Review: Hume Fogg's IN THE HEIGHTS

Theatrical genius Lin-Manuel Miranda invested so much heart and soul into In The Heights - the musical that cemented his reputation in musical theater, which led to the most talked-about show in recent memory, Hamilton - that it's hard to imagine anyone not being caught up in the show's spirit.

Nashville audiences this weekend find themselves with two concurrently running opportunities to bask in the warm glow of Miranda's heartfelt creation as Hume-Fogg Academic High School's Theatre presents In The Heights for a three-performance run (which premiered last night - on Broadway, naturally, Nashville's Broadway) and Street Theatre Company, which tonight opens its 11th season with its mounting of the show that will run for the next three weekends.

First up: HFA's startling - and completely appealing - version of In The Heights, directed by 2014 First Night Honoree Daron Bruce, with choreography by 2011 First Night Honoree Pam Atha and musical direction by Lisa Forbis. Their rendition of Miranda's uniquely American musical, woven from the various threads of the proud Americans who emigrated to this country from all over the world, is joyously presented, performed with tremendous energy by its teen-aged cast who go for broke and who succeed in giving their audiences a powerful retelling of the story amid all its musical glory.

If there is any actor more charming and engaging than HFA senior Kabir Bery (who is cast as Usnavi, the musical's protagonist who stands in for Miranda to give the show its vibrant heart), I can't imagine who that might be. In this production, Beri virtually commands the stage with his presence and laser-like focus that enables him to steal every heart in the audience, drawing them into the tale with effortless ease.

Joined onstage by an amazing amount of talent - Bruce, Forbis and Atha are so lucky to have the acting community that thrives at HFA from which to cast their shows (and kudos to them for the creativity that breeds such stellar onstage achievements) - Bery is but one of the outstanding performers making the most of their high school theater careers: Garon Morris is an impressive Benny; Lindsey George is mesmerizing as Nina; and Ava Locknar makes a stunning Vanessa. Together, they provide the central quartet of the story with thorough commitment - and with stage presence and sheer magnetism abounding.

They are given superb support by Tomi Graves as Daniela, Darby Kolwyck as Carla, Jorge Guaman as Sonny, Ervin Fisher as Graffiti Pete and Jacob Young as the light-hearted scene-stealer Piragua Guy. But the most surprising, and perhaps most effective, performance come from the young actors playing the "older" contingent of characters - Andrew Forbes and Salma Crank as Nina's protective parents, and Tanvi Gokhale as Abuela Claudia - who give transcendent performances that are beyond their youth, creating believable adult figures. It's easy to forget these are high school students portraying the elders of the rest of the ensemble.

In The Heights gives its audiences a glimpse at three days in the lives of the people who live in a Latin neighborhood in New York's Washington Heights, telling a story of love, family, honor and integrity all woven together into a richly hued multi-cultural fabric. In doing so, In The Heights eloquently expresses what it means, in this day and age, to pursue the American dream, proving again what the various and disparate elements of our society can achieve together, reminding us all (well, most of us anyway) that we are by and large immigrants to this country, each of us reaching for the brass ring, while engaged in a common goal - given form and function by the realities of our various "families," whether they are by choice or by birth. It's a emotional experience that comes over you, to take you unawares, completely enveloping you in warmth and sincerity - the tears that are sure to fall only serve to punctuate your personal experience seeing this universal story play out in front of you.

Through Miranda's obvious and palpable connection to the onstage manifestation of his imagination and memory, you are instantly engaged and suddenly swept up into the sheer electricity of the events - some monumentally great, others small and trivial - that take place in front of you. Set to a musical score that features hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul, when In The Heights debuted, it was hailed by some as a reinvention of musical theater, but I see it as much closer to its source. This is a reintepretation; certainly, the rhythms and melodies are different from what we've come to expect, but the score remains filled with show tunes, to be certain. In The Heights may challenge your preconceived notions about what musical theater really is, introducing your imaginations to an undiscovered world that throws open wide the theater doors to a new generation of theater-goers.

With a plot centering on the Dominican-American Usnavi (so named because one of his parents' first memories of coming to the U.S. was the sighting of U.S. Navy ships in New York harbor), who dreams of returning to his parents' homeland to honor their memories. Usnavi (Beri) is hard-working and devoted to his family, which includes the neighborhood matriarch, the kind and loving Abeula Claudia (Gokhale) and his wonderfully appealing and often hilarious younger cousin, Sonny (Guaman). As they go about their business, ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, Usnavi and his family and friends speculate about who could possibly have bought a winning lottery ticket that is certain to change their lives.

Through Miranda's songs and Quiara Alegria Hudes' script, we are immersed in the lives of the people in the neighborhood, who represent a veritable melting pot of Latin cultures. There are Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, Mexicans and Chileans, Cubans and Peruvians (not so unlike Nashville), all going about their lives, working, paying bills, dreaming, playing. You're sure to see yourself, your family, your friends, your co-workers on that street in Washington Heights, outside Usnavi's bodega, or in the chairs of Daniela's unisex beauty salon, or behind the dispatch desk of Rosario's car service.

Bruce's direction creates a fluid onstage interpretation of Miranda's musical, creating the world of New York's Washington Heights onstage - with Jim Manning's gorgeous and eye-popping scenic design providing the ideal backdrop for the play's action - and there is an almost cinematic feel to the production's flow (save for one clunky scene change on opening night, transition are smoothly realized). Atha's choreography captures the flavor of the multi-ethnic, multi-faceted neighborhood, with the ensemble in seemingly constant motion that enlivens the play. Forbis' music direction ensures that the show's score is winningly performed, although sound issues marred some opening night performances. However, we are in Nashville, so it may just go to show that theater here - whether professional, community or academic - plays on a level field, technically speaking.

- In The Heights. Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Book by Quiara Alegria Hudes. Directed by Daron Bruce. Musical direction by Lisa Forbis. Choreography by Pam Atha. Presented by Hume Fogg Academic High School Theatre, Nashville. Through March 5. For details, go to www.hfatheatre.com. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (with one 15-minute intermission).

photos by Rick Malkin; poster designed by Danny Proctor

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