It's been a while since I've blogged and I'm way behind in reporting on Broadway shows I've seen but it's because I've been seeing so many that I don't have time to blog. I have to say that everything I've seen, I've liked. And one I really liked is "In the Heights" which Jade and I saw a couple of weeks ago. This is the wonderful musical that won it's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Musical. And he stars in it too. Jade and I met him at the Drama Bookshop a couple of months ago interviewing Charles Strouse, the composer of Annie and Bye Bye Birdie. Lin-Manuel was really enthusiastic and so sweet and genuine. As Jade and I neared our seats we saw an open stage with a magnificent setting of an uptown Latino neighborhood in New York City at night (check out the photo I took of the set on the Matinee Gallery). Little store fronts and apartment buildings and in the background the imposing George Washington Bridge. I thought to myself, this is going to be great. And it was. The sun rises and the street comes alive. Enter Usnavi played by Lin-Manuel and there he is with that same enthusiasm and high energy. It's so cute the way he jubilantly bops across the stage rapping about his neighborhood in the shadow of the George Washington Bridge called Washington Heights. While telling the personal stories of several characters and the obstacles they meet as immigrants trying to find the American dream, the backbone of the story is the camaraderie of the neighborhood and how they help each other forge through those obstacles to realize that they really have found their "home" and are an integral part of New York's vibrant tapestry. It's got it's soulful, sentimental scenes but for the most part, it's energetic and upbeat. The dancing is so much fun to watch thanks to the talents of the ensemble cast and the wonderful choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler which won him a Tony this year. And the awesome score with it's clever lyrics and extraordinary orchestrations runs the gamut of musical genres from hip hop/rap to different rhythms of Latin music to traditional Broadway sounds so there's something for everyone to relate to. The wonderful thing about this show, although it takes place on a Latino street, is that it could be the story of any ethnic group living in New York or any city. I think that's the reason that it's doing so well while other shows are closing one after the other. It's very genuine and relatable. And not only did it win for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography, it won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations thanks to the talents of the brilliant Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman.
A little sidebar. I saw Alex Lacamoire on the panel discussing Carol de Giere's wonderful book "Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked". Unfortunately he left before I could speak to him. I emailed Carol de Giere who had agreed to be a guest on The Matinee and she offered to give Alex my email address. Within a day he emailed back and asked how he could help. Of course, I emailed him back and as a postscript, I mentioned I was going to see "In the Heights" that coming weekend. I knew he was the music director but did not know he was the conductor (to be honest, I'm not so sure what the difference is). He emailed back inviting us to stop at the stage door to say hello. Jade and I had left for the city already because we were going to meet Bernadette Peters in the afternoon so I didn't see the email. After a fun but tiring day, we got to the Richard Rodgers Theatre for the evening performance. After the fabulous show, Lin-Manuel introduced the conductor and up popped Alex with his signature dark curls bouncing playfully. I told Jade it was Alex and she asked if we could go to the stage door to see if we could meet him. Of course I wanted to as well. I asked someone if Alex was backstage and the next thing I know, he peeked out the door. I told him who I was and he invited us in. He was very, very amicable and gracious. And that smile and those curls, adorable! (There's a picture of Jade and Alex in The Matinee Gallery as well). He agreed to do the show and will be on with us next week. He was supposed to be on this past week but he got stuck at an early meeting. He was so apologetic. I told him not to worry about it (we can all appreciate how busy he must be), and we made another appointment for the show. So listen in this coming Sunday, 11/19/08 to hear James, special guest host the X-Factor's Scott Bruton and me chat to Alex.
A little sidebar. I saw Alex Lacamoire on the panel discussing Carol de Giere's wonderful book "Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked". Unfortunately he left before I could speak to him. I emailed Carol de Giere who had agreed to be a guest on The Matinee and she offered to give Alex my email address. Within a day he emailed back and asked how he could help. Of course, I emailed him back and as a postscript, I mentioned I was going to see "In the Heights" that coming weekend. I knew he was the music director but did not know he was the conductor (to be honest, I'm not so sure what the difference is). He emailed back inviting us to stop at the stage door to say hello. Jade and I had left for the city already because we were going to meet Bernadette Peters in the afternoon so I didn't see the email. After a fun but tiring day, we got to the Richard Rodgers Theatre for the evening performance. After the fabulous show, Lin-Manuel introduced the conductor and up popped Alex with his signature dark curls bouncing playfully. I told Jade it was Alex and she asked if we could go to the stage door to see if we could meet him. Of course I wanted to as well. I asked someone if Alex was backstage and the next thing I know, he peeked out the door. I told him who I was and he invited us in. He was very, very amicable and gracious. And that smile and those curls, adorable! (There's a picture of Jade and Alex in The Matinee Gallery as well). He agreed to do the show and will be on with us next week. He was supposed to be on this past week but he got stuck at an early meeting. He was so apologetic. I told him not to worry about it (we can all appreciate how busy he must be), and we made another appointment for the show. So listen in this coming Sunday, 11/19/08 to hear James, special guest host the X-Factor's Scott Bruton and me chat to Alex.
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