In the Heights

In the Heights
Town Hall Arts Center
Littleton, CO 
September 8 - October 8, 2017

With the enormous success of Hamilton, theater goers will have an increased interest in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first show, In the Heights. And with Hamilton scheduled to travel to Denver next spring, the Town Hall Arts Center’s production is well timed.

Despite their space limitations, the set designers did a fantastic job of creating a Washington Height’s block onstage. Each storefront had pieces which rolled out easily to expand the size of the store space. With the pieces rolled in, a street that was more perception than set, was revealed.

It didn’t take long for the audience to get to know the characters in the show. For the most part, they are people just like our neighbors and friends – very different people brought together by geography. And through the wonderful dialogue, we learned they have very different stories and backgrounds.
The costumes appear much like what young people wear today. The choreography was perfect for them.

At times, the music seemed a bit overwhelming for the cast. Some of the rap pieces were difficult to understand. But overall, the music was enjoyable.

The weakness of the show came from the plot. It was thin at best. There were the obligatory boy meets girl stories. The rest of the action was mostly centered everyday problems. The issues were resolved realistically, but the action isn’t as exciting as it could have been. The character of Abuela was too far in the background to have the emotional impact she should in Act 2.

This production of In the Heights is enjoyable, but it does not have the impact that Hamilton has. Denver audiences will have to wait to see if Miranda’s sophomore effort lives up to the hype.