In The Heights

By Cynthia Davis

What would you do if you won $96,000? That’s the question that the musical In the Heights asks of us. In the Heights is a musical set in the streets of Washington Heights. It is centered around a group of elder and younger Latin Americans who are struggling to survive everyday life in the barrio. However, what we soon learn is that Washington Heights could be a neighborhood anywhere in the world, any small project that’s filled with all types of people with a story to tell.

In the Heights tells us the story of trying to succeed in a world that seems to be filled with so much despair. As I sat in the theater, I watched the actors tell their different stories of wanting to make it rich, and how, if they did, they would follow their dreams. I felt as if I could insert myself into that picture. The musical depicted moments quite familiar to me. Those hot days of summer, hanging on the block, with no air conditioner to keep me cool. Music blasting from the radios. People sitting on their stoops watching the cars going by. The sounds of the ice cream truck/Piragüero man screaming at the top of his lungs for you to purchase a Piragua for two dollars. “Trash talking” with your friends, having fun, and trying to do anything that would make the long days go by. Yes, the vivid characters from In the Heights (Usnavi, Nina Rosario, Abuela Claudia, Vanessa, Benny, Sonny, Daniela, Carla, Kevin Rosario, Camila Rosario, Graffiti Pete) could be any one of us.

In the Heights was enlightening and entertaining to me, with the stage full of loud bright colors and the pulsating beats of hip hop, salsa, and merengue blasting from the radios. The cast of characters dancing in the streets was wonderful. I felt my feet moving, my waist grinding, and my head shaking along to the beat.

But most importantly to me was the aspect of the musical that dealt with history and family. The relationship between Abuela Claudia and the kids in the neighborhood was so beautiful to see; she was everyone’s Abuela.  She made sure that everyone was taken care of, and they did the same for her. I also loved the relationship with the Rosario family, showing a hard working family that would do anything to make sure their daughter had the best. And lastly was the relationship that Usnavi had with the whole neighborhood. Each and every day the members of the neighborhood entered his bodega for coffee, food, or conversation.

The winning lotto ticket, the suspense this created, was one of the most exciting part of the musical to me. I love that they all worked together as a family to build their community and themselves.

In the Heights is a musical built on love, respect, and family. I felt at home; it became a time to reflect on the memories of my childhood, growing up in a small little project in South Ozone Park. It was a place where your family wasn’t just your blood relatives, but also included the members from your block.