Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF – Editor

“Hamilton’s” many fans will probably flock to the Woodlawn Theater in the upcoming weeks to see Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first musical hit “In the Heights” which opens Friday at the popular Art Deco District playhouse.When it premiered on Broadway more than ten years ago, the show won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography. 

“I love this show,” said guest director Tim Hedgepeth, who teaches theater at Northwest Vista Community College. “Though it’s not the sort of musical that I usually respond to, this one stunned me, and my students took to it immediately. I love the story, the theme, the music.”

Set in the Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City, “In the Heights” is essentially a portrait of a community of Latin Americans – mostly from Caribbean nations – who have emigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life. Like all of their predecessors, they brought their culture with them but they are also trying to integrate in the broader American one. We see them struggle, hope and dream, with the help of vibrant songs by Miranda and equally vibrant dancing, choreographed here by Carla Sankey.

“The show reminds us that we are a nation of immigrants,” noted Hedgepeth. The characters are easy to relate to. It’s really about how the culture of our parents and our new culture blend; the tension between tradition and moving on.”

At the center of the tale is Usnavi (Miguel Ochoa), whose name was inspired by “US Navy” that his parents saw on a ship when they first got to New York. The owner of a corner bodega, he is both the narrator and an important character, somewhat reminiscent of Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” said the director. As the show opens, Usnavi introduces his neighborhood to the audience. The other major character is Abuela Claudia (Ana Hernandez) who raised Usnavi after his parents died, and who is sort of everyone’s grandma in the close-knit community.

There are love stories, of course, conflicts and surprises. Usnavi loves Vanessa (Lisa Decker) who wants to leave the barrio, while another couple, Nina (Jillian Sainz) and Benny (Venny Mortimer) – the only non-Latino in the place – experience difficulties of their own with Nina’s parents. As the show progresses, the audience witnesses changes in the old hood.

Hedgepeth described the music as “urban, rap and salsa infused pop.” He praised the band but also delivered the good news that the musicians will not be on stage, which sometimes happens at the Woodlawn, and, unfortunately, distracts from the flow of the action. Musical direction is by Andrew Hendley. Both Hedgepeth and Hendley are multiple ATAC Globe Award winners in their respective categories, and both won in 2017 for a show they created together, “Grease.”

Asked whether San Antonio will recognize itself in the story of the musical, the director replied: “It’s a story about all of us. Yes, people will see themselves in these characters.”

 “In The Heights,” April 12-May 5, Woodlawn Theater, 1920 Fredericksburg Rd., 78201. For tickets go to www.woodlawntheatre.org or call 210-267-8388.