Review Roundup: IN THE HEIGHTS at Broadway At Music Circus; What Did The Critics Have To Say?

The final show in the 2019 season is the Broadway At Music Circus premiere of In The Heights, a multiple Tony Award-winning Best Musical from Lin-Manual Miranda, creator of the smash hit Hamilton, running Tuesday, Aug. 20 through Sunday, Aug. 25 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion in Sacramento. Check out the video!

In The Heights is an exhilarating musical that captures the sights and sounds of a vibrant New York City neighborhood on the brink of change, telling the story of a bodega owner whose life is interwoven with residents who visit his store. The thrilling, Tony-winning score combines Latin rhythms, hip-hop and pop for an inspiring journey about chasing your dreams and what it truly means to be home.

Tickets for In The Heights start at $45, and are available by phone at (916) 557-1999, online at BroadwaySacramento.com, or in person at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street in Sacramento. Evening performances are Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 20 - 24, at 7:30 p.m.; matinee performances are Thursday, Aug. 22 and Saturday, Aug. 24 at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 25 at 3:00 p.m. For more information, visit BroadwaySacramento.com.

Let's see what the critics have to say!

Courtney Symes, Broadway World: You have to see the show to experience the true intricacies of the relationships and feel what the actors emote when they're telling the story of the immigrant. There is no adequate way to describe the goosebumps that covered my flesh when Abuela finished singing about her life in "Paciencia y Fe." Her journey from Cuba made me think of what my own grandmother experienced in her journey to America from Korea. Displaced by war and circumstance, how does one even begin to recreate a life in a land far from what you've ever known? Nina's (Didi Romero) tearjerker, "Everything I Know," is a testament to the inner fortitude of immigrants and the impetus that keeps them going-a better life for their offspring. The show is not all seriousness, though, and in addition to appreciating the complexities of Lin-Manuel Miranda's score, the upbeat numbers bring dazzling choreography with hip-hop and a soulful mix of Latin sounds. "Carnaval del Barrio," "In the Heights," and "96,000" highlighted the fun to be had in what has to be the most dancing neighborhood in America.

Michael P Coleman, Sac Cultural Hub: The musical was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical theater genius behind the smash hit Hamilton. That fact has been a major selling point for Broadway At Music Circus in marketing media for this show, but having seen this new production, Miranda's involvement is almost an afterthought, for me. I wouldn't care of Mickey Mouse had written In the Heights - this production may be my favorite of Broadway At Music Circus' 2019 season, and with their wondrous The Wiz just weeks ago, that's saying a lot. If you'd like to see the thrilling In The Heights, don't dawdle. When I last checked, Wednesday and Thursday nights are your best bets, as Friday through Sunday are almost sold out.

Bev Sykes, Davis Enterprise: David Baida gets great praise for the small role of the Piragua Guy, the street vendor who rolls his cart around selling soft drinks and ice cream as something clever to cover set changes on stage. His voice is marvelous. The heart of the neighborhood is Abuela Claudia (Rayanne Gonzales), everybody's spiritual grandmother, but especially to Usnavi, whom she practically raised. Abuela Claudia taught Usnavi the value of paciencia y fe (patience and faith), also the title of her big musical number.