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    Theater Review

    Dallas Theater Center does justice to legacy of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights

    Alex Bentley
    Sep 30, 2019 | 2:50 pm

    While In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2008 Tony Award-winning musical, hasn’t been overshadowed completely by the overwhelming success of his follow-up project, Hamilton, it has faded into the background a bit.

     

    But thanks to a new production directed by James Vasquez at Dallas Theater Center (through October 20) and the upcoming 2020 movie adaptation, In the Heights is set to put itself back in the public consciousness.

     

    The musical, featuring music and lyrics by Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegria Hudes, is set in and around one corner of New York City's Washington Heights neighborhood. The lead character is Usnavi (Xavier Cano), who owns a bodega, employs his lazy cousin Sonny (Christopher Llewyn Ramirez), and harbors a big crush on Vanessa (Marina Pires), who works in the hair salon across the street.

     

    All the members of the neighborhood interact on a daily basis, including Abuela Claudia (Nancy Ticotin), who helped raise Usnavi; Daniela (Talia Thiesfield) and Carla (Lorens Portalatin), who run the salon; Kevin and Camila Rosario (David Lugo and Crissy Guerrero), who own their own car/limo company; and Benny (Devin L. Roberts), Usnavi’s best friend who works for the Rosarios.

     

    When the Rosarios’ daughter Nina (Tiffany Solano DeSena) comes back from college unexpectedly, her return throws a wrench into the plans of multiple other characters. Add in an already-planned move for one of the businesses, a local lottery winner, and a blackout, and big changes are on the horizon for this one particular neighborhood.

     

    If you love Hamilton but are unfamiliar with In the Heights, the phrasing style of the songs, especially the raps, is unmistakable. Miranda originally played Usnavi, and you can feel his presence in every one of the character’s songs. Cano is wonderful in the role, embodying innocence, compassion, and a certain wisdom that the role needs.

     

    The production hinges on the performances of its four main characters — Usnavi, Vanessa, Benny, and Nina — and none of the actors disappoint. Only DeSena, who is a dead ringer for Sarah Jessica Parker, may be familiar to local theater aficionados, as she is a member of DTC’s Brierley Resident Acting Company. Both she and Pires have powerhouse voices, and the chemistry the four actors share makes their individual and combined storylines shine.

     

    While the songs are not consistently memorable, the production does contain some showstoppers. They include the titular opening song that sets the tone in a great way; “96,000,” in which much of the cast dreams of winning the lottery; “Paciencia y Fe,” a real showcase for Claudia, and in turn Ticotin; and “Carnaval de Barrio,” in which the neighborhood tries to make the best of the blackout.

     

    Dallas Theater Center regularly wows with how it is able to adapt the Wyly Theatre to any type of production. Scenic designer Dahlia Al-Habieli does a fantastic job at re-creating a version of the original Broadway set, with its multiple storefronts and multi-story buildings, but the decision to put one of the storefronts on the far-right side of the stage winds up undercutting her design.

     

    The right side of the audience faces the proscenium, giving a great view of the majority of the action. But Rosario’s, in which a good amount of the musical takes place, is directly to the right of that section, forcing anyone there to get a neckache just to watch the show. Pro tip: If you’re planning on going, make sure you sit on the left side or center section.

     

     In the Heights is a story about the connections people forge in their own neighborhood, one that’s highly relatable, even if you’ve never lived in New York City. Dallas Theater Center’s production, while not perfect, does justice to the musical’s legacy and shows off the talents of some great actors.

    Xavier Cano and the cast of Dallas Theater Center's In the Heights.

    Xavier Cano and cast of Dallas Theater Center's In the Heights
      
    Photo by Karen Almond
    Xavier Cano and the cast of Dallas Theater Center's In the Heights.
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    Theater Critic Picks

    From Wilde to 'The Wiz': 8 unmissable July shows in North Texas

    Lindsey Wilson
    Jul 2, 2025 | 10:18 am
    Second Thought Theatre presents Your Wife’s Dead Body
    Photo courtesy of Second Thought Theatre
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    Your instinct during the summer might be to hide out in an air-conditioned theater, and there are plenty of options to do exactly this month. But we would be remiss if we didn't remind you about a North Texas tradition: Shakespeare under the stars. Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and watch The Bard (and this year Oscar Wilde) at Samuell-Grand Amphitheater with Shakespeare Dallas. Both shows opened in June, but continue through most of July.

    Here are eight shows local shows, listed in order of start date:

    The Importance of Being Earnest
    Shakespeare Dallas, through July 18 extended to July 26
    This witty romantic comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed in 1895, tells the story of two men who assume the identities of a fictional man named Ernest. This leