The IN THE HEIGHTS Film Adaptation Thread- Page 39

[Playbill_Trash]

Posted: 6/15/21 at 7:43pm

SporkGoddess said: "For people who also think that the storyline/book is the most flawed part of ITH, can you expand on your thoughts?   "

Personally, when I say the book of a show is weak, it’s a reaction of feeling generally bored during book scenes/dialogue and just waiting until the next song. That’s how I felt during this movie and during other musicals where the songs are the main rememberable part.

When the plot doesn’t really have high stakes, or the dialogue isn’t very compelling or interesting and maybe doesn’t have a lot of jokes (if it’s a comedy), the show just drags along and you can really feel the space between songs. As opposed to the book being so concise that it flows into the next song seemlessly. Those are signs of a weak or thin book/script.

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 6/15/21 at 8:22pm

Where were all these comments when the cast first came out? 

 

And if we're being honest - I doubt this was all Lin's decision. You don't think the studio had a MAJOR say in who would get cast? If Lin was honest (or Jon Chu), they'd be throwing their studio under the bus but they can't. 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 6/15/21 at 9:04pm

I thought I read somewhere that the studio DID want some big-name stars in ''In the Heights.'' However, the director, Jon M. Chu, convinced Warner Bros. that his previous movie, ''Crazy Rich Asians,'' became a giant worldwide hit without any big-names, so ultimately the studio trusted him. 

For the record, Universal almost made ''In the Heights'' over a decade ago. However, the project got canceled in 2011 because Universal was looking to cast it with bankable Latino stars, like Shakira or Jennifer Lopez, instead of unknown actors. Meantime, Miranda read a bio of Alexander Hamilton ...

Updated On: 6/15/21 at 09:04 PM

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/15/21 at 11:21pm

Jon and Lin, who have made some of the most significant strides in cultural representation in pop culture of the last few decades, make a creative mistake in their latest efforts, and suddenly they're like the worst people ever. How about we give them another shot, like we give most creative folks, and stop throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 6/15/21 at 11:24pm

everythingtaboo said: "Jon and Lin, who have made some of the most significant strides in cultural representation in pop culture of the last few decades, make a creative mistake in their latest efforts, and suddenly they're like the worst people ever. How about we give them another shot, like we give most creative folks, and stopthrowing the baby out with the bathwater."

No it's 2021, no one is allowed any chances. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 12:07am

God, shut up. You are acting ridiculous. 

The diverse casting of this movie is something to be marveled at. Period. 

“It’s like you can never do right, it seems, this is the man who literally has brought Latino-ness and Puerto Rican-ness to America. I couldn’t do it. I mean, I would love to say I did, but I couldn’t." As for her official position on the matter, Rita says that she’s “simply saying, can’t you just wait a while and leave it alone? There’s a lot of people who are puertorriqueño, who are also from Guatemala, who are dark and who are also fair. We are all colors in Puerto Rico.” She continued, “this how it is, and it would just be so nice if they hadn’t come up with that and left that alone, just for now. They’re really attacking the wrong person.”

- The incomparable Rita Moreno 

Updated On: 6/16/21 at 12:07 AM

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 12:18am

Sutton Ross said: "God, shut up. You are acting ridiculous.

The diverse casting of this movie is something to be marveled at. Period."

Woosh 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 12:23am

People like you will never be happy with anything and just bitch about any little thing instead of just being happy this was made, which was not a possibility even a decade ago. You are insufferable.

WOOOOOOSH

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 3:34am

Sutton Ross said: "People like you will never be happy with anything and just bitch about any little thinginstead of just being happy this was made, which was not a possibility even a decade ago. You are insufferable.

WOOOOOOSH"

 

LOL. The Woosh was bc you don't understand sarcasm.  

 

[bear88]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 4:33am

SporkGoddess said: "For people who also think that the storyline/book is the most flawed part of ITH, can you expand on your thoughts? I haven't really seen any discussion about specifics in relation to the movie, and the reviews even from the critics I follow are generally glowing. I remember some of the discussion that this board had back when the show was on Broadway about its book flaws, but it's been years since then. 

