New York City Center’s “In the Heights” is a Total ‘Carnaval’

By Ellie Esquenazi

No me diga! A long-awaited Off-Broadway production of “In the Heights” opened this past Wednesday at the New York City Center. The show is set to play through Nov. 15 in a limited three-week engagement. 

“In the Heights” is a vibrant musical taking place in Washington Heights, a majority-hispanic neighborhood in Manhattan. With music and lyrics by the renowned Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book written by Quiara Alegría Hudes, the show originally opened on Broadway in 2008 and closed in 2011. City Center’s production is the first in New York City since the show closed on Broadway almost 16 years ago. 

This production stars Matte Martinez as Usnavi, Jaci Calderon as Nina, Ashley De La Rosa as Vanessa, and Aaron James McKenzie as Benny. David Mendizábal, Mayte Natalio, and Alejandro Senior were in charge of direction, choreography, and music. 

Helen Shaw, chief New York Times theater critic said that the production was mostly impressive and that she could tell that “this cast has loved these songs for a long time.” Shaw noted that, although the production was advertised as a workshop-style show, the choreography and performances felt polished and thought-out.

Thom Geier, a Culture Sauce theater reporter, said it was exciting to see a new generation of performers bring In the Heights back to life. That being said, he felt that the plot was chaotic and that some technical elements were lacking, including the sound design and set.

Despite some less-than-perfect reviews, the “In the Heights” revival has been receiving love from fans across social media platforms, with one TikTok user saying it was “outrageously perfect,” while others say the story is as sweet as piragua.

The show runs for another two weeks and tickets are available at New York City Center’s webpage. Designated ASL-interpreted shows and special nights are listed on the site.