Review: Muny Premiere of IN THE HEIGHTS Captures the Emotional Heart of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Musical

August 2024 is an incredibly special month for St. Louis theater lovers and fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda. His groundbreaking and Tony award-winning IN THE HEIGHTS opened on Friday evening at The Muny for a week-long run. On August 28th,  Miranda’s HAMILTON makes its triumphant return to the Fox Theater in St. Louis.  

Calling IN THE HEIGHTS groundbreaking is not exactly a strong enough adjective to describe the musical about the Latino community in Manhattan’s Washington Heights. The show catapulted Miranda to fame. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, winning for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Orchestrations, and Best Choreography. Its combination of hip-hop and pop music foreshadowed the unique type of musical theatre score that would propel the grandest of musical theater sensations, his landmark piece HAMILTON.  

‘The Heights’ or Washington Heights sits on the northern part of Manhattan. It is the highest natural point on the island and was the site of Fort Washington during the Revolutionary War. The George Washington Bridge (GWB) that spans the Hudson River connecting Manhattan to New Jersey is the neighborhood’s defining landmark. The GWB was the centerpiece of Anna Louizos’ original set design for the Broadway production.  

It has been a gift to have multiple opportunities to revisit IN THE HEIGHTS post-Hamilton. Hearing Miranda’s score and seeing subsequent productions has built a strong appreciation for his special brand of musical storytelling. The score is magnificent. The Muny Orchestra, led by Conductor Roberto Sinha, captures all the magic of Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman’s Tony award winning orchestrations. It alone is worth the price of a ticket, but there is so much more to this exuberant Muny production.  

Exuberance does not begin to describe the energetic and unique styles of dance that are featured this week on The Muny stage. The entire company flawlessly executes Director and Choreographer William Carlos Angulo’s eclectic mix of Latin dance. He and assistant choreographer Shani Talmor have created a contemporary combination of hip-hop, break dance, salsa, samba, and cha-cha, that is unlike anything ever seen on The Muny stage. 

Angulo and Talmor’s dance collaborations really shine in the opening number of “In the Heights,” “96,000,” ‘The Club,” “Carnival del Barrio,” and the “Finale,” with exciting vocal performances and galvanic dancing. “Carnival del Barrio” is an inspiring flag-waving celebration of Latin heritage and Hispanic cultures. This entire company is filled with superb dancers with astonishing talent, especially U.J. Mangune as Graffiti Pete.  

Miranda started writing IN THE HEIGHTS when he was in college. He grew up just north of the Washington Heights neighborhood. Nearly seventy percent of the neighborhood population is Hispanic. The area is often referred to as ‘Little Dominican Republic’ because two-thirds of the Hispanic population are of Dominican descent. When Usnavi introduces himself in the opening number, he raps that he “immigrated from the single greatest little place in the Caribbean Dominican Republic.” 

At the Muny, Usnavi is played by a young Latino actor who isn’t much older than Miranda was when he started writing IN THE HEIGHTS. Puerto-Rican American Benji Santiago stepped front and center and effortlessly handled Miranda’s complicated syntax with significant flair. Santiago demonstrated immense talent that was far beyond his experience performing. His charm and presence created a warm invitation, drawing people into the bodega owner’s story. 

Youthful talent was on full display in this Muny production. At its core, IN THE HEIGHTS is a story of community and culture following five young adults, Usnavi (Benji Santiago), Sonny (Miguel Gil), Vanessa (Alysia Velez), Nina (Ariana Burks), and Benny (Alex Joseph Grayson) who are finding their way, facing financial hardships, experiencing love, and learning from the older generation. Gil, Velez, Burks, and Grayson all equal Santiago’s allure and magnetism with emotionally honest and high-energy performances.  

Burks and Grayson have significant chemistry as the young couple falling hard for each other. Their tender delivery on the second act opener “Sunrise” creates a lovely balcony moment. Santiago and Velez’s playful flirtation build in a slow burn until Vanessa lays a seismic kiss on Usnavi. Gil is hilarious as the younger Sonny who is always on the outside looking in. 

The sense of community is what gives IN THE HEIGHTS its multi-generational appeal. The influence of elders in the community, the neighborhood matriarch Abuela (Nancy Ticotin), Nina’s parents Kevin (Martín Solá) and Camila (Karmine Alers), beauty shop owner Daniela (Darilyn Castillo), and her sidekick Carla (Marlene Fernandez) guide the young characters with experienced advice. Each of their genuine portrayals create loveable, big-hearted characters who mean well irrespective of their mechanism for providing guidance. Abuela teaches through patience and faith, Nina’s parents through dictatorial discipline, and Daniela and Carla through teasing silliness. 

William Carlos Angulo’s direction forces most of the action forward onto the apron of the vast Muny stage backed by Arnel Sancianco’s street-like set design. Sanciano’s has built a commercial block of businesses in Washington Heights, including a rotating set piece housing Usnavi’s bodega, Abuela’s stoop, Daniela’s salon, and The Rosario’s (Nina’s parents) car service.  

The highly functional set piece turns to create quick set changes but obscures the video projection screen behind the stage. Caite Hevner’s projections create set depth but are hidden by Sancianco’s two-story carousel set piece. The one thing missing from the set design is the iconic image of the George Washington Bridge. A single-story rotating set piece would have created an ideal opportunity to use the large rear center projection screen for an image of the emblematic bridge. 

Angulo and his production teams take full advantage of the outdoor Muny venue. There are plenty of unexpected surprises throughout the show that could only be executed on The Muny stage. The end of Act One and the Finale allowed Angulo to fully embrace Muny magic and create Muny memories that will last a lifetime.  

The Muny debut of IN THE HEIGHTS is a fantastic production of Lin Manuel-Miranda's Tony award-winning musical. Angulo has directed a production that captures the emotional heart of Miranda’s story. He makes an enormous splash with the big musical numbers. The choreography is exciting, and the dancing is and joyous. Angulo has found a shooting star in Benji Santiago who makes a memorable Muny debut with his dynamic performance as Usnavi.  

IN THE HEIGHTS continues at The Muny through August 15, 2024. Click the link below to purchase tickets.  

PHOTO CREDIT: Phillip Hamer 

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