Also, count me as someone who was very excited to have the storyline/book reworked for the movie and was very disappointed by the results. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Hudes's writing.  "

I haven't rewatched it on HBO Max yet so I might rethink some of this. I don't believe any of my gripes had any reason for the film's box office underperformance. But here were my screenplay problems, which include some spoilers:

-- The stage musical didn't have the strongest book but it at least had drama and conflict and told a coherent story. The movie is a pleasant place to hang out, with likeable characters, but the stakes seem pretty low. This is especially noticeable in the Benny/Nina/Kevin storyline. Benny really likes Nina, and he doesn't want to lose his job, but he actually could be dropped from the movie entirely and not much would be lost - aside from Corey Hawkins' pleasant performance. Benny had ambition. He wanted to take over the car service, but Kevin isn't interested in that for a variety of reasons, sparking conflict in the musical. In the screenplay, the only conflict left is the question of Nina returning to Stanford, and that's resolved without much fuss.

-- The framing device wastes time and sucks what little drama that exists out of the Usnavi/Vanessa relationship. It's safe to assume the outcome of the romance once the identity of a new character is revealed. Plus, it raises pesky questions like: If multiple years have passed, what happened to all of the other characters?

-- Except when she's singing or dancing, Vanessa seems rather dull. She's given a career ambition, which was fine, It's one of the few changes I liked.

-- The loss of "Everything I Know" harmed the movie. The song is both one of Miranda's well-written tearjerkers but also explains more about Abuela Claudia and gives Nina a motivation in song to return to school. In its place, we get the Dreamers subplot, which is topical but doesn't really fit in a movie that keeps the real world at bay even more than the stage musical did. Besides, Hudes never really committed to that subplot so it felt lazy. "Hey, let's make Sonny a Dreamer!"

-- Nina's reason for leaving Stanford has always been an issue, but somehow the new reasons were worse. It didn't even track if you add up the number of months between the supposed triggering incident and her decision to drop out. Didn't she come home over winter break? I'm probably being a little picky on this one.

-- After a strong start, and a decent first half, the screenplay meanders all over the place. I found myself waiting for the next song. I wasn't expecting to be bored. The length of the film wasn't the problem. The screenplay/directorial choices made it feel long.

-- The character's age didn't change from the stage musical, but seeing Sonny played by an actual child in the movie made Usnavi's decision seem like it ought to be obvious. He can always wait a few years to run his father's old bar in the Dominican Republic. Why would he abandon a family member of whom he is obviously very fond and who faces a scary legal situation (and a useless father)? Spoiler alert: He doesn't.

-- The stage musical features a drunken fight, romantic misunderstandings and jealousy, some racial tension, a tear-jerker of a death, fireworks set to avoid looting, and a conclusion that features losses and tentative new beginnings. The movie has mild romantic misunderstandings, a peaceful death, fireworks, and a time-jumped happy ending for one couple.  

-- What was up with Miranda using some of his old lyrics in the finale when they made no sense given the new plotline?

-- What was up with the cartoons and other gimmicks? Director Jon Chu really didn't trust the material, did he? 

I didn't dislike the movie despite its flaws, and might enjoy it more on rewatch. I liked most of the performances and no one was terrible. (I wasn't a big fan of Leslie Grace's singing voice, which is ironic given her background as a singer - not an actor.) I certainly understand the stage musical needed updates to work as a film. But after all of these years, I guess I hoped they could come up with a screenplay that made In the Heights better, not worse.

Updated On: 6/16/21 at 04:33 AM

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 4:48am

It's been a long time since I saw ITH on stage, of course (touring production in 2009 in Chicago, maybe?), but since seeing (and re-watching) the film this week, I have had trouble wrapping my head around the ages of the main characters. There were changes from the musical to the film, out of necessity and some out of license to update (i.e. DACA storyline), but I don't think the ages of the characters changed, as they directly have to do with the inter-connected storylines.

Usnavi says he's nearly 30. So...he's 29. Benny is his best friend...so he's 28 or 29-ish, too, right?  Nina is a year out of college, so she's 19. Yet...she and Benny had some kind of relationship or flirtation...*before* she went off to college, which means...she was 17 or 18 when they last dated, and rekindled the romance now that she was home for the summer after Freshman year of college?  Yikes. No wonder her parents didn't like him in the stage version (aside from the racial implications of that storyline).  And no one thinks a 10 year age difference, in this film with protective parents, should be made a thing, or at least mentioned? Weird.  Nina is also in the bar scene before the Blackout--and this show isn't that old and you still had to be 21 to go into bars in NY or anywhere in America, in 2008! She's a good girl, not a fake-ID girl. These things bug me.

Vanessa looks like she's the same age as Nina, yet clearly is older and has the job at the salon and her own apartment (at NY prices??), and wants to be a fashion designer, but there's no mention of her actually having a degree (nor a Cosmetology license, as she's cutting hair at the salon, so...she'd have to. She seems like Daniela just threw her a job and trained her when she got out of high school, or something). Yet...she was classmates with Usnavi, so she's 29, also, but looks super young. I looked up the age of Melissa Barrera and she's apparently 31. So...ok, but...she still looks young on screen and it threw me off as far as this group of friends.  Sonny is about 16 or so, and says Nina "was his babysitter" back in the day...but she's only 3 years older than him.

Anyone else think any of this is a little off, or have explanations for it related to the stage show that I maybe just can't remember?  And that's inasmuch as the film is very much being presented as an updated/augmented/stand-alone version of this story, anyway, so they could have created more solutions to make some of these inconsistencies make a little more sense. Just my 2cents.

LOVE the film, btw, though I knew there would be nitpicky criticisms. The choreography was first-rate and so were the legions of dancers, the cinematography was beautiful, most of the acting was good, Ramos is talented and charming and deserved this lead, and kudos to Chu for thinking "bigger" and wanting a Busby Berkeley-style number in this movie, among other fun, unexpected SFX.

As for people complaining about "no big names," a) Chu says he prefers unknown actors in his movies and b) are people really going to quibble over a $13Million dollar opening weekend? The studio will still make money on this in the longer term, and...the fact is...MUCH worse movies have been made and have recovered worse ROI. Who still talks about "Dude, Where's My Car?" or...any of the wretched "Human Centipede" films, or most two-bit horror films that don't turn out to be classics like "Friday the 13th" or "Elm Street" franchises.  I work in LA on plenty of sets, and even before I ever stepped foot on a set (of mostly cool projects, thankfully), I have always wondered how so much dumb, crappy, sheer offensive stuff gets financed and made. Yet apparently they have their audiences. So does this one...pleasantly so, and I don't consider it in any of the aforementioned negative categories. This film was still worth making... by comparison of SO much. Critics including on this board said the same things about "RENT." I was watching ITH and kept thinking it's a modern-day "West Side Story." "West Side Story" was made in the '60s and is a classic--and it's about Latinos with hardly any Latinos in it!! I mean, criticize THAT.  People are quibbling over casting light skin vs. dark-skin Latinos?  Give me a break. Lin-Manuel didn't need to apologize for that this week; he's done plenty for his community, including that he more than made up for WSS, intentionally or not, when he hired hundreds more Latinos in one film than ANYONE has, in recent memory. For so many reasons, like "RENT" and any other charming labor-of-love films with a perceived lower box office, this film will still live on and be enjoyed for much longer than a lot of swill that still manages to get made. Criticize the swill, people.

Updated On: 6/16/21 at 04:48 AM

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 8:38am

Thank you Bear88 and Lovepuppy for your posts.  I enjoyed reading and agree with many of your points. 

To Luvepuppy's post I would add that the stage musical lyrics of "When You're Home", which did not change in the soundtrack, imply that the three characters are in high school together.  Nina sings: "Now back in high school when it darkened, You'd hang out in Bennett Park and"  Benny: "Usnavi would bring his radio", Nina" As I walked home from Senior Studies, I'd see you rapping with your buddies . . . etc.   Either the implication is clear and they were in school together, or Nina at 17 (or thereabouts) walked home from school and saw the others in their mid/later-20's, meaning that Usnavi and Benny regularly hung out in the park mid-day as adults which makes no sense in light of their jobs and Benny's career ambitions.

Some other thoughts . . .

- what was Usnavi's plan for the bodega when he bought the one-way ticket to DR?

- why was Sonny a dreamer but Usnavi was not?

- Does everyone believe that the source of the conflict between Benny and Nina's dad was clear in the stage version? I've been talking about this with friends for years.  Some of us recognized the race issue but others felt that he was reacting to Nina choosing someone whose ambitions were no greater than his own.  It was never explicitly stated in the script; I assume that was intentional.

 

It's frustrating that the writers were unable to use all the extra time to iron out the plot issues in the film, but I loved it regardless.  And thanks to all for your thoughts on the colorism issues.  I always learn from your posts and know you will make the world a better place.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 9:10am

Thanks for chiming in, everyone! Those are some REALLY good points. My main issues are as follows:

- Why can't Nina just go to Columbia or a school closer to home? Or, if it's about "getting out," why not a cheaper school out of state? Maybe one in a more diverse community, like UCLA?  In the movie it sounds like she wants to attend law school, so why not save up and attend a more prestigious law school? 

- Kevin sold his business to pay for tuition, but Nina has three more years left. What's gonna happen next? I'd hoped that the movie would resolve this, but if anything it made it worse by changing Nina's reasons for dropping out.

- I had the same issue with the time jump. Like, where were Nina and Benny? The movie just forgot about them?

- We barely got to know Abuela Claudia until she died. Also, someone mentioned the lyrics of the finale not matching up to what was happening anymore. Same with "Paciencia y Fe." She's singing about feeding birds...

- I agree that the Dreamer subplot was too much to introduce and not fully commit to it. I also was wondering why Usnavi would leave.

- Where are everyone's parents? Is this a Disney world where they all died off? 

Updated On: 6/16/21 at 09:10 AM

[TrChSpHa]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 10:26am

Not Rita Moreno telling dark-skinned Afro-Latinos to shut up and wait their turn 60 years after being the only Puerto Rican cast, while caked in bronzer, in a film about Puerto Ricans. I have to laugh.

The points people have brought up are valid, and Lin does not need people coming to his defense like this, especially when his colorism was addressed when the movie trailer came out a year ago and even further back when the original musical was on Broadway.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 12:32pm

Oh, one thing I wanted to add: Chu specifically has had this issue come up before, with Brenda Song claiming that she was told she could not audition for Crazy Rich Asians because she "didn't look Asian enough ". 

Updated On: 6/16/21 at 12:32 PM

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 1:23pm

To start, ITH is a show near and dear to my heart. I saw the original production on Broadway with the original cast back in 2008 and I directed it at my high school the year Hamilton came out so it was a very exciting time to direct the show and expose HS students to LMM's earlier work. 

Overall, I loved the movie. It gave me chills and feels and fuzzies and my eyes definitely welled up multiple times. 

I was worried that it would drag on too long based on comments I read, but it really flew by for me. I felt the same way about the Les Miz movie though; the first thing anybody said about it was "well it's really long but it's good." I didn't feel Les Miz was too long but ITH?  There were some scenes that took too long. So many of the added book scenes that aren't in the stage show went for too long. The scene where we are introduce to Abuela cooking; I thought oh my goodness is this really going to be the pacing here? A slow panning over her stove while we have time to dissect what the ingredients of her stew must be?  Ugh. 

96,000 was fun, but it did not feel New York enough for me. Yes I know the pool is actually in New York, but that scene could have been filmed anywhere. I think I would have liked a streetscape scene. Perhaps they could have taken advantage of the pandemic and re-shot it in an empty Times Square at night. Imagine how flashy that would be. 

Casting LMM as Piragua Guy was a mistake too because his voice is supposed to make you swoon and I always saw it as symbolic of how rich and deep the talent is in Washington Heights--even the guy selling Italian ice is an accomplished singer. To have Lin and his awkward voice do it was a disservice. 

Nina's ballad near the top of the movie, "Breathe" was perfect. But, almost everything else involving Nina, Benny, and her dad was a mess. She leaves Stanford because her roommate was mean? But then the tuition is also an issue, but it's not the main issue, but it is enough of an issue that Kevin is going to sell his business over it!  I understood getting rid of the "Benny's not Latino" thing because that does seem dated now. But, the problem is that it eliminated so much tension and it was not replaced with another conflict. Perhaps Kevin and Benny could have had a blow up at work or something. And the Blackout? Anthony Ramos trying to dance awkwardly was very cute. I loved that they kept so much of the original scene, especially the back-and-forth when the guy asks to dance with Vanessa and Usnavi acts like he's cool with it--that interaction is one of my favorite parts of the show. But then, most of the conflict seemed to get lost, along with the symbolism of the Blackout. The Powerless/powerless play on words, that they were physically without electrical power but also politically and financially powerless was completely lost. It just looked like a bunch of random 20-somethings going home after the club shutdown. in the show, you're left with this feeling like oh man how are they ever going to fix all this, but in the movie, there is really nothing to fix. 

All of the scenes in the bodega were great, and the update to the Abuela Claudia mural was cool too. The frame story was super sweet and was a nice update. However, as people have pointed out, a few of the Finale lyrics don't work anymore. I expected Usnavi to look at the camera and shrug his shoulders like "listen, we didn't change these lyrics cuz we just didn't ok? Just enjoy the song." 

I wasn't happy with leaving out Rosario, but I was glad to have Inutil and Enough taken out because those songs just didn't belong and slowed the stage show down too much. 

Alabanza did not get very emotional at all.  I happen to love the way I staged where I had goofy Sonny come out acting silly not knowing that Abuela died and then having an ensemble member mouth it to him and having him collapse into the ensemble's arms--that was devastating to me but the film version did not create the same emotions. 

The opening number was super duper perfect and it was a great way to start the movie. 

Sonny's Dreamer plot did not work because wasn't Usnavi planning on taking him to a school in the DR? Which implied that life in the DR would be better for him than a New York life? But then when the Dreamer thing comes up, suddenly he wants to stay? And when the Dreamer thing is revealed, Sonny is with Nina, so I don't think we really see Usnavi's reaction to it and how that affects his plans. And that scene with Sonny's father? What was that about? An alcoholic father subplot just thrown in and never addressed again. 

I noticed the colorism problem before it became a thing on social media, but what I noticed was that there were some darker-skinned men paired with lighter skinned women. That always seems like the default to me when Hollywood tries to add diversity: to add a light women and a darker man. Take a look at how many news anchors have this. Now before this board comes for me and cancels me, I did not say that there are no dark skin woman/light skin male representations out there, but just that it is far more common to see a lighter woman and a darker man together, and ITH totally promoted that trope. I was thinking ok are there any black women or even dark skinned Latina women in Washington Heights? The men sure seem to be there though. I think it's indicative of American society in general having a misogynistic/racist view of black women. 

DESPITE ALL THAT, I still loved the movie and I wanted to see it separately with all my friends and family so I could see it as much as possible lol.  

[ggersten]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 1:25pm

SporkGoddess said: "
- Why can't Nina just go to Columbia or a school closer to home? Or, if it's about "getting out," why not a cheaper school out of state? Maybe one in a more diverse community, like UCLA? In the movie it sounds like she wants to attend law school, so why not save up and attend a more prestigious law school?

- Kevin sold his business to pay for tuition, but Nina has threemore years left. What's gonna happen next? I'd hoped that the movie would resolve this, but if anything it made it worse by changing Nina's reasons for dropping out."

I am no fan of Stanford (I am a graduate of Stanford's rival school). But, Stanford may actually be less expensive than Columbia/NYU and definitely UCLA. Out of state students for University of California schools pay what approaches private school tuition and there is less scholarship money available. Stanford, for several years, charged no tuition/no room and board to families whose income was less than 65k a year. Today, that level is 75k a year - and the school does not take into account the value of an owned home and does not count expected summer earnings. Between 75k and 150k (formerly 125k), the school covers all tuition, but not room and board. Room and Board is about 20k. (Then there are other costs - books, entertainment, food off campus, travel). Nina could have lived at home while attending Columbia/NYU, but her dream (her father's dream) was for her to "get out" and living at home defeats or at least delays  that dream.

This, of course, depends on what income Kevin Rosario actually has. The film is unclear- I think there is a reference that the business was in financial trouble before Nina went to Stanford. The Rosarios also had not moved from Washington Heights to a more expensive Manhattan location. Nina appears to have attended public school - and not private school. There could be lots of reasons for not moving - even if the Rosarios could have afforded to move. 

So, to me, Nina should have had less financial reasons for wanting to leave Stanford - than the social/cultural reasons she mentions. 

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 2:51pm

While not a big fan of the story changes, I found the Club scene to be hilarious when they emphasized how drunk Usnavi was and that's why him and Vanessa got separated. And then their fight just ended up being some drunken fight was totally lol 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 3:01pm

Phantom4ever said: "Sonny's Dreamer plot did not work because wasn't Usnavi planning on taking him to a school in the DR? Which implied that life in the DR would be better for him than a New York life? But then when the Dreamer thing comes up, suddenly he wants to stay? And when the Dreamer thing is revealed, Sonny is with Nina, so I don't think we really see Usnavi's reaction to it and how that affects his plans. And that scene with Sonny's father? What was that about? An alcoholic father subplot just thrown in and never addressed again."

I believe Dreamers are not able to travel outside the country, or risk losing their status. So while it would've been great for Sonny to go to the DR, I'm guessing he likely would never be able to return to the US. 

I actually really enjoyed adding that scene with Sonny's father. It added some needed heft to Sonny's storyline. I mean, there had to be some reason Usnavi would just grab a minor child and take him to the DR with him, and could he do that legally anyway? Also, if people want star power, you can't beat one of the legends of Latin music like Marc Anthony.

[jpbran]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 3:05pm

I can’t think of a single film/play/book that would hold up under these CSI investigations. Haha 

Updated On: 6/16/21 at 03:05 PM

[lovepuppy]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 3:39pm

I agree with the questions about "why is Sonny a dreamer but Usnavi is not"...and similarly wondered about Usnavi's plans for the bodega upon his departure. He seems to close up shop but...if he needs the money, obviously...why wouldn't there be any reference to him selling it to a neighboring business or something?  That way, when he reverses his decision at the end, it would be an easy thing for him to get back

And yes...why couldn't Nina just go to a state school or at least closer to home? And I agree with whoever asked--if the father sold the business just to cover a couple of years, what happens next? There was no reference to applying for financial aid...which was, and is, still a very commonplace thing for any person--immigrant or not--to do. (I grew up a white Jewish girl from the suburbs of Chicago but my family still needed to apply for such things when I went to school. And I have a degree, and have experienced hardship even as an adult, because I work in Entertainment. So, asking for Aid is a reality, no matter what color one is, really.) I appreciated the whole awful "brown people get searched/discriminated against" story she described for the film update, yet there are schools everywhere; why not use your "first person in the family to graduate high school and go to college" status and transfer to a place in your community--since her lament was "there's no Community for me at school"--where you can still get an education?

I didn't love the "Sonny's alcoholic father" element. either...even though it was an interesting and shocking way to get Marc Anthony a cameo in this movie. He barely looked like himself; does he want to get into more acting? Anyway, when they discuss "how do you pay him?"//"in...cash"//"ever wonder WHY?", it seems to imply that he's not legal, making the later conversation between Sonny and Nina at the protest make more sense. And the scene could be present to show WHY Sonny works so hard...so he won't be like his father, Usnavi's uncle. But--wouldn't Usnavi have already known this about his status?  Also agree with the poster who brought up: why would Usnavi, before receiving Abuela's lottery ticket, even consider leaving Sonny alone with uncertainty about citizenship, in the US? If they were both legal in the DR, they'd have no problem making a life there...but Sonny was raised in America and wants to go to college, here.  And since Usnavi stayed to marry Vanessa, and he never talks about those worries...is it to be understood that his parents and family were quickly legalized when Usnavi was a child? He's twice Sonny's age and was in the US a lot longer, so maybe it was easier for his parents, back then.

Ah, yes, there are plot holes in the writing, in this film. But I still enjoyed it as its own standalone piece of art for the singing and the dancing and the love-letter-ness of it all. 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 4:41pm

jpbran said: "I can’t think of a single film/play/book that would hold up under these CSI investigations. Haha"

You can tell this lot is desperate for some actual Broadway, there's way too much free time on our hands.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 10:52pm

Update: A regretful Rita Moreno now admits that while strongly defending Lin-Manuel Miranda and ''In the Heights,'' ''I was clearly dismissive of the black lives that matter in our Latin community.''

https://deadline.com/2021/06/in-the-heights-rita-moreno-defends-lin-manuel-miranda-controversy-1234776073/

Updated On: 6/16/21 at 10:52 PM

[Pine-Sol Scented Air]

Posted: 6/16/21 at 11:33pm

You really don't understand this show at all if you're suggesting moving 96,000 to Times Square.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 6/17/21 at 12:32am

Pine-Sol Scented Air said: "You really don't understand this show at all if you're suggesting moving 96,000 to Times Square."

I thought the same thing when I read that, ha. That is a famous park/pool and it is literally in the Heights. I thought it was a cheesy but fun way to get everyone to that pool, and also a clever way to pay homage to old Busby Berkeley production numbers with the twist of using contemporary music and nonwhite people. I love that this movie embraces being a musical and is itself a love letter to movie musicals of the past. It’s as if to say that these people belong in musicals too, that their surroundings can be beautiful and romanticized also.