IN THE HEIGHTS - 1st US Nat'l Tour Debuts Tonight (10/27/09) in Tampa, FL!

I'll be there! Soooo looking forward to this!

I wish I could be there, but I can't because like PiraguaGuy2 said I wish I didn't live in NY sometimes.

I probably won't make it over there this week, but I'm definitely checking out the tour when it comes to Orlando in March.

I heard the cast of Wonderland is catching the show tonight - too cool!

If anyone has seen it can you tell me how my friend Natalie Toro was I wish I could be there to see her.

IdinaBellFoster- that is exactly what I thought throughout the whole show.

I saw the "final dress rehearsal" in Gainesville, FL. I'm not posting a review because I am not a fan of the piece itself to begin with and I simply don't have the time to write out a review. Tickets, however, were $10 for students (for an equity tour), so I jumped at the opportunity to see the show.

Just saw the show in Tampa and wanted to let you guys know what I thought. Really had an awesome time at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Besides the group of some fifteen or so pre-teen girls (and their as equally annoying chaperones in our row), the show was great.

Some background: I haven't seen the show before today, but I've listened to the album countless times as well as watched clips on youtube, bww, etc. Before today, I thought I had seen basically everything.

Seeing In The Heights live on stage was such a different experience from listening to the album in my car, or watching the tony performance. The set, which looked almost identical to the one at Richard Rodgers, was alive with the look, sound, and feel of Washington Heights. I really loved that the set only shifted in very minor ways (table set up for Rosario dinner, club scene) but remained engaging throughout the show. The actors, with a few exceptions, seemed comfortable in their setting. Lighting was awesome, I actually gasped a little at the blackout scene.

I took my mom and close friend with me, neither of whom have seen much, if any, of the show prior. At intermission, the two of them kept mentioning the choreography and asking about Andy Blank. The choreography is, without a doubt, flawless. It moves the story, both literally and figuratively. In a related note, Jose-Luis Lopez who plays Graffiti Pete is delicious.

Kyle Beltran as Usnavi is so believable he had me forget Lin-Manuel ever played him! Kyle seemed the most comfortable on stage, he moved easy and interacted with the cast and set very naturally. His voice is smooth and reassuring and I just adored him. This guy has serious star potential.

Seeing Shaun Taylor-Corbett play Sonny made me fall in love with the character. He is equally funny as endearing. During the carnival scene where Usnavi announces the lotto winnings, I couldn't take my eyes off Shaun as he lurked very melancholy in the background. I really believed it was the end of an era.

Some other pluses: Rogelio Douglas Jr. as Benny
"Paciencia y Fe", which I used to skip when I listened to the recording, actually made me tear up during the show!
Lin-Manuel's recording at the beginning of the show, reminding patrons to turn their cell phones off. In english and spanish!
Having seats in the far balcony, yet perfect view! Felt like we were front row.

Alright, now the not-so-exciting parts:
Arielle Jacobs as Nina was good. She has a very pretty voice. But it was clear she was frightened on stage. At times, she got a little shaky. I don't know if it's directed like this normally, but during "Breathe" she hardly moved. It was like seeing a concert performance, with no type of gestures. I think/hope she'll gain the confidence soon so during the rest of the tour-run she'll be exceptional. I think she has the potential.

Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer as Vanessa was close to dreadful. Little vocal range with a mediocre sounding voice to begin with. I cringed during "Champagne", normally one of my favorite songs. Her acting reminded me of how I ( not even close to an actor of any kind) would pretend to be Vanessa with my theatre friends, exaggerated and a little obnoxious. She, also, has never worn high heels before this production. I mentioned to my mom during intermission that she stomped like a horse, after the show my mom said that's all she could watch during the second act. It sounds minor, but it was so distracting!!

Sorry for the length, I tried to be thorough, I guess I got a tad overzealous. I hope this gives you New Yorker's a nice look at the tour, and everyone else a small taste of what's coming to a theatre near you!

Isabel as Daniela was good, but not a particular stand out, for me at least. Give her some time and I think she'll make the character her own, right now her portrayal is mildly derivative. Again, we were in the far balcony so she LOOKED quite like Daniela, curvaceous with big hair! When I looked at her picture in the program post-show, I was shocked at how young she looks! Anyone know her age?

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!

For those who can't wait, you can order online ALL merchandise for IN THE HEIGHTS. The tour AND the Broadway production sell the exact same merchandise. Obviously, the souvenir program for the tour will include photos of that tour's cast.

Not sure if they've since discontinued the "No Pare Sigue Sigue" T-Shirts as they aren't available online anymore (they once were).

http://broadwaynewyork.com/search.aspx?keywords=In%20The%20Heights

I saw the opening night performance of the show and it was amazing...the cast is very good but I agree that Vanessa was the weakest performer. Benny and Nina made the show for me they were so amazing I basically cried.

oh hey there, ith tour cast graphic i made.