the heights.

I didn't know much about In The Heights, the Broadway musical, before it dropped last weekend. I knew it had been written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame) and that it had been very successful when it ran on Broadway. In The Heights came before the much-talked-about Hamilton, and I was curious to see how it would sound to me. I'm not super hot on rap or hip-hop but I like spoken word poetry and wordplay. And I like rhythm. And this musical seemed to have a lot of that. So I dived in.

Also, full disclaimer: I'm not a theater kid. If you want to read a more detailed review, you'll have to head to MyNewPlaidPants and read what they have to say, which goes deeper into things that I would not touch with a ten inch pole cause I know nothing about musicals. Come to think of it, I should have hung out with those theater kids more, natch. Then I could run my mouth talking about In The Heights.

But I do know what I like. And I liked In The Heights. Side story: one of my ex-boyfriend's aunt used to live in Washington Heights. Sylvia, was her name, like my mom. She was the typical immigrant, having come to the United States in the early seventies and having stayed until she passed away. I understand she led a very colorful life (she was the person who got me the Sex book by Madonna because I could not get it!!!) and she would tell stories about her neighborhood that always fascinated me. She would have been the grandma in the movie.

For me, In The Heights is more than just a musical: it spoke to me of the immigrant experience. And that may be something that many reviewers and movie-goers could probably fail to connect with. It's the flavor of the piece, not the structure or the presentation, even though those were attractive to me, too. The musical has the usual musical-theater tropes and I know you'll spot them a mile away. What draw me in was the storytelling, the music, the easiness with which it transitioned from spoken-word to music to dance to dialogue and the idea of having to carve your own country. It was also about the characters, that even though were part of an ensemble, were able to shine on their own. It was their stories, their lingo, their code-switching, the meals they had, even their clothing. It was their struggle living in between two cultures and while being able to navigate both, feeling at the same time unable to choose one. And why should you?

No, you don't need to be part of the Diaspora to enjoy In The Heights, but maybe you do need to know about being an immigrant in the United States or be able to empathize with their plead to gel with the narrative. I think knowing someone who is an immigrant or being an immigrant will allow people to relate much more strongly to this musical. Privilege blinds us all. Especially when it comes to the pledge of others. Also, I think that In The Heights is not a documentary, it's a feeling. And it should be approached as such.

I loved the music, the energy, the characters. Many of them are played by unknown actors (I spotted some familiar faces, though) but they are all super charismatic. I also spied a same-sex relationship and as many body types as you can find in a musical. The dance numbers are especially cool. And the lead actor is super cute. If I'd have to say anything, is that I would have liked to see one or two dark-skinned Afro-Latinx sprinkled in the movie. Dominicans and Puerto Ricans come in all colors, after all. 

So if you want to get your Latin on, head to the theater or snatch someone's HBO pass. Do a movie night with vaccinated friends or just plan a get-out-of -the- house moment and go see it. I recommend it. It's fun. And it's eye opening. It's always good to peek into what one 'other' has to say. Especially after immigrants have been demonized in this country for so long. 

XOXO

P.S. oh, here's Anthony Ramos, natch.