I was about one minute into “In the Heights” at a preview last week when I realized that I hadn’t felt that pure, onstage joy of exuberantly realizing New York in song and dance since Bernstein/Robbins and Company had embraced Greenwich Village in “Wonderful Town.” (And sent three sailors dancing from the Bronx to Battery Park in “On the Town.”)
“In the Heights” is a ‘what’s not to love?’ musical, a spirited, merengue-infused valentine to its neighborhood – Washington Heights – and the Golden Age of Broadway.
Some folks will be sniffy about its sentimentality; I say what’s so bad about feeling good, especially these days. There’s genuine affection in everything about this show, and plenty of street savvy. And as for the fresh talent – worth the price of admission.
You’ll be seeing Cincinnati native Andy Blankenbuehler at Tony Awards time for his great, never-stop-moving, character- and community-defining choreo.
Blankenbuehler should be not just in the heights but over the moon with his New York reviews – and here’s a sample:
New York Times: “…zesty choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler that seems to put invisible wings on the young cast’s neon-colored sneakers.”
Newsday: “Andy Blankenbuehler's smart and slinky street/modern dances.”
Star-Ledger: “Most of all, there's simply no resisting the rhythmic appeal of Miranda's music, which vividly merges Latino spiciness with Broadway pizzazz. Little wonder the 27-member company rarely ever stops swaying and undulating in the street and dance club styles devised by choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler.”
Bloomberg News: “Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography is paradigmatic. Dance and acrobatics, strategy and spontaneity, ensemble and individual blend in an infectious whirl and there is, happily, an abundance of it.”
Variety – “Director Thomas Kail and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler take full advantage of the playing space, smoothly weaving the action and dancing in and out of doorways, up and down stairs, and into every cubby hole, giving the show a vitality that seems more spontaneous than studied.
This is some of the most spirited dancing on Broadway and one of the most limber ensembles. Blankenbuehler's choreography shows a pleasing aversion to slickness and rarely lingers long in one style. Instead it evolves freely through flexing urban moves, sinuous Latin lines and wild aerial tumbles, refreshingly maintaining an element of considered chaos that heightens the energy and echoes the vibrant textures of Miranda's toe-tapping score.”
Backstage: – “Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography is an electric combination of styles, danced with fire by an attractive ensemble.”
Associated Press: “Much of that motion is supplied by Andy Blankenbuehler whose sexy, hip-swaying choreography showcases a cast that can dance as well as it sings - and that's saying something. Dance was an important part of the musical's off-Broadway incarnation and here it is even better - from the hip-hop style of Seth Stewart to the more sinuous gyrations of the lithe Karen Olivo who serves as the object of Usnavi's adoration.”
USA Today: “Another key player is choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, whose street-savvy stylings and exuberant production numbers should make him a front-runner when this season's Tonys are handed out.”
Jackie Demaline
