Review - In The Heights (King's Cross Theatre)

October is officially upon us, but while the weather gets colder and London begins to look more and more bleak and autumnal, the King's Cross Theatre is still sizzling with summer heat thanks to In The Heights! Lin-Manuel Miranda's creation has just celebrated 1 year at the King's Cross Theatre, and while the show may have experienced some cast changes since it first opened in October last year, the show is still as fresh, vibrant and full of talent as ever.

Photo credit - Johan Persson

Set in Manhattan's Washington Heights during a summer heatwave, In The Heights follows the lives of the inhabitants as they struggle with their own individual plights, as well as the larger issue of gentrification in the area. While there is an overarching storyline, the plot is a combination of several different characters' stories, and as such the audience is inevitably able to identify with at least one of the characters' predicaments. 

Several of the original cast members remain with the show, the most notable of which being Sam Mackay who plays the lead role of Usnavi. Mackay has received rave reviews for this role, and it's easy to see why. He exudes a likable dorkiness which really endears him to the audience. Add to this his mastery of rap and easy charisma and he is the perfect man to lead the cast of In The Heights. 

Despite Usnavi being the central character, the plot really revolves around the community of the Barrio, with Usnavi himself pointing out that his role is to 'illuminate the stories of the people in the street'. In fact, the show is very much an ensemble piece, with a cast which is faultless without exception. Some notable new additions to the cast include, Sarah Naudi as Vanessa, Juliet Gough as Camilla, and Arun Blair-Mangat as Benny. Blair-Mangat brings a likable swagger to the role and has beautiful chemistry with Gabriela Garcia's Nina. 

Photo credit - Johan Persson

Central to this production of In The Heights is Drew McOnie's award winning choreography, which perfectly compliments the pulse pounding Latin and hip hop inspired score. Almost every song is accompanied by heart stopping choreography, but it never distracts from what is being sung, nor does it look overcrowded or cramped on the King's Cross Theatre's traverse stage. Instead it draws attention to the theme of community which is central to the story. 

However, no doubt for many audience members the biggest draw of In The Heights is the music. With music and lyrics by man of the moment Lin-Manuel Miranda, those biding their time until Hamilton arrives in London next year will no doubt enjoy the clever, witty and sometimes gut wrenchingly ratable lyrics of In The Heights. 

From the opening number onwards, every song grabs the audience and forces them to sit up and listen. There is a delightful urgency to many numbers which echoes the bustling and relentless community within the Barrio, and nowhere is this more relevant that in 'Blackout', the act 1 finale. It's a showstopping number all round, with ingenious lighting design and sizzling vocals, all of which emphasise the amazingly affecting melodies and motifs of Miranda's music. Contrastingly, more simplistic solos such as Nina's first song 'Breath' still elicit an incredible reaction, thanks in no small part to actress Gabriela Garcia whose spine tingling vocals capture the essence of the song perfectly. Unfortunately, occasionally this level of emotion is not reflected in the book, which does seem overstuffed and over-sentimental at times. However, this is a minuscule nitpick in such a multifaceted show!

All in all In The Heights is still one of the most exciting and unmissable musicals in London. Be sure to catch it before it closes on January 8th 2017.

In The Heights has extended its London run at the King’s Cross Theatre for the third and final time and is now booking until Sunday 8 January 2017. Tickets start at £22.50, with a selection of best seats available for Under 25s at a special rate of £15 at every performance. Visit www.intheheightslondon.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

Interview: Sarah Naudi (In The Heights)

Sarah Naudi was part of the original cast of In The Heights at the Southwark Playhouse, where she played the role of Carla. She has recently taken over the role of Vanessa.

You started off in the role of Carla, how did you end up playing Vanessa?

Basically when I first auditioned, I auditioned for Vanessa and thankfully got cast in the show, but got Carla. And it was amazing actually. Especially working with Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (who originated the role of Daniela in the London cast of In The Heights). I was obsessed with her already and I thought 'great, I get to be your sidekick!' it was amazing! And then we moved here (to the King's Cross Theatre) and I was still playing Carla which was such a fun role. I was understudying all of the other girls, so I got to play all of them too. But there was something inside me that was like 'I really want to play Vanessa'. I just get her. And then at the cast change it happened! It was a dream come true!

What was the transition like?

The transition was... it's weird because I feel like coming from the ensemble to then playing the lead role, which blows my mind, I can appreciate how much work the ensemble have to do. We come on and sing a few songs and get lovely praise, but actually people are dancing and give their hearts, you know? I love that I now get to do this but have experienced that as well. And Drew McOnie's choreography! I don't get to do a lot of that now, but I can't complain!

The choreography in the show is amazing, a real highlight! 

Yes! And that's the core. I feel like the whole show is run by that.

Absolutely! It's a shame that your new role doesn't require as much dancing, but what's your favourite thing about playing Vanessa? 

I think she is quite different from me. One thing we have in common is that I'm from a tiny island, and Vanessa has a goal of getting out of the Barrio and doing something with her life, well I was exactly like that. Growing up I always said 'I'm going to be someone, I'm going somewhere', so I moved here on my own when I was a teenager. And I guess it's fun, you know, when everyone in the show is shouting 'Vanessa, Vanessa'. They kind of give you that status when you walk on (during The club scene)!

What is your favourite song to perform in the show? 

Definitely Champagne. She has a moment when she realises she's too late and goes 'oh my god, I've known Usnavi for so long, and I get it now'. And he's leaving. I find it so sad that he doesn't stay for her. He stays when he sees the graffiti on the grate. So it's sad. But I think my favourite song in the show is 96000. I used to get to dance in it a lot more and I love the pounding music. I could listen to it forever.

It's interesting that you talk about how the end of the show is a little bit sad for Vanessa. Where do you see her character going after the show has ended? 

That's a really good question actually! I feel like she probably does get out but I think she'll go back every now and then. I don't know what will happen with the romance, but I think she'll always have a sense of home there and that's what makes the finale so beautiful. I'm exactly the same. Yes I wanted to leave, but my home will always be my home. Every time I go back I feel... well, Benny has one of my favourite lines in the show, he says 'the street's a little kinder when you're home', and it's true. I think that everything's a bit easier and a bit more safe when you're home, and I think Vanessa probably needs that.

Thank you to Sarah for answering these questions. Be sure to catch her as Vanessa in In The Heights at the King's Cross Theatre!

In The Heights has extended its London run at the King’s Cross Theatre for the third and final time and is now booking until Sunday 8 January 2017. Tickets start at £22.50, with a selection of best seats available for Under 25s at a special rate of £15 at every performance. Visit www.intheheightslondon.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

In The Heights Celebrates 1 Year at the King's Cross Theatre

On Friday 30th September 2016 In The Heights celebrated its first birthday at London's Kings Cross Theatre. Lin Manuel Miranda's Tony and Olivier Award winning show opened at the Southwark Playhouse in 2014, where it received rave reviews. As a result it transferred to the King's Cross Theatre in October 2015, and has been running there ever since. At the 2016 Olivier Awards In The Heights was nominated for 4 Olivier Awards and won 3 for Outstanding Achievement in Music, Best Choreographer and Best Supporting Actor for David Bedella.

Photo credit - Johan Persson

The show is a personal favourite of mine, and so I was excited to be invited to its 1st birthday party. The evening began with drinks in the King's Cross Theatre foyer. It was nice to mingle with other theatre bloggers and reviewers, and also just enjoy the vibe of the room. 

The foyer is decorated with New York inspired signage, which is taken down and replaced with archaic Victorian signage before every performance of The Railway Children, which runs in rep with In The Heights. This attention to detail is important, as it means that the audience is already immersed in the atmosphere of Washington Heights before the show even begins. 

Having chatted to the other guests for a while it was time to move into the auditorium, where we were greeted by cast members Raffaella Covino and Johnny Bishop. The pair informed us all that we would be learning some of choreographer Drew McOnie's choreography, specifically a move called 'The Arm Breaker' which features in the show during the club scene at the end of act 1. As someone with a notorious pair of left feet, I was a little bit apprehensive to say the least. However, we were taken through the choreography step by step and shockingly Emily (my sister, dance partner and plus one for the evening) and I actually nailed the steps in the end. So much so that Raffaella gave us some advice on how to finesse our performance! Once everyone was fairly confident in what we were doing, some more of the show's cast members joined us on stage, and we all performed the dance together! Learning a little bit of salsa dance was fantastic fun, and getting to dance with some of the amazingly talented cast was brilliant too. We all tried our best but they made every step look effortless!

Once we'd all caught our breath we made our way back into the foyer to enjoy a buffet of lovely food (there was hummus, there were tortilla chips... I was in heaven!) and have a little chat to some of the cast members. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview Arun Blair-Mangat, who recently joined the show as Benny, as well as Sarah Naudi who is currently playing Vanessa, but had been with the production since its Southwark run, where she played Carla.

Finally the rest of the audience began to arrive and we took our seats. The theatre was buzzing with excitement. In The Heights is a show with a very dedicated and vocal fanbase, and it was clear that many of those fans were in the audience, which only made the atmosphere of the show more enjoyable. In The Heights is a story about family, community, hopes and dreams, themes which resonate universally. Perhaps that is why it is received so positively night after night!

In The Heights has extended its London run at the King’s Cross Theatre for the third and final time and is now booking until Sunday 8 January 2017. Tickets start at £22.50, with a selection of best seats available for Under 25s at a special rate of £15 at every performance. Visit www.intheheightslondon.com for more information and to purchase tickets.