The universal joy of ‘In The Heights’
Image: Olivia Vásquez and ensemble in IN THE HEIGHTS at Sydney Opera House, Drama Theatre. Credit: Daniel Boud.
Many people are familiar with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s phenomenally successful 2015 musical, Hamilton. It was groundbreaking, not only for its rap-based soundtrack, but also for its unconventional casting of historical characters. Ten years earlier, however, Miranda debuted his first main stage musical, In The Heights, with a book by Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Quiara Alegría Hudes. In The Heights is much more authentically hip-hop based, set in contemporary Washington Heights, New York City in a Latino ghetto.
In The Heights premiered in Sydney at the intimate Hayes Theatre in 2018. The sold-out season and enthusiastic critical response led to it migrating to the vast Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House only months later. Though it was a very brief season, this upsized production proved once again, the enormous appeal of Miranda’s music.
In The Heights has returned to the Opera House, this time being staged in the Drama Theatre, which represents something of a happy middle ground between the modest Hayes Theatre and the grand Concert Hall.
Olivia Vásquez has had the unique opportunity of playing main character, Vanessa in the original Hayes production, then in the Concert Hall, and now in the Drama Theatre.
“It’s been really awesome to do three different versions of the show… each one of them still has the fundamental core, which is, belonging and culture and love.”
Vásquez was 22 when she performed in the Hayes version. She is now 28.
“It’s been really awesome to grow with the character, Vanessa.”
Their journey has been symbiotic, with each inheriting and informing each other’s personality.
In The Heights has several parallel plot lines and Vanessa’s story is one of those. She works at a small hair salon in the barrio (Spanish for “neighbourhood”) with Carla (Tamara Foglia Castañeda) and Daniela (Janet Dacal).
“She is a hustler, she works so hard. She has goals and dreams of getting out of the barrio and having her apartment down town, and she wants to open her own business,” says Vásquez, describing Vanessa. “Because she comes from a broken home and her mother drinks she’s had to grow up very quickly. […] She has big goals and dreams and will do anything to make them come true, but she’s still grounded in love.”
Vanessa gets to sing several solos and has a fair bit of dancing to do, too. Asked about the music, Vásquez gushes.
“Oh my God, the music! Lin-Manuel Miranda is an absolute genius!”
Her favourite song is the finale, “I’m Home”, which means something very different to Vásquez now than when she sang it the first time. Her mother migrated here from Chile, so Vásquez has a very personal connection to the Latino community. She also feels an affinity with the characters and setting of In The Heights.
“Even though it is set in NY city, and it’s based on the latino community…anyone who watches this is going to take something away from it because it is such a universal story about community and what that looks like to you.”
Olivia Dacal, who plays the central role of Nina Rosario, is at the beginning of her theatrical journey; this is her first ever acting performance.
“I could not have picked a better spot to do it, could not have picked a better musical, better character. It’s a dream come true to be honest,” says Decal.
Dacal is not entirely new to showbiz, though, she is a singer and independent artist. However, she has never been in a theatre show before.
“I have to hand it to the actors because it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be,” Dacal admits. “You have to feel so much…what the character is going through every day, work through their problems — which is a lot on a performer, especially if the role is a person who is going through a really hard time.”
And Nina is one of those roles. She feels pressure from her family who moved from Puerto Rico and have built a taxi business all so that they can give her better opportunities. Dacal can personally relate to her character. Her mother is Mexican/El Salvadorian and her father is from Cuba.
“I’m the first grand daughter, the first daughter, the first everything,” says Dacal. “[I] have that pressure to build my family and give my family something better.”
While Dacal is new to theatre performance herself, she is not new to In The Heights; her aunty is Janet Dacal who plays Daniela in this production and has performed in previous productions of the musical. Dacal grew up hearing the soundtrack and has always loved it.
“I think it’s very beautiful how Lin has merged so many different genres into one beautiful thing…like all of that music that you kind of hear on the streets of New York.”
Barry Conrad plays Benny, a young, brash, ambitious man who works for Nina’s father and the only character who isn’t Latino.
“So Benny, he’s a fun-loving guy. He comes from a broken family, he’s trying to find his way,” explains Conrad. “He works for the Rosario family in a car service, and falls in love with his boss’s daughter, which is not ideal for the parents, but it’s ideal for him.”
Like many of the main roles, Barry sings solo and ensemble and does a fair bit of dancing, with choreography he describes as “not easy”. But he loves the music.
“The music is one of the key reasons why I wanted to be part of this, because it’s not separate. It’s not like you have your scenes and then there’s a song, it feels like it’s seamlessly woven in, and that’s a credit to Lin-Manuel Miranda and his genius. The songs are really so diverse, but also cohesive; they’re fun, they’re heartbreaking, they’re moving. And as a singer, as well, they’re a joy to perform.”
With characters that are multi-generational and stories that run the full gamut of emotions, In The Heights feels universal. Asked who the show appeals to, Barry is unequivocal:
“Everyone. This is a show that people can find themselves in. I genuinely believe that. This is all about belonging and connection and this is a show for everyone, and I don’t think I’ve said that about a show that I’ve been part of before.”
