Okay, so I have a confession to make: I listen to the cast recording of In the Heights in my car a lot, and I do all the parts. At once. I know pretty much the entire thing, and I do the whole opening number when I need to get pumped up on the way to work. I probably should be embarrassed about the amount of rapping I do in my car, but I’m not.
When I saw that In the Heights would be closing, I was bummed. I hadn’t gotten to see it on Broadway, and even though I already have tickets to see the national tour when it comes to the triangle in February, I was still wishing that I had had the chance to see it on Broadway. When Cliff, one of my best friends, asked if he could take me to NYC for a day or two after Christmas, I was stoked. However, I knew Lin-Manuel Miranda would be back at Heights, so I was fairly certain we wouldn’t be able to get tickets.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: best blizzard ever. On the morning of the 27th, I went to the Richard Rodgers Theatre to see if they had seats left for that evening’s performance. The wonderful man at the box office told me to go to TKTS, and that they would have better seats there. I was a little worried about getting seats from TKTS, since we had tickets to a 2:00 performance of Billy Elliot, but he assured me that if they were out, he would still have some seats left that I could buy from him. I also double-checked with him to make sure Lin would still be there, despite the weather conditions. With a chuckle, he told me that Lin would definitely be there. So, I’m still not sure if I love New York people (in general), but I definitely love Broadway people.
After Billy Elliot, Cliff and I went to TKTS and got great seats, in the third row of the mezzanine of the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Thanks, snow! I was so excited that I could barely contain myself. I may have squealed once or twice. I get giddy about great theater, and I was so beyond amazed at my great fortune to see one of my favorite shows with so many of its original cast members.
After sitting down in my seat, the man behind me (who, by the way, talked throughout the show) wanted to know what the show was about. He and I got into a long conversation, which involved him not believing me that Wicked didn’t win the Tony Award for best musical (I told him to trust me on this one, I can name all the Best Musical winners), and explaining to him why I loved this show so much, even though I hadn’t actually seen it yet. Except for when they talk during the show, I love theater audiences who engage with one another and share their love of the art.
So, the show was phenomenal! I knew it would be great, but I was straight-up blown away. I already knew exactly what would happen, and it was like it was all new. I was literally grinning from ear to ear the entire first few numbers. I had to grab Cliff’s leg several times just so I could attempt to contain my excitement. There was so much that I got to experience on stage which was beyond what you can tell from the cast recording. In the opening number, and throughout the show, you can see the people of Washington Heights getting ready for the day and going about their lives through the windows of the buildings. I loved that. I loved the choreography and how it really helped not only to enhance the music, but to really tell the story of all these people. Sure, it’s a story about Usnavi, Vanessa, Benny, Nina, and those characters I love, but it’s also a story about all the people who live there, and the choreography and ensemble really drove that point home for me.
After the show, I was still reeling from the energy and excitement of seeing In the Heights on Broadway. Cliff and I went to the stage door and were amazed at the generosity of the entire cast. Sure, the blizzard itself had stopped, but it was still cold and windy out, yet almost every cast member came out to talk to fans at the stage door and take pictures with us. They were genuine and gracious, and so delighted to see their fans. I got my playbill signed by so much of the cast, and got pictures with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Chris Jackson! I chatted with the cast, told them how much I loved it. When Lin was signing my Playbill, I told him that I do all the parts in my car. Always hilarious, he told me to keep my eyes on the road. I also (kidding, of course) told him that if he needs anyone in the next two weeks, I know all the parts, and I’m free to step in. He was so generous with his time, interacting with fans, and I still can’t get over the fact that I met him and the rest of the cast. It was also cool for me to get to talk to other fans, find out how they came to love In the Heights, and share our stories with them. Broadway fosters such an incredible community, and I’m so glad to be able to engage with that community, even just from a fan perspective.
My favorite thing about Broadway is that once these stars, even the big ones with Tony Awards and everything, finish signing Playbills and taking pictures with fans, they walk off down the street and head home, just like anyone else. Two of the ladies from the cast walked across the street to grab a slice of pizza. I told Cliff that I was suddenly craving a slice of pepperoni, but he told me that we’re not allowed to stalk the actors. I wasn’t really going to stalk them, but my point is that it’s just so cool that at any given pizza place in the theater district, you could run into a Broadway performer.
