Broadway Worthy! Porchlight Music Theatre Presents In the Heights at Stage 773 (September 13, 2016)

In the Heights is the Tony Award-Winning Musical (Best New Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and more) created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the star and creator of Hamilton. It takes place in Washington Heights, a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Upper Manhattan.  The characters are instantly likable. They work hard and play hard.  It is easy to connect with the actors as they display a wide range of human emotion. The themes of the play are universal: struggling to make a living; trying to create a better life for one’s children; falling in and out of love; and navigating the complexities of the human experience. It a completely engrossing story that takes you deep into the lives of the people in the community.

Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of this play is impressive and Broadway worthy! The set is two levels with the second level extending behind part of the audience. This adds to the intimacy of the show which takes place in the Thrust Theatre at Stage 773, which only has 147 seats. Especially during the full ensemble songs, it feels like a Broadway show that could be taking place in any of the large theatres downtown. The live band (out of sight) is also fantastic.

The cast is incredible.  They flawlessly belt out song after song with powerful voices.  The dancing and choreography is also top of the line. The audience was completely engaged throughout the performance, hooting and cheering at times with delight. All fans of Hamilton and of musical theatre will enjoy this show immensely.

Get your tickets now for In The Heights through November 19th!

Quinn Delaney

About 5% of the dialog is in Spanish. You don’t need to know Spanish to understand the story, but there are some phrases that you may not understand. Here are some translations to help:

¿Qué pasó? – What happened?
Paciencia Y Fe – Patience And Faith
Inutil – Useless
No Me Diga – Don’t Tell Me
Carnaval Del Barrio – Neighborhood carnival (party)
Siempre – Always
Abuela – Grandmother
Te Adoro, Te Quiero – I adore you, I love you
Coje la salida quince – Take Exit 15
acamelo de aqui y metemelo aquí – take it out of here and put it here
¿Como esta? – How are you?
Piragua – a Puerto Rican shaved ice dessert
Sigue andando el camino por toda su vida. Respira. – Keep walking down the road for all your life. Breathe.
Y si pierdas mis huellas que te dios bendiga – And if you lose my directions, God bless you.

ALL PHOTOS BY GRETCHEN KELLEY