By Dale King
In the Heights is a festive, tune-filled musical celebrating the toils and triumphs of the hard-working, money-strapped denizens of a largely Dominican neighborhood in north Manhattan. The show is pleasing midsummer-night audiences at the Lake Worth Playhouse.
The play features a young, energetic and talented cast that brings a strong Latin touch to the production along with lots of salsa, rap and “let’s party”-style music that keeps the stage rocking and the story perking.
The show takes place in the barrio of Washington Heights. Life is economically tough and getting tougher in the shadow of the George Washington Bridge. In the Heights spins off several plot lines, but the main effort of nearly every character is to “get out of the barrio.”
Conceived and written (music and lyrics) by Lin-Manuel Miranda from a book by Quiara Alegria Hudes, this sometimes humorous, sometimes serious production copped four Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations) in 2008. It was also nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
It’s clearly a crowd pleaser with its contagious musical rhythm and high-octane, stage-filling performances. On opening night, the cast got a vigorous standing ovation from a larger-than-average first-evening crowd at the downtown Lake Worth theatrical venue.
Usnavi De La Vega (Peter Fernandez) is one of the main characters. Owner of a bodega located between two failing businesses, he’s also the narrator. His younger cousin, Sonny (Keagan Cerny) also works the bodega, but chums around with Graffiti Pete (Jason Ziev) who has left his mark — literally — around the neighborhood.
Nina Rosario (Mela Vargas) also has a pivotal role. She is the great hope of this barrio, having been able to leave her roots to attend Stanford University on a scholarship. But she returns after freshman year because her marks are too low to extend her college funding.
Basically, the whole barrio is bummed by the news. The situation forces Nina’s father Kevin (Bryan Wohlust) to consider selling his cab and limousine service to pay for his daughter’s continuing education. This would add to the family’s ongoing money problems and also deprive Benny (Michael Wallace) of his job with Kevin’s company.
Benny had already raised the Rosario family’s ire because he’s wooing Nina — and she likes it. In a thought-provoking twist, her parents Kevin and Camila Rosario (Roxanne Cappa) try to end their relationship because he is not Hispanic.
Other things aren’t going well either. Daniela (Hadiyyah Smith) runs a hair salon, but she’s closing up and heading for the Bronx. That will leave her two workers, Vanessa (Shenise Nunez) and Carla (Valentina Diaz) without jobs. And Vanessa — who’s being seriously pursued by Sonny — is trying desperately to move into a Manhattan apartment, but can’t swing the security deposit.
Perhaps the most important pivotal character is “Abuela” Claudia (grandmother). She raised Usnavi after his parents died when he was young — and she is the “historical” voice of the barrio, having lived there most of her life. Everyone knows and loves her.
The action peaks when a life-changing event occurs. The play strides slowly, but surely and triumphantly, to a conclusion that’s something of a surprise for all involved.
Some excellent voices grace the Lake Worth stage. Fernandez, as Usnavi, adds an element of rap as he expands his role from store owner to neighborhood leader. As Nina, Vargas is a gem. She has a lovely, soaring voice and is exceptionally talented in a role that requires a lot of spunk.
Also exceptional is Andrew Spinelli, whose wonderful voice and gentle stage ability hit the mark again. This actor — who played the title role in the playhouse’s production of Barnum — is back as the Piragua Guy, always pushing his piragua (an ice drink sweetened with fruit flavoring) wagon through the barrio. He’s one of the few characters content with his lot in life.
A terrific cast of extras brings high energy and wonderful vocal support for Fernandez, Vargas, Wohlust, Wallace, Nunez, Cerny, Susy Diaz, Smith and Valentina Diaz in the many songs that fill this show. Plaudits to choreographer Ricky Nahas for helping the troupe master exceptional and intricate moves. Cast member Sebastien Cajuste is a solid dance talent, looking like he just stepped off the stage of Dancing with the Stars. He certainly steals the show during The Club scene.
An off-stage musical trio — pianist and music director Kiki Sanchez, percussionist Tomas Enrique Cruz and Gustavo Alberto on drums — provides just the right touch and throbbing tempo to capture the Latin vibe.
Nahas and Playhouse artistic director Jodie Dixon-Mears combine to direct this true-to-life depiction of barrio life, where hope truly does spring eternal.
IN THE HEIGHTS plays through July 28 at the Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 561-586-6410.