According to ATC, In The Heights Matinee was cancelled today- Page 3

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 9:15am

Chica, please don't stay away from the ITH threads! I love reading your posts, you have such great insight.



Arriba esa bandera [Raise that flag]
Álzala dondequiera [Raise it anywhere]
Recuerdo de mi tierra [A memory of my land, or nation]
Recuerdo de mi tierra
Esa bonita bandera [That beautiful flag]
Contiene mi alma entera [contains my entire soul]
Y cuando yo me muera [and when I die]
Entiérrame en mi tierra [bury me in my land, nation]

I really love that part.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 10:37am

It's called a discussion. Sometimes discussions change topics and change what it is people are talking about.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 11:06am

I ran into Lin-Manuel Miranda as I was getting out of Xanadu. He said that they had to cancel halfway through because of soundboard problems. He was really bummed.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 11:14am

i love IN THE HEIGHTS! i don't think it's on the same level as YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN or WEDDING SINGER though. it's 10 times better than those shows.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 1:44pm

BroadwayChica, I couldn't agree more with you. That was a beautiful post by the way. It's nice to see someone who gets why this piece matters so much to some of us.

[FIERCEY516]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 2:03pm

I understand its importance, but does that mean it deserves a Tony ? that's all I'm saying. I think the material COULD be stronger but I totally respect what it means and represents.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 2:26pm

If you don't think it deserves a Tony, then I don't know about the respect part...tolerate, maybe?

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 2:54pm

Chica... as ALWAYS !!! VERY well said !!! :))

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 3:08pm

For me (and in my opinion) ITH should win the Tony because it's looking like the stongest show this season. The Tony should go to the strongest overall show. That is the point of the award.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 4/3/08 at 3:47pm

Thanks, guys. I really appreciate those lovely sentiments. I won't completely stay away from ITH threads, but I just don't want everything to turn into some heated discussion (which tends to happen a lot on these boards). I understand and respect everyone's opinions, but I am also somewhat irrationally too emotionally attached to this piece, and I don't really want to stress myself too much with constantly defending its value. I mean, I didn't care for "Next To Normal", but I don't think there's any point in arguing with people who were genuinely moved by it. To each his/her own.

And while, yes, this thread seemed to spiral, I was merely responding to the comments someone else posted about how the show is not going to change any lives. I couldn't just let that slide. I did some research on Puerto Rican identity discourses as an undergraduate, which is something that truly fascinates me. And I think ITH is a very valuable contribution to that field, and shouldn't be written off.

And as far as Tony Awards, I'm obviously partial, but I *do* think ITH is worthy of recognition. Shows like Jersey Boys have won, for Pete's sake. But, honestly, I don't think it matters much, certainly not to me. This is a pretty strong season on Broadway, with more than one deserving show. I love that I can laugh and cry with ITH, and be completely moved by the stirring "Sunday in the Park with George" revival, or enjoy the campyness of Xanadu. "Passing Strange" is wonderful, and I have high hopes for "A Catered Affair". I'll always still root for ITH, but the Tony Awards aren't the ultimate measure for a show's worth. ITH could end up being completely snubbed, and that wouldn't change the impact it's had on me. For all its flaws (and yes, it does have flaws), it is still a beautiful, heartfelt, prescient and just plain FUN show.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 2:42am

Yes I've seen the damn show. Why is it that always seems to be the next thing when someone doesn't love what you did?

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 10:41am

Chica, you are an incredible writer. Thank you.

Also just to back up what you said about WSS. As much as I love Bernstein, and I think he's one of, if not THE greatest Music Theater composers the US has ever seen.

BUT, Bernstein was a perpetrator of the "All Brown people's music sounds alike and therefore interchangeable" syndrome.

His rhythmic and melodic structure for "America" is the Huapango, a Mexican dance, not Puerto Rican.

but who cared back then, let Puerto Ricans dance the Huapango, let blancas play Maria, let Greeks play Bernardo, even if there are deserving and talented minorities who could play the role and otherwise probably can't get much work. Yes, it's a free world and you can do whatever you want as an author/director, but can you sleep at night, that's the question.

[FIERCEY516]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 11:42am

does it make me a bad person if I could sleep at night?

this is gettin a little political here. it was the 50's... segregation and racism still very prevelant with any and all ethnicities. it's almost pointless to argue about WSS

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 11:49am

Just because it was the 50's doesn't make it OK, Fiercey.
And ignoring it just because it was the past makes us doomed to repeat it. People talk as though the civil rights movement accomplished what it set out to do over 20 years ago, and that's far from the truth.

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:07pm

Bk, that was exactly what I was going to say. I think it's extreemly important to talk about the problems of the past so that we remember and make sure we don't slip back into that pattern.

[FIERCEY516]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:18pm

it was a musical....

I think the government was the problem back then, not Bernstein's portrayal of Hispanics.

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:20pm

"it was a musical"
I don't see the point you're trying to make, Fiercey.

Also, I don't think the government wrote the incongruous Huapango, Bernstein did.

[FIERCEY516]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:23pm

overreaction much?

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:27pm

In many cases, the media is the only exposure that minorities get, so when they are portrayed poorly it impacts how people treat others when they meet them in real life.

I don't think it's an overreaction at all.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:33pm

I don't know exactly what you're implying by "it was a musical," but let's not forget it was also a movie seen by millions of people around the world. I'm sure WSS (the movie) was the only depiction of Puerto Ricans many people were exposed to.

Updated On: 4/4/08 at 03:33 PM

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:39pm

In this interview Lin says that West Side Story was a blessing and a curse. That's exactly how I feel about it.