Review of 'In The Heights' at Playhouse on Park

All photos of the cast of IN THE HEIGHTS courtesy CURT HENDERSON

West Hartford, CT - The reason that Playhouse on Park chose to close their ninth season with IN THE HEIGHTS, the Tony-winning Best Musical conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, harkens back to a broad definition of the word “family.” Director Sean Harris, choreographer Darlene Zoller and music director Melanie Guerin explain it this way:

“One of our strongest beliefs at the Playhouse is that everyone should be treated as a member of our family, from performers to the staff to the audience. It is fitting, then, that we close our ninth season with a show that truly exemplifies the creation of a family within a community. We hope that in these two plus hours, we will break down the walls that divide us and come together to celebrate, to grieve, to love, to remember, and to endure as a community and enjoy each other’s company on these streets.”

Most members of the sold-out opening night audience behaved as if they were part of the el barrio (the neighborhood,) whether they were raising the distributed banderas (flags) during “Carnaval Del Barrio,” or forming a conga line with the Piraguero (Piragua Guy) during one of his passes around the block in Washington Heights.

I was a little concerned that the barrio would not fit comfortably on the Playhouse stage, a three-sided stage with a low ceiling. It was nice to see that scenic designer Emily Nichols made it work in the space. The beauty salon was suggested near one of the posts house right and Abuela Claudia’s stoop was in front of the post house left; from our seats house left, this wasn’t an issue when the ladies interacted in the hair salon but I missed seeing fully some of the performances outside of Abuela’s door. Other than that one quibble, the high energy choreography and outstanding performances filled the stage. The lighting design by Aaron Hochheiser added much to the production; I have never seen a more effective “Blackout.”

Niko Touros nailed the big role of Usnavi in his Playhouse on Park debut; this Queens, NY native is in his senior year at Queens College studying to be a PE teacher. I hope that this true triple threat will continue to perform when he begins his teaching career. Analise Rios, a Bronx NY native, was luminous in the critical role of Nina Rosario; I loved her heartfelt singing of “Respira (Breathe)” and the chemistry with her friends and family in the barrio.

Nina’s father Kevin Rosario was played by Equity member JL Rey in his Playhouse debut; this actor has made commercials in both English and Spanish, so his diction was impressive for ‘Inutil (Useless.)’ Equity member Stephanie Pope, a native of Spanish Harlem, made her Playhouse debut as the mother of Nina; her singing of “Enough” was more than enough to convince us of her fierce love.

Leyland Patrick sang wonderfully as Benny in his Playhouse debut and Nick Palazzo had the perfect take on the great role of Usnavi’s cousin Sonny. Mr. Palazzo’s family has owned the bakery called Elmwood Pastry Shop in West Hartford since 1948. Sophia Introna, a recent Rider University graduate, looked to be having a great time playing the role of the lovely Vanessa and Paul Edme was often low to the ground as the spray-paint wielding Graffiti Pete. Willie Marte peddled the piragua when he wasn’t dancing with a few patrons in the front row or offering free samples to others.

My two favorite female roles were played by Paige Buade, a Hartt School student, as Carla and the magnificent Sandra Marante as salon owner Daniela. These two lit up the corner hair salon and the rest of the stage whenever they appeared in a scene and get some of the best lines in both English and Spanish...no me diga.

Special mention of Equity member Amy Jo Phillips as the beloved Abuela Claudia. Everything about her performance was the very best I have ever seen. There was a boatload of excellent dancing and singing by the members of the ensemble that included Gabrielle Baker, Jahlil Burke, Maya Cuevas, Jon Rodriguez, Olivia Ryan and Isiah Bostic, a sophomore at WCSU. Another shout out to the members of the spectacular nine-piece pit orchestra that sounded like so much more.

I hope you’re writing this down, I’m gonna test ya later…

The pronunciation of every Spanish phrase was perfect, although no dialogue coach was credited. The choreography of the big musical numbers was impressive and joyous. “Alabanza” was especially touching and it was a treat to see the cast perform the number “96,000,” that we had seen a preview of at the Connecticut Critics Circle Awards Gala on Mondayof this week, in their own space. I highly recommend this production of one of my favorite musicals, that I appreciate more at every viewing.

Pencils for Puerto Rico Fundraiser at Playhouse on Park: June 13-July 29

Following the Hurricane Maria last September, volunteers traveled to Puerto Rico in an effort to provide relief to survivors of the storm. Even though this disaster is no longer as prevalent in the mainstream media, and in a society where time, distance, and over-saturation of information can cause us so easily to forget others in need, our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico are still rebuilding.

In an effort to make a difference in a small way, Playhouse on Park is running a pencil and crayon drive for select schools in Puerto Rico during the entire run of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In The Heights, June 13-July 29. In addition to presenting Broadway-quality productions, we at the Playhouse have made it our mission to be a resource to young artists who desire to learn and create in their formative years. We hope to extend our reach beyond our immediate community with this effort because we believe in the importance of arts education.

In The Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant Latino community in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. In The Heights is the winner of the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations.

The schools/students that will benefit from this pencil and crayon drive are: Escuela José Robles Otero, Barrio Ingenio, in Toa Baja (Director Marcos Rivera), Instituto Loaiza Cordero in Santurce, PR (a specialized school for kids with disabilities) and teacher Keila Torres Nieves a 4th and 5th grade English teacher who lost everything herself but was conducting classes out of shelters now helping wherever she can within public schools. The Playhouse will receive assistance in delivering the supplies from subscriber and US Navy Veteran, Raquel Santiago, who has tirelessly traveled to and from Puerto Rico providing help many times since last fall. We ask that you bring only pencils and crayons, as these basic materials are what's most needed as schools reopen.

Bring your donations when you come for the show, or feel free to stop by whenever we're open: Tuesday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-2pm, and 2 hours prior to every performance. Tickets for In The Heights range from $40-$50, with senior, student and Let's Go Arts discounts available. For more information on Pencils for Puerto Rico, or In The Heights, call our box office at 860-523-5900 x10 or visit www.playhouseonpark.org. Playhouse on Park is located at 244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT 06119.

Nancy Sasso Janis Photo by J. Timothy Quirk

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Review