Musical Theatre West’s production of “In The Heights” at the Carpenter Center is a love letter to immigrants that feels especially timely today.
Directed by Jesse J. Sanchez, with songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and story by Quiara Alegría Hudes, “In The Heights” is a snapshot of a close-knit New York neighborhood, as the residents contend with their pasts as well as coming changes over three broiling summer days.
The play follows Washington Heights bodega owner Usnavi (Rubén J. Carabajal), salon worker Vanessa (Angelica Marie Lozada), and overachiever Nina Rosario (Amanda Aceves-Lopez) as the threads of their lives interweave to reveal the story of their community.
“In the Heights” from Musical Theatre West will play at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on select dates through April 26, 2026.
It was written almost two decades ago and takes place on the other side of the country, but the experiences of immigrants it shares feel universal. Viewers from immigrant families themselves will hear stories that remind them of their own, tenderly conveyed through song: the last day in their home country, their first day in the States, the wistful hopes for the day they can finally return home, and the bittersweet realization that home is now here.
Carbajal brought a tangible warmth and humility to the main character that made it easy to root for Usnavi as a believable and lovable underdog. Aceves-Lopez had great chemistry with her romantic counterpart, and the audience reacted more enthusiastically to the romance scenes between Nina and her parents’ employee Benny (Antwone Barnes) than they were for the main couple.
All the main actors are talented singers, but Lozada in particular brought a noticeable power and passion to her verses. Lozada ensured the audience could feel every emotion the troubled shampoo girl goes through as she tries to claw her way to a better future.
“In the Heights” from Musical Theatre West will play at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on select dates through April 26, 2026.
“In the Heights” from Musical Theatre West will play at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on select dates through April 26, 2026.
In keeping with tradition, Musical Theatre West’s “In The Heights” makes the most out of a single, multistory set. Made to look like an archetypal gritty New York city corner, replete with litter and graffiti, characters are able to smoothly pop in and out of storefronts on the ground floor, appear in apartment windows and fire escapes above, or dance their way into the street.
Careful observers will notice an anti-ICE sign hanging in the corner of Usnavi’s bodega, further underlining that everything seen in the play could easily happen in any barrio across the nation today.
While Washington Heights is known as the Little Dominican Republic, Puerto Rican and Cuban stories are given equal stage time in the play. And for all the Latin groups that weren’t explicitly mentioned in the script, Musical Theatre West had members of their student ensemble wave their flags in celebration during one of the songs.
“In the Heights” from Musical Theatre West will play at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on select dates through April 26, 2026.
My only criticism- during one of the musical numbers, multi-colored spotlights flash across the crowd, and while that sounds great in theory, in practice it meant I ended up clutching at my eye sockets while loudly taking the Lord’s name in vain as I got blasting straight into my corneas.
Temporarily blinded, I sat briefly with my hands over my eyes, only to open them again and immediately take another spotlight directly to the face. The music was lovely and I’m sure the choreography for that number was too, but I can’t actually confirm the latter because I could barely see any of it.
“In The Heights” will be performed at the Carpenter Center (6200 E. Atherton St.) on Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m., Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 18 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday, April 19 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., Friday, April 24 at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 25 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 26 at 1 p.m.
