The Official "In The Heights" Love Thread....- Page 15

[shh282]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 1:31pm

I saw this like two months ago but I have to do something for my writing class on it -

Can someone refresh my memory on Usnavi's plot line specifically? it'd be much appreciated.

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 1:42pm

What's your paper about?

btw- jealous of those of you doing weekday lottos! I am limited to the weekends.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 1:46pm

Heh, I usually am too. I'm only going during the week because I'm on Spring Break.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:05pm

Usnavi plot summary:

Usnavi's parents emigrated from the Dominican Republic. While on the boat that brought them to NYC, his father saw "US Navy" engraved on a passing ship, and decided that he would name his son that (fyi, I am 95% sure that this is an homage to Pedro Juan Soto's novel "Usmail", which is about the struggles of Puerto Rican immigrants in the US. The appropriation of the name US Mail, and in ITH, US Navy, is an ironic statement about the cultural displacement of US immigrants). Usnavi's parents managed to establish the business of a bodega in Washington Heights. At some undisclosed point in time, both of Usnavi's parents got sick and died. He was raised by Doña Claudia, whom he, and everyone else in the neighborhood calls "Abuela". Now Usnavi runs the bodega with his cousin, Sonny. He dreams of returning to Santo Domingo, his parents', and by extension his, home.He knows everyone in the neighborhood, but feels "stuck" as he watches lives pass by, people move on, while he's the observant. (like a streetlight, stuck on the streets)

One day, he realizes that his bodega sold a winning lottery ticket for $96,000. The winner of that draw is Abuela Claudia, who promises a third of the money to Usnavi (and another third to Sonny). While out dancing with Vanessa (Usnavi's love interest), there's a blackout in the neighborhood. His bodega is vandalized, and practically destroyed. Awhile later, Abuela Claudia dies, the result of, presumably, a heat stroke. Usnavi is devastated, but decides to use the money he has inherited to close up his business, and go to Santo Domingo. At the end of the show (after seeing the lovely tribute to Abuela Claudia that Sonny commissioned), Usnavi realizes that with Abuela Claudia gone, it's now *his* role to be the emotional core of the neighborhood, and keep telling the stories of the people who live there. He's not the "streetlight" that's "stuck" on the street, but, rather, the streetlight that illuminates the lives of the people in this neighborhood he grew up in. He decides to stay, because his home *isn't* in Santo Domingo: it's right here, in Washington Heights.

And he asks Vanessa out on a second date :-p

I think that about covers it.







Updated On: 4/22/08 at 02:05 PM

[shh282]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:11pm

My paper is on the American Dream as it's portrayed on Broadway -and I was really excited to include in the heights because that's really what it's all about- but I forgot alot of the plot points because I saw it while it was still in previews and didn't want to write incorrect things in there.

Broadway Chica that is so much more than I thought I was going to get- THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:19pm

BroadwayChica.... what would we do without you?

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:20pm

(fyi, I am 95% sure that this is an homage to Pedro Juan Soto's novel "Usmail", which is about the struggles of Puerto Rican immigrants in the US. The appropriation o the name US Mail, and in ITH, US Navy, is an ironic statement about the cultural displacement of US immigrants)

Thanks for that- completely just Googled this novel. I actually wondered for a bit, the first time I saw Heights back at 37 Arts, if Usnavi was in any way related to The Dirty Girls Social Club novel (which has an Usnavys).
Updated On: 4/22/08 at 02:20 PM

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:30pm

That might be the case. But when I saw it, I immediately thought of "Usmail". It's a fairly well known book in Puerto Rican literature, so Lin-Manuel has probably read it, or heard about it, at some point. My dad was always fond of telling me that story, and would always giggle when he saw US mailboxes. He was beyond giddy when he saw ITH, and one of his first comments to me was "USMAIL!"
Updated On: 4/22/08 at 02:30 PM

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 11:45pm

Did anyone do the lottery tonight? I was at the show, and waiting outside to go in, when I noticed Lin standing with the lottery crowd. It didnt look like anyone recognized him !

Janet might have been there as well. It was really cute !!!

Great show tonight !! Andrea's BCEFA speech was hilarious, and so far the show has raised $80,000 ! (with a goal of .... of course, $96,000)

Bought the program tonight. They did a great job with it !!!

[splendoris]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 11:58pm

Hey Heights fans! Quick question if anyone has an estimate. I know that the CD is being released June 3rd with it being available in the theatre some time in May. Do any of you guys have an idea if we're talking early, mid, or late May? Thanks :)

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:00am

I heard that it should be in the theatre by the 2nd or 3rd week of May--- :))

I just want to know where the signing is going to be !!!

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:07am

Testing- do you mean at the lotto as in he was *playing* the lotto? Lin-Man wished me luck on the lotto one afternoon, as he was walking to the stage door, I thought that was pretty cool, but I've never seen him playing the lotto, that's hilarious!

[singingbackup]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:13am

If you want to help the show reach their goal, go to the BC/EFA website and you can donate and earmark it for IN THE HEIGHTS
Help IN THE HEIGHTS get to 96,000!

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 10:19am

I dont know if he was helping someone out, or just taking in the atmosphere, but it was VERY funny !!!

[Mealz1042]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 10:23am

hahah that's hilarious. He is so great, really.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 11:11am

VERY crowded lottery (and theatre!) yesterday !! (for a Tues.. good to see !!)

Honestly, I have witnessed a ton of lotteries, and have never seen castmembers standing in the middle of the crowd. :))

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 11:15am

Honestly, I have witnessed a ton of lotteries, and have never seen castmembers standing in the middle of the crowd. :))

Hee- I've only ever seen it in L.A., with the Wicked tour, I would see Stephanie J Block (and various other cast members at times) playing the Wicked lotto all. the. time.

But yay, glad to hear the lotto was weekday crowded!

[MyLife]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 11:32am

I have officially joined the bandwagon...
Saw the show last night (won lotto), and between the good and bad review on this board I didn't know where I was going to fall. The show is just so fresh, unique, and energy-inducing. The book, in my opinion, was not that bad. It was simple, everyone had their little problems that would work themselves out in the end, but sometimes you need a show like that. The show was great because you didn't have to think too hard about the plot, and instead you were able to focus on the score, choreography, set, etc. I hope this show is around for awhile.

I like that the lotto is fairly easy to win, and while I hope it stays that way so I can see it again, I also hope it gets somewhat more crowded so we know it will be here to stay for awhile.

Also, Testing, Janet was there and she played the lotto. We were called after her and she said she said her friends were in from town and didn't have enough $ to buy full price tickets because the rear mezz was sold out so she said she'd try. Glad she won (and glad I won too). I didn't even know who Janet was until the show began and I realized she had a nice part! She was hilarious.

And, this is the part where I usually talk about my favorite actor/role, but I can't because they all stood out. After every song, I was amazed. Mandy, Karen, Lin, Priscilla, Olga, Robin, Andrea, Christopher, Janet, and much of the ensemble. Great show!

It's nice to see something like this making it on Broadway. No Hollywood celebrities, and no film predecessor, just pure heart and talent

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 11:39am

The lotto is a little crowded today. Not crowded like it would be at night, but more than I would expect for a WEdnesday mat.


Wish me luck!

[shh282]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 11:46am

let us know how it works out

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:16pm

Hope you got in dancing! (If you did, let us know how much closer they are to their 96,000 for BC/EFA!)

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:48pm

So I went back for the drawing and it was a LOT more crowded. Needless to say, I didn't win. I got SRO for Curtains instead (not sure if I'm excited about that yet).

[brandonm2]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:54pm

What types of things are they selling for BC/EFA?

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 1:02pm

posters $100
playbills $40
like most shows... their auctions, though, have been very cool- they did a couple of nights of auctioning off Lin-Man recording your outgoing voicemail message, and the most recent one I saw was their silent auction of this painting that the cast received as an opening night gift.

[Anakela]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 4:04pm

Mandy Gonzalez and Karen Olivo doing Seth's Chatterbox together tomorrow...
In the Heights Co-Stars to Head to the Chatterbox April 24