In the Heights” Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda July 12-Aug
Next on our stage:
GOD OF CARNAGE MAKING GOD LAUGH MOTHERS AND SONS SEPT. 13-OCT. 14 NOV. 15-DEC. 23 JAN. 17-FEB. 17 HIGHLIGHTS
A companion guide to “In the Heights” music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda July 12-Aug. 19, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda 2018 directed by Jeffrey Bracco Synopsis
In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood — a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community 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.
Characters
Along with a lively ensemble, In the Heights features several unforgettable principal and featured characters.
Usnavi (Oklys Pimentel): From his corner bodega, our charmingly awkward narrator sees all the neighborhood’s stories, even as he yearns to write a new one for himself by returning to his family’s home in the Dominican Republic.
Vanessa (Alycia Adame): Sassy and determined, Vanessa has big plans to make it out of the barrio and build a new life downtown.
Nina (Cristina Hernandez): Nina may be “the one who made it out,” but balancing her studies and workload at Stanford Above: Usnavi (Oklys Pimentel, left) owns the corner barrio where he University hasn’t been a dream. misses nothing in the neighborhood. Especially Vanessa (Alycia Adame). Previous page: Washington Heights neighbors are, from Benny (Robbie Reign): The ambitious Benny dreams of a future left: Vanessa (Alycia Adame), Abuela Claudia (Gloria Stanley), Nina beyond working for Nina’s father at his cab company, and those (Cristina Hernandez), Benny (Robbie Reign) and Usnavi (Oklys dreams just may include Nina. Pimentel, front). All production photos by Taylor Sanders.
Abuela Claudia (Gloria Stanley): She practically raised Usnavi after his parents died, and is like an abuela (grandmother) to him and many others.
Kevin (Dave Leon): There isn’t much that Nina’s father won’t do to defend his family, or to give Nina more than he had.
Camila (Marsha Dimalanta): Fiercely loving and level-headed, Nina’s mother is devoted to her family and community.
Sonny (Jomar Martinez): Younger cousin to Usnavi, Sonny seems cheerfully lazy in his work at the bodega, but also has a social-justice bent.
Daniela (Stephanie Baumann): Owner of the neighborhood salon, this outspoken gossip girl never heard a hot story she didn’t like to pass on.
Carla (Chlöe Angst): Daniela’s BFF works at the salon along with Vanessa. If she doesn’t get all the jokes, she’s still happy to join in the chatter.
Piragua Guy (Nick Rodrigues): One of the street’s many troubadours, he’s determined to keep his little piragua (Puerto Rican shaved ice) stand thriving against competition from Mister Softee.
Graffiti Pete (Phillip Jaco): Is he a punk or an artist? Stay tuned. The show and its creators
During sophomore year of college, there’s lots of fun to be had and learning to absorb, but most of us aren’t writing a musical that will light up Broadway. Then again, most of us aren’t Lin-Manuel Miranda.
There he was in 1999, a young New Yorker of mostly Puerto Rican descent, loving Sondheim, rap and salsa, and yearning to see more stories on the big stage about people who shared his background. In his second year at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, he penned a show about Latin American characters in Washington Heights. He had a theater space nailed down for an April weekend, and he spent his whole winter break getting the musical in shape.
“I put in all the things I’d always wanted to see onstage: propulsive freestyle rap scenes outside of bodegas, salsa numbers that also revealed character and story,” he told Wesleyan magazine. The 80-minute one-act, featuring 14 songs, was a hit.
As the musical grew and played to larger audiences, Miranda brought on playwright No, the guy on the right didn’t help create Quiara Alegría Hudes to write the show’s book. “She made the work much more “In the Heights,” but he is a big fan of about the neighborhood and characters living in a larger place,” he told Wesleyan. composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda Meanwhile, Miranda’s character of Usnavi also grew, and before long Abuela (left). Photo from Miranda’s Twitter. Claudia was added, inspired by a real-life, beloved friend of Miranda’s family.
