Showbizchicago

The cast of the musical “In the Heights,” a four-time 2008 Tony award winner, lines up on stage to perform a number. The musical follows people from a poverty-stricken New York neighborhood and contains a score of hip-hop and salsa music.

A spicy blend of hip-hop and salsa, the Tony Award winning musical, “In the Heights” is a sassy urban masterpiece and an absolute must-see for all ages. The show won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical and is playing in San Francisco at the Curran Theater until June 13.

“In the Heights” tells the story of the residents of a dynamic neighborhood enduring the stifling heat and crippling poverty of Washington Heights, New York City.

The musical is filled with young love, Latin salsa dancing and underlying messages.

The vibrant characters celebrate their rich cultural backgrounds with music and dance on the dirty New York streets and must deal with the issue of which traditions they will choose to keep and which traditions to let go.

An impressive aspect of “In the Heights” is its outstanding cast. They persevere throughout the performance despite many taxing songs and difficult dance numbers.

Each cast member, from the man selling shaved ice on the street to the woman hanging laundry in her apartment window, remains fully committed to his or her role.

No matter where the audience looks onstage, they are sure to be entertained by sensational performances.

Kyle Beltran is brilliant in his portrayal of the lead role, Usnavy. Usnavy is a quirky owner of the neighborhood corner store who delivers most of his lines by rapping.

He makes the character loveable, and the audience can easily make a connection with him.

He kicks off the show with “In the Heights,” in which he tells the story of his family’s journey from the Dominican Republic and his life in Washington Heights through brilliant freestyle.

A cast member who significantly stands out is Elise Santora, who joined the tour directly from the Broadway cast. She plays Abuela Claudia, the grandmother figure for much of the neighborhood.

She breaks out of her frail demeanor in “Paciencia y Fe,” where she belts a heartfelt number about dealing with the heat and remembering her childhood and nimbly dances across the stage.

Sabrina Sloane’s beautiful voice and polished acting are apparent in her role as Vanessa, the town sweetheart on whom Usnavy has his eye.

She does a superb job in the song, “It Won’t Be Long,” where she expresses her desires to break free of Washington Heights and move downtown.

Genny Lis Padilla and Isabel Santiago provide comic relief with their roles as Carla and Daniela, a pair of gossiping hairdressers.

Their lively song “No Me Diga” is set in their salon, where they trade juicy bits of news and playfully tease their customers.

Santiago rallies the neighborhood against the summer heat with an astounding amount of energy and talent in “Carnaval del Barrio.” The song is filled with joy and cultural pride, making it truly enjoyable to watch.

Another hilarious character is Sonny, played by Shaun Taylor-Corbett. The awkward, goofy employee at Usnavy’s corner store, acts as the little brother of the neighborhood.

Taylor-Corbett accurately depicts teenage frustrations while providing constant entertainment through his amusing antics and schemes.

Arielle Jacobs (Nina) and Rogelio Douglas Jr. (Benny) create a romantic element in the show as they struggle against the disapproval of Nina’s father, Kevin (played by Daniel Bolero).

In their song, “Sunrise” they weave together Spanish and English as they sing about their love for one another.

Jacobs shows off her outstanding vocals and brilliant acting ability with “Breathe” where she must deal with her choice to drop out of Stanford and the problem of telling her parents.

Douglas Jr. demonstrates Benny’s passion for his job in an auto-shop as well as a superfluous amount of talent in the song, “Benny’s Dispatch,” in which he is allowed to take over his employer’s radio station for the day.

The show’s principals are all extremely talented, but the less prominent characters manage to hold their own. David Paida commands the stage with his role as “Piragua Guy.”

He sells icy treats to the characters with a melodic voice and sweet demeanor while simulatenously embodying the overall feeling of the musical.

Jose-Luis Lopez, another smaller role, stands as Graffiti Pete, a kind-hearted vandal with some serious talent.

His dancing is fluid and pristine and he mixes a hip-hop style with what are obviously years of ballet training.

The cast is not the only thing that makes “In the Heights” a spectacular musical. The sets and stage direction are realistic and dynamic, making the show even richer.

The stage is set to resemble a street in the middle of Washington Heights, with a subway station stage left and an apartment complex stage right.

The show uses daring lighting techniques, such as in the second half following a blackout where the stage is lit only by candles.

The lack of power is infused with a double meaning by the characters, who feel that it reflects the helplessness of poverty.

Andy Blankenbuehler’s outstanding choreography is what gives “In the Heights” its special flare. The cast members salsa and merengue in the streets, in the club and on their balconies. Blankenbuehler fuses hip hop with latin styles to create dancing completely unique to any musical seen before.

Lin-Manuel Miranda created the show during his sophomore year at Wesleyan University and opened on Broadway on March 9, 2008 at the Richard Rogers Theater. The role of Usnavy was based on Miranda himself and he premiered the role both on and off Broadway.

“In the Heights” is a modern masterpiece and cannot be missed.