I am a huge fan of Broadway shows. I’ve been an audience member since I was a teenager. I’ve seen Lauren Bacall and Len Cariou in Applause, and I’ve seen Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin in Evita. But never have I felt a thrill like the one I felt when the curtain opened on In The Heights. Finally, here was a show about Latinos, by Latinos, and starring Latinos.
The show takes place in a Washington Heights neighborhood during the Fourth of July weekend. Before the end of Act I, we had already fallen in love with Usnavi, Abuela Claudia, Benny, Nina, Sonny, and Vanessa. The rhythms had us chair-dancing and the lyrics had us laughing. We experience disappointment from parents, bochinche in the beauty salon, bodega coffee, and piraguas. There is the high of a lottery win and the low of losing a loved one. It is life to a Latin beat.
Now as the show closes, I wanted to share the joy that this show brought me. If you never had the chance to see the show, fear not: Kenny Ortega is directing a movie adaptation.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PjplS0UwwA&fs=1&hl=en_US]
And don’t forget about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award win (make sure you see this one).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI6icWf6CB8&fs=1&hl=en_US]
“You hear that music in the air? Take the train to the top of the world, and I’m there, I’m home!”
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To learn more about Eileen,
visit the About Us section.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.
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About Eileen Rivera
I LOOOOOOVED this show! Completely share your sentiment! I got chills with every note, every song, every dance step…. seeing gringos moving their heads to the beat, lo máximo!