In the Heights opened off-Broadway in 2007, and the following year traveled to Broadway, where the show and Miranda's performance were a revelation. “As you watch Mr. Miranda bound jubilantly across the stage, tossing out the rhymed verse currently known as rap like fistfuls of flowers, you might find yourself imagining that this young man is music personified—a sprightly new Harold Hill from the barrio,” the New York Times wrote.
Pretty heady stuff for a young theater-maker. And it was just the beginning, for Miranda and Hudes. Directed by fellow Wesleyan grad Thomas Kail, In the Heights won four 2008 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestration. It was also a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
Speaking of Pulitzers, Hudes saw her play Water by the Spoonful win the 2012 Pulitzer for Drama, and Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue was a Pulitzer finalist. A professor at Wesleyan, she is playwright in residence at Signature Theater in New York.
Oh, and Miranda has done a few other things. His Founding Father phenomenon Hamilton, for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics and also originated the title role, has been showered with accolades and sold-out houses on Broadway, with awards including 11 Tony Awards and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Other credits include co-composer and co-lyricist of Bring it On: The Musical, which was nominated for the 2013 Tony Award for Best Musical.
Miranda has also been an active supporter of the relief work in Puerto Rico following last year’s Hurricane Maria. His benefit single “Almost Like Praying” and its salsa remix have aided those Miranda, left, with fellow “Hamilton” cast members performing at the White House in struggling on the island. 2016, when the Obamas hosted a celebration of the arts. White House photo. Washington Heights: A very brief history
“I used to think we lived at the top of the world,” Nina sings in In the Heights. Why not? Her neighborhood of Washington Heights is high north on the subway map. Geographically, it’s the highest ground in Manhattan. And lately it’s crowned many a list of “up-and-coming” and “growing” areas in NYC.
In June, the New York Post dubbed Washington Heights a “hipster haven” after U.S. Census data showed it had more millennials than any other area in the city. Crowds are relocating to the neighborhood, drawn to its proximity to Midtown and Columbia University, the lively diversity and lovely architecture, and (relatively) reasonable rents. It’s the latest chapter in a fascinating, if checkered, neighborhood story.
Long before the Heights became an area named after George Washington, the narrow swath of land was home to Lenape and Munsee tribes. Later came Revolutionary War forts, then country estates and farms. When the streetcars began running and lower Manhattan got crowded in the late 1800s, residents fled uptown, and the subways kicked off another construction boom in the early 1900s. Washington Heights evolved into an exciting mix of cultures.
“In the 19th century, the Germans, Finn, Scotch and Irish came (to the Heights),” author Francesca Burns wrote in an article for the New York Public Library’s TeachNYPL program. “Near the turn of the century, the Italians came. During the 1930s and ‘40s, the German Jews came. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Greeks, Cubans and Puerto Ricans came. Starting in the mid-sixties and continuing to the present day, the Dominicans came and keep coming. While small in number, Ecuadoran, Mexican, Russian, Serbian and Syrian immigrants are the newest groups in the area today.”
(continued on the next page) Washington Heights’ different cultures did not always coexist peacefully. Highbridge Park next to the Harlem River often saw clashes between white gangs and black and Hispanic residents. In 1957, one teenaged boy was killed and another seriously wounded during one such altercation.
The neighborhood’s Audubon Ballroom was also the site of the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X. And by the ‘80s, much of the violence in the area could be linked to the growing crack epidemic and other drug-related turmoil. “The late eighties and early nineties were the nadir for the neighborhood,” Jon Michaud wrote in the New Yorker in 2015. “The population dropped; poverty increased.” Schools languished and the murder rate climbed.
Fortunately, The Heights has assets that aided in its gradual rebirth. Historian Robert W. Snyder, author of the book “Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and the Promise of New York City,” told the New Yorker that the neighborhood has been anchored by its institutions, including George Washington High School, Yeshiva University, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and The Cloisters, a venerable museum of medieval history set in a park of four acres.
In addition, Washington Heights streets house a wealth of historic architecture. When New York Times writer Dominique Browning first got off the subway there in 2012, she felt she was back in time. “Ahead of me, down a steep hill, was a triangular fantasy, covering an entire block, which managed to look like a Venetian fortress: the Grinnell apartment house. To my left was another intriguing facade, its stone frieze etched with the names of Indian tribes. Beyond that was an ancient cemetery,” she wrote. “This felt like an older New York, its strong character unmolested by thoughtless development. I knew immediately it would become home.”
Snyder also credits Washington Heights’ renaissance to the City of New York for improving services and investing in the neighborhood. And, of course, he pays Above: One of Washington Heights’ architectural landmarks, the former tribute to the residents themselves — the neighbors, the 30th Precinct House. Previous page: The neighborhood viewed from the restaurant owners, the religious leaders, the business George Washington Bridge’s west tower. Both public-domain images. people and cultural creatives — for working hard to clean up The Heights.
Today, as shown on stage, the neighborhood’s problems are one of a place in transition. Climbing rents and housing prices are pushing out longtime residents and small businesses. Like the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Bushwick — where many of those milliennials are moving in from — Washington Heights will have to learn to manage its own success. ‘For the first time, I found a show that directly related to my life.’
In the Heights is one of those shows artists love to do over and over. Many of our actors have been in it before and are thrilled to be back. (That includes Oklys Pimentel, playing the lead role of Usnavi for the third time!)
We asked our cast to tell us about how they first fell for this show. Here’s a sampling.
“My first Heights experience was seeing the original cast “I first watched ‘In the Heights’ when I perform ’96,000’ at the Tony Awards. I was astounded by the got the part of Abuela Claudia. I am impressed by the urban heart and feel of energy of the cast and the vitality of the music. I had never the story and the complicated Cuban heard anything like it before. I knew I had to learn more about rhythms of the music. Everyone gets to the show right then and there. I bought the cast album and use their A-game singing chops in this listened to it multiple times. I was hooked from that point on.” show! I’m thrilled to be performing with this stellar cast.”
-Dave Leon (who plays Kevin Rosario) -Gloria Stanley (Abuela Claudia)
“I first listened to ‘In the Heights’ in February 2018 and as I progressively “I first listened to In The Heights in the car on the way home from school. My friend was OBSESSED with the soundtrack and insisted played each song I caught more and I become obsessed as well. I sat there and felt nothing. I didn’t get more of the story and fell in love. I had it. Fast forward a year or two, I audition for the show and get cast in no idea what musicals were like and the ensemble. For the five weeks I spent on that show, to my this was my first one, so to hear this surprise I fell in love. For the first time, I saw myself in a show and and think that there can be fun hip-hop felt like I belonged there. Like this was the kind of music I grew up and rap within theater was astonishing. with, the community I knew, the dancing I was so excited to do. The songs make me happy, sad, laugh, Being a part of something so close to home with people who felt the excited and so many other things. I’ve same way made this show more than just another favorite of mine heard these songs countless times now but a truly special experience I will never forget. When I’m on stage and they still have the same effect on performing this show, it doesn’t feel like a performance. It feels like me as if I’m listening the first time.” I’m just playing myself at the corner where I grew up.”
-Tony Wooldridge (Ensemble) -Amanda Nguyen (Ensemble)
“The first time I saw ‘In the Heights’ was back in 2013 when Palo Alto Players did it. I was maybe familiar with one or two songs at the time. The show itself had such an impact on me because it was a show that followed intergenerational change and, for the first time, I found a show that directly related to my life. The story is about individuals and how they deal with changes in their lives based on the hopes and dreams of their families versus how an individual's hopes and dreams can change because of how they handle change. All of this while including cultural identity based on worldview and each character’s worldview.” -Jomar Martinez (Sonny) Our ‘In the Heights’ transportive lobby experience!
Have you ever been stuck in traffic on the way to the theater, or had a rough time shaking off the workday, and then it takes forever to relax and enjoy a show? Frustrating. During In the Heights we’re trying something new to help with that.
We’ve been creating a “transportive lobby experience” to help you get into the mood of the show before you even sit down. It’s also all about exploring the vibrant Latinx* cultures, and the feeling of community that Latinx culture revolves around. When you arrive, look around and look up. You’ll see: A beautiful hand-painted manta (cotton dress train) owned by * colorful flags from different Latinx countries and areas: the Ivette Deltoro, on display at the theater. Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba… * recipe cards from various Latinx cultures, contributed by the City Lights family * traditional clothing, including a hand-painted manta (cotton dress train) * pictures from communities around the world, including some right here! * lots of Spanish throughout the lobby * traditional candies given out, and special food and drinks for sale at the concessions counter
Thank you to our Latinx Advisory Committee — Erika Andrade, Rochelle Segura, Gloria Stanley, Dianne Vega, Melissa Sanchez and Choice Plasencia — for contributing your valuable insight to this project!
This project was spearheaded by Ivette Deltoro, our patron experience manager and casting assistant; and marketing intern Carol Alban. Ivette’s family is from Mexico and Carol’s is from Nicaragua, and they both felt a special connection to this project. Funding comes from SVCreates’ Audience Engagement Grant.
* “Latinx” is a term that’s been growing in popularity as a gender-neutral alternative to “Latino” and “Latina.”
Some Spanish from the script Fittingly, there’s a fair amount of Spanish sprinkled throughout the “In the Heights” script. Here’s a quick primer on some of the words you’ll hear: ‣ abuela: grandmother ‣ pacienca y fe: patience and faith ‣ barrio: neighborhood ‣ ¡No me diga!: You don’t say! ‣ alabanza: from the verb “alabanzar,” meaning “to raise” ‣ piragua: a tasty Puerto Rican snow cone ‣ inutil: useless ‣ siempre: always ‣ china: orange (fruit) ‣ parcha: passionfruit ‣ peso: Mexican currency ‣ peseta: Spanish currency In the Heights music & lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda book by Quiara Alegría Hudes conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda
City Lights Theater Company presents In the Heights from July 12-Aug. 19, 2018. Shows are Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., with three 8 p.m. Wednesdays: Aug. 1, 8 and 15. (no show July 15). The theater is at 529 S. Second St. in San Jose. Details: cltc.org, 408-295-4200.
Director: Jeffrey Bracco Assistant Director: Ivette Deltoro Musical Director: Samuel Cisneros Choreographer: Frankie Mendoza
Scenic Designer/Production Manager/Technical Director: Ron Gasparinetti Lighting Designer: Mary Baronitis Assistant Lighting Designer: Kyle Langdon Costume Designer: Melissa Sanchez Sound Designer: George Psarras Properties Designer: Miranda Whipple Graffiti and Portrait Artist: Paulino Deleal Stage Manager: Charnnee’ Young Assistant Stage Manager: Allison Hazebrouck Master Electrician: Joseph Hidde Second Master Electrician: Sean Kramer Followspot Ops: Miranda Caravalho, Tyler Morales Soundboard Op: Rob Asche Backstage Crew: Alex Gomez, Danny Hanson, Alex Yasuda Painters: Sophie Gross, Olivia Gross Musicians: Samuel Cisneros (Keyboard #1), Doug Forsyth (Keyboard #2), Gabriel Perez (Bass)
Featuring: Alycia Adame, Erika Andrade, Chlöe Angst, Stephanie Baumann, Sarah Bylsma, Jordan Celestino, Will Corkery, Marsha Dimalanta, Alaine Flandez, Cristina Hernandez, Phillip Jaco, Dave Leon, Jomar Martinez, Amanda Nguyen, Jon Nowakowski, Oklys Pimentel, Choice Plasencia, Robbie Reign, Nick Rodrigues, Amy Soriano-Palagi, Gloria Stanley, Tony Wooldridge
Special thanks to executive producers Nancy B. Coleman & Paul M. Resch for their generous support of this production.
This issue of Highlights was researched and written by City Lights dramaturg Rebecca Wallace. Read past issues, and a digital version of this issue, at cltc.org/highlights.