original. To be honest, I didn't have to do much. Lin-Manuel is Lin-Manuel, and I am not. It's like asking someone to not be Bernadette Peters. Nobody is Bernadette but Bernadette. All I had to do was do the work and my Usnavi came to fruition. At the end of the day there is also Javier Muñoz, Corbin Bleu, Kyle Beltran and about a handful of other Usnavis that have been created. None of them are the same and it's because we all come from completely different walks of life. I make it my own because I am me.

IN THE HEIGHTS was a late addition to TUTS' season. At the time, TUTS Artistic Advisor Sheldon Epps said, "[IN THE HEIGHTS] is a great way to come out of the box. Lin-Manuel Miranda has proven he can ignite a real passion for going to the theatre in [young] people." What do you think it is about Miranda and this show that speak to new, younger theatre-goers?

Anthony Lee Medina: For starters, the OBC [original Broadway cast] recording comes with radio edits. That's not normal. I don't remember the last time I was sitting in a car and between a Britney Spears and Kendrick song came the radio edit of "Sunrise, Sunset" from [FIDDLER ON THE ROOF]. Lin wrote a musical that brought current music to Broadway and Broadway to the radio. If I were in high school I could definitely be bumpin' "96,000" as I drove into the school parking lot without getting shade thrown at me.

Lin with [IN THE HEIGHTS] and with HAMILTON bridged the gap and made theatre for the cool kids again. Superstars go to his shows. Celebrities do dubsmashes to his work. His musicals speak to a generation that wants to see themselves on stage. Our Daniela, Isabel Santiago, sent our cast a quote from writer Junot Díaz that ended with, "I would make some mirrors so that kids like me might see themselves reflected back and not feel so monstrous for it." I think Lin did that with this show and now because of that we all want to look at ourselves in the mirror again.

Now a little about you! It seems that since the SPRING AWAKENING national tour you've been working non-stop. Please tell us a little about your artistic journey over the last few years. Has it been as much of a whirlwind as it seems from the outside?

Anthony Lee Medina: Ha! It's been a journey and from the resume it may look amazing and glamorous but, to tell you the truth, it's been a series of hurry up and waits. I started my professional career in 2008 with [SPRING AWAKENING] and spent two years on the road with the show. At 19 I was thrown into this business completely unaware as to what it required of me.

After [the] tour I jumped into my first lead as Salvador Agron in THE CAPEMAN at the Delacorte working opposite Natascia Diaz and being directed by Diane Paulus. Paul Simon was my doo-wop coach. Paul frickin' Simon taught me doo-wop as I sat next to his 11 Grammys! I thought that the business was going to continue to be kind to me. But luckily, it wasn't. I say luckily because the two years I spent sitting on my couch, bombing auditions and continually saying "why me" pushed me to discover myself. I think the beauty in this business is with every role you get and don't get you learn about yourself. I've definitely been lucky though. The jobs I have booked have been incredible. I've worked with some of the best in the business both theatrically and in the film and television world. The amount of Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy and Grammy winners I've been lucky enough to stand next to and call co-worker is beautiful. But, for every day I've spent amongst the stars, I've spent at least twice as many serving them. I've been a bartender, a babysitter, a SoulCycle employee, a caterer, a waiter, a bar back, a host, a music venue coordinator and about a dozen other random odd jobs. Each one I'm lucky for. Why? Because that makes every single time I get to wake up and go to rehearsal or set so much more important and beautiful. Every audition is a day where I get to be creative.

And above all, odd jobs teach you that tipping is not optional. Tip your waiters!

You've now had experience in several different mediums - theater (of course), television, commercials, web series, etc. How do you think this range helps you as a performer?

Anthony Lee Medina: The business of entertainment requires you to explore many different things. The beauty of having experiences in different mediums is really just knowing what the switches are in performance. But, at the end of the day, they all help me grow as an artist and help me bring new things to the variety of projects I encounter along the way.

And finally, what do you think is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Anthony Lee Medina: Your journey is your own. Don't compare yourself to anyone.

IN THE HEIGHTS, the first show in the TUTS 2016-2017 season, will run through September 25 at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby. For tickets, call 713-315-2525 or visit www.tuts.com. $38.50 - $126.00.

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