Review: City Springs’ “In the Heights” is almost impeccably staged and performed

“He’s the one that did Hamilton” was an expression I heard quite a few times from fellow patrons talking to each other at the opening night of City Springs Theatre Company’s In the Heights. That he would be Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose Hamilton became not just a theater blockbuster but a pop culture sensation as well, with middle school students even able to recite its iconic lyrics.  Yet, it was In the Heights that catapulted Miranda to fame, and it’s a musical that holds up exceptionally well these days, especially when handled with such care as it is at City Springs.

Directed by Natalie Caruncho, this version is an affectionate and joyous production, almost impeccably staged and performed. Running through November 6 at the Byers Theatre at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, it should be quite successful. 

It’s very personal work from Miranda, who wrote a first draft as a sophomore in college. The narrator of the musical is Usnavi (Marcello Audino), who owns a small bodega in New York’s Washington Heights. His parents died while he was a child, and he has been raised by the neighborhood’s warm and welcoming Abuela, Claudia (Nicole Paloma Sarro), who acts as a grandmother to practically everyone. He has a crush on Vanessa (The Voice’s Erika Zade) and the two both dream of getting away. While Usnavi desires to return to the Dominican Republic, Vanessa wants to get her own downtown apartment. 

Others in the immediate area include Daniela (Lilliana Quinones, reprising her role from the Aurora Theatre/ Theatrical Outfit 2016 version) and Carla (Rachel Zamorano Bonet), who own a salon next door and Kevin (Paul Aguirre) and Camila (Celina Polanco) Rosario, who operate a cab company. The Rosarios’ daughter Nina (Amanda Lopez) comes home and announces she has dropped out of college, which doesn’t go over well. She soon finds herself rekindling a romance with Benny (Kyle Robert Carter), who works for her parents and is Usnavi’s best friend.

Many of these characters’ lives threaten to change when Usnavi’s bodega sells a winning lottery ticket. 

In the Heights covers three days over the hottest period of the year. Nominated for 13 Tony Awards in 2008, it won four of them, including Best Musical. While Hamilton is profound and complex and a favorite for many, I’ve always had a softer spot for Heights, even with a few quibbles regarding its excess of characters. 

In the Heights deals with issues of family, immigration, gentrification and pride, with Usnavi wondering where he fits in the world and slowly realizing that change is inevitable. It’s a musical with enormous affection toward its characters and a magnetic score that incorporates hip-hop, rap, salsa, merengue and jazz. 

The national tour that came through the Fox Theatre, courtesy of Broadway in America in 2009, was a mixed bag, but I’ve loved the last two versions I’ve seen – the Aurora Theatre/ Theatrical Outfit collaboration in 2016 and now this one. 

Caruncho, making her debut with City Springs, has largely worked as a choreographer and dance captain on Broadway, the West End and on national tours. Yet, she proves herself here to be fully capable of directing. It’s electric work, balancing careful attention to the musical’s themes but also making the most of the show’s signature numbers.

The titular “In the Heights” starts the production off with a bang, and other highlights include a beautiful take of “It Won’t Be Long Now,” a rowdy “Carnaval del Barrio,” “96,000” (using virtually the entire cast) and a hugely effective “Blackout,” a highly theatrical piece with strobe lights wandering all over the stage and beyond, ending the first act on a high note. Sarro’s tender “Paciencia y Fe (Patience and Faith)” also stands out. 

Audino, who has been seen in several local high-profile musicals the last five years, described Usnavi as a dream role in a dream show. He’s a magnetic center, charismatic and able to navigate the score’s demands but doesn’t overwhelm the production. This is very much an ensemble work, and every performer feels lived-in and authentic. Carter and Sarro are no strangers to the material; both have been in national tours of In the Heights as well. The cast members seem to be at so much ease with each other that a technical glitch near the end of the show didn’t derail them. 

I’ve seen versions of In the Heights where the choreography can be too busy for its own good. Leo Lam’s work with his company members and dancers here is restrained at times but also inventive and spirited when need be, such as in “The Club” and the aforementioned “Carnaval del Barrio.” Anna Louizos’s scenic design, Angel Warren’s costume design and Bert Rodriguez’s work with a 13-person orchestra are also worth special note.  

City Spring’s mission since it opened in 2017 has been to bring Broadway-caliber work to the area. Its artistic director is Tony Award winner and Atlanta native Shuler Hensley. Earlier this year, the company staged a rousing version of A Chorus Line, directed by original cast member Baayork Lee. Its follow-up, West Side Story, wasn’t nearly as solid, due to some weak links in its ensemble, yet In the Heights brings City Springs back to form. Full of energy and joy, it is one of the year’s best productions. 

::

Jim Farmer covers theater and film for ArtsATL. A graduate of the University of Georgia, he has written about the arts for 30-plus years. Jim is the festival director of Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ film festival. He lives in Avondale Estates with his husband, Craig, and dog, Douglas.