Review: IN THE HEIGHTS at STAGES St. Louis In The Ross Family Theater At The Kirkwood Performing Arts Center

Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Broadway Musical, IN THE HEIGHTS, is the second offering of STAGES St. Louis 2022 Season. There are not enough adjectives in a thesaurus to describe this jubilant production from STAGES St. Louis. This show is a dynamic explosion of rhythm, hip-hop and salsa with a stellar cast who deliver maximal effort with every moment they are on stage. Having the opportunity to experience this spectacular production will allow theater goers to give IN THE HEIGHTS the second look it deserves.

IN THE HEIGHTS opened to mixed reviews on Broadway in 2008. It is a show that has a simple book to support a concept musical with a rap, salsa and Latin inspired score. The original Broadway production was created and developed by the same team that brought HAMILTON to the stage including Miranda, Director Thomas Kail, Choreographer Andy Blankenbeuhler, Music Director Alex Lacamoire and starred many of the actors who went on to fill roles in HAMILTON. Both the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions had successful runs and won Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Tony Awards.

IN THE HEIGHTS is not a perfect show, but it is a show with a huge heart. The simple story of family and community may have initially minimized the genius composing style of Miranda's lyrics in the original production. Lacamoire's orchestrations and Miranda's score and lyrics do not reach the level of consistent perfection that is HAMILTON. But, Seeing and hearing a post-Hamilton production of IN THE HEIGHTS affords a second opportunity to re-evaluate this piece and reconsider a previous opinion that the story wasn't original enough despite of the complexity of the lyrics and the unique musical styles of the score.

The story is set over three days on a block in Washington Heights in Manhattan around the fourth of July. At the end of the first Act, Manhattan has a power failure and the block experiences a blackout. For this cast lack of power in the theatre would pose no problem. The energy that this cast generates would be enough electricity to provide power to the entire island of Manhattan. The four principal actors Ryan Alvarado (Usnavi), Amanda Robles (Vanessa), Isabel Leoni (Nina), and Jahir Lawrence Hipps (Benny) deliver inspired emotional performances that engender smiles, laughs and tears. Each actor's musical motif has a unique sound that was composed specifically for each character. Alvarado's delivery of Lin-Manuel Miranda's rapid fire hip-hop lyrics is superb. Leoni, in her professional acting debut, provides exquisite powerhouse vocals that ascend beyond the roof of the theatre. St. Louis audiences are fortunate to see this young actor perform this early in her career. She delivers a performance that exceeds the ability of seasoned veterans and is the best among a cast who all deliver remarkable performances.

The supporting cast and ensemble deliver exciting vocals and exceptional movement from the recreated original choreography. It is nearly impossible to not single out every member of this company for their memorable contributions in the production. Ariana Valdes as salon owner Daniela delivers big laughs and dazzling vocals. Tauren Hagans (Camila's) emotional appeal to her family in "Enough" is a tour-de-force during her 4-minute solo. She stunned the audience with her impassioned plea to set her husband and daughter straight as only a strong mother can. The entire company nearly stops the show several times with big remarkable numbers and joyful latin-inspired movement. "96,000" and "Carnaval de Barrio" are an ecstatic celebration of Hispanic cultures.

The technical theater achievement for this performance is phenomenal. Music Director and Conductor Walter "Bobby" McCoy handles Miranda's score adeptly. If there were one area of opportunity it would be the balance between the orchestra and Alvarado's rap vocals. Occasionally Alvarado's vocals were overwhelmed by the orchestra. Luis Salgado's directorial vision and choreography was a perfect homage to the original Broadway production. The emotional connection his direction brings links the audience to the actors and the stories they are telling. Anna Louizos' set design was reminiscent of the original production with an eye-catching George Washington Bridge centerpiece. Her set design, coupled with Sean Savoie's lighting design, seamlessly transition the setting from day to night over the three-day period. His vision in the night club at the end of Act I illustrates how a skilled lighting designer can change a static set into a completely different setting using lighting alone. Brad Musgrove's costume design provided tribute to the original production while enhancing each character through dress. His elegant designs during "Paciencia y Fe" takes you on a cultural tour through decades with opulent costumes that are among the most memorable parts of this production.

STAGES St. Louis and their current production of IN THE HEIGHTS is a gift to the St. Louis theatre community. Lin-Manuel Miranda fans, Hamilton fans, and those who've seen IN THE HEIGHTS previously need to revisit this production. It is two-and-one-half hours of pure enjoyment. If this production of IN THE HEIGHTS were a perfectly ripened orange, this cast and crew squeeze every last drop of the sweetest juice they can get from this script and score.

The STAGES St. Louis production of IN THE HEIGHTS plays at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in the Ross Family Theatre through August 21st. For more information or to purchase tickets visit stagesstlouis.org.

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