Sydney Reviews

In The Heights is back for its second run at the Sydney Opera House. The highly acclaimed musical is a love letter to immigrants and the stories they contribute to the overall narrative of a country. In this case it is the latino influence that found a home in the streets of New York City. Memories of homes, left behind in the search for something more, echo in the blood of the young and old who walk the streets of Washington Heights.

Its loud, its fast and its full of big emotions and gorgeous voices. The two lead women, Olivia Vàsquez who plays Vanessa and Olivia Dacal who plays Nina Rosario, have voices that resonate with power and passion. Both women are trying to figure out where they fit in the world and how to balance the love of a tight community, with the dream of something more and the lure of the big city. These two women do an amazing job of belting out ballards and using their voices to portray the emotion behind their stories and how they connect to their history and futures. Although their voices were dynamic and delicious it would have been nice to get a variation in the tone from both women. They were fiery and bodacious and giving them the narrative tool of rap and hip hop that was offered to others would have balanced out the gender stereotypes.

Ryan Gonzalez plays Usnavi and he is the hinge on which the story swings. He owns a store that locals come to for daily needs. Batteries, a coffee, some wise words or just cheerful “Good morning!” He is a boy who unintentionally becomes the keeper of the heart in a community connected by culture and threaded together by their differences. Gonzalez’s script is delivered with the lyrical and poetic structure of hip hop. Rap is the perfect way for him to deliver his narrative. Similar to the women he was only given one vocal tool and it would have given his character a bit more depth had he been allowed to show emotion through melody as well.

As you watch In The Heights you’ll be aware of the efforts put into and power of reality in casting. The cast came in all shapes and sizes and that authenticity was a refreshing conduit between the story and the audience.

In The Heights has moments when everything comes together perfectly. A line will be delivered with impeccable timing and the humour and wit of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegrìa’s script writing shines through. Amy Campbell's choreography, with her deliberate choice to avoid unison, brought a street alive with innumerable animated fragments. Sometimes it was hard to take it all in for there was so much going on, that individual talent went by in a blur and it was a relief when there was a pause in the exuberance to allow focus on one cameo piece.

You’ll not leave this musical with any one song pounding in your head, yet you will take away a certain exuberance and optimism for like any good musical, it was colourful, energetic and has delighted audiences since it first Broadway debut in 2008.

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