‘In the Heights’ is a wonderful musical journey from Miranda

Posted on June 18, 2021

By MARK VIOLA

Thanks to the Broadway smash hit, “Hamilton,” actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda is a household name. Although tickets to the show were notoriously hard to get, Disney+ premiered a filmed-production of “Hamilton” last summer, giving everyone a chance to see it. I was among those who saw it for the first time on television at home.

Sadly, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, live theatre has been on hold, although we’re beginning to see a revival of late, and several regional theatre companies have announced full 2021-22 seasons to debut this fall.

As for Miranda, one of his earliest works was the musical “In The Heights,” which had an off-Broadway run in 2007 before opening on Broadway in 2008, earning 13 Tony nominations and winning four, including Best Musical.

Debuting in movie theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service last weekend was a film adaptation of “In The Heights,” directed by Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”).

Unlike the filmed-version of “Hamilton,” this is a true adaptation, and as such, it suffers a bit from the same issues just about every stage musical film adaptation does, mostly a result of trimming down a full stage production to fit into a standard film’s runtime. However, it does better than most, and the movie is joyful, thought-provoking and beautifully acted and produced.

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