By Kathryn Olsen
Part of any theatrical production is the experience of transporting the audience to a new and unfamiliar landscape and at Salt Lake City’s The Grand Theatre, In the Heights accomplishes this from start to finish, attended by Front Row Reviewers. For fans of all things Lin-Manuel Miranda, the first draft of this musical was written during his sophomore year of college, but with the book by Quiara Alegria Hudes, it found success on Broadway and as a film adaptation. I am a Hamilton and Encanto fan who lived in the barrios of the San Fernando Valley, so I was extremely enthusiastic about seeing a live performance of a musical that makes me homesick.
As the lights come up on Washington Heights, the audience is introduced to a New York City neighborhood at a crossroads. The owners of the local taxi service are facing pressure to sell to developers. The heat is causing power outages everywhere from the bodega to the apartments. Enter into that Usnavi de la Vega (Armando Serrano), who dreams of returning to the land of his parents. Vanessa (Sophia Mancilla) hopes to use her hard-earned money to move to a nicer apartment. Nina (Aisha Garcia) has returned to the Heights after losing her college scholarship because of the stress of working two jobs to attend Stanford. In the midst of all this comes the news that one of the lottery tickets sold at Usnavi’s bodega has won $96,000. An amount of that size can change lives and the question remains as to who owns the ticket and what they will do with their winnings.
Serrano’s performance as Usnavi is an intense journey as he begins as a man with modest success eager to move on to better things and ends as a man committed to the good things already in his life. Serrano plays the part with wonderful humility, whether finding himself unable to flirt with the girl of his dreams or uniting the community in the midst of grief. As this is a Miranda musical, the lyrics are intricate and the character quietly charismatic and Serrano is well-cast in that role.
Mancilla, his eventual love interest, has a stage presence as Vanessa that compels the moods and actions of the rest. In the club scene, the ensemble acts as though she’s their only reason for living and it’s believable because of Mancilla’s show-stopping performance. The opening announcements for the show are done by Vanessa in English, Spanish, and snarky New Yorker, and she sets a tone of hope and perseverance. for the rest of the play.
For me, the standout performance of this production was by Aisha Garcia. While other characters have an accelerated character arc, hers is one with the most emotional intensity. While the neighborhood memorial song “Alabanza” is sobering and profoundly moving, Garcia’s “Everything I Know” is the purest expression of bereavement and appreciation for a mentor lost. Her tender relationship with Benny (Onias Snuka) is one that is understated and genuine.
It must be mentioned that Aisha is not the only Garcia in a leading role in this production. The father-daughter relationship between Kevin (Monte Garcia) is effective in part because of good on-stage chemistry, but also because they are real-life father and daughter. Monte’s story is marked by his personal aspirations and resolutions as well as his fierce devotion to his family. The quiet frustration expressed in his “Inutil (Useless)” highlights the very real struggles of a man trying to give his family everything in a land where opportunities are sometimes out of reach. Nina’s parents are comparatively in the background of her story, but there is a clear line between their love and her successes and it is a joyous thing to see portrayed with such fervor by Monte.
Sophia Davis plays Camila, the matriarch of the Rosario family, as a single-minded counterpoint to her husband. He is the one who imagines solutions, but Davis infuses the family dynamic with real heart. Her song “Enough” is a long time in coming and is a perfect pivot point in a no-win situation and she rises to the occasion with fierce bravery and commanding vocals.
Snuka’s Benny is, like Usnavi, on an upwardly mobile path, but requires him to take more leaps of faith. Snuka is entertaining and heart-warming as he discovers his power to take more control of his life in both business and relationships.
The most impactful performance is that of Abuela Claudia, performed in this venue by Sonia Maritza Inoa-Rosado Maughan. There are so many stories that have their origin in or course set by help from this unofficial matriarch of the neighborhood. Inoa-Rosado Maughan is indispensable, whether for her recipes for sweet coffee or her encouragement of the schoolchildren. “Paciencia y Fe” is one of my personal favorites where the music is concerned and I was pleased to see it taken on by someone with such natural wisdom in her artistic stylings.
The more minor characters are engaging in their own right. The salon girls Daniela and Carla (Whitney Harris and Savannah Ruiz) hysterically function almost as a single unit as the salon-based gossips, while Sonny (Avery Sims) is a smart-mouthed and somewhat goofy influence on the neighborhood. The Piraguero (Ambrocio Mireles) got the most consistent applause for being somehow in the background of every major event and an unlikely hero to the neighborhood on a hot summer’s day. Finally, Graffiti Pete (Michael Hernandez) is a nuisance as well as a necessary participant in the story.
The ensemble’s contribution was impressive in its backing vocals, but especially in their variety of dance skills. The choreography was certainly influence by Latin dance traditions as well as hip-hop.
The production team for this show is excellent. Stage Director Vincent Ortega is also the choreographer, assisted by Mike Hernandez, while Musical Director Jonathan McDonald coordinates the many intricacies of the vocal performances. The Scenic Design by Halee Rasmussen brings real authenticity to the setting and is immediately familiar to anyone who’s spent time in Manhattan, while the Lighting Design by Paul Yates and Sound Design by Shea Madson authentically imitate the city lights and the Independence Day fireworks. Costume Design by Shannon McCullock and Hair and Makeup Design by Aron Naylor realistically mimic the styles and aesthetics of the neighborhood and its composition. The most amusing aspect of the Stage Manager and Properties Design (by Tahra Veasley and Marcia Pina and Maire Nelligan) is the opening of Act II, when the entire stage has to be transformed into the scene of a midnight looting and stage hands are seen during intermission, leaving the set in disarray just so the cast can restore it to its rightful state.
Due to strong language and some sexual references, this is a play not recommended for younger audiences.
In the Heights is a wonderful exploration of self, love, and the value of dreams. The show is playing until mid-June, so grab a bottle of cold champagne and head to The Grand Theatre for a night of a hundred stories.
Salt Lake Community College presents In the Heights; Music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Book by Quiara Alegria Hudes.
The Grand Theatre, 1575 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
May 17-June 10, 2023, 7:30 PM, Matinee 2:00 PM
Tickets: $30
Contact: 801-957-3322, grandtheatre@slcc.edu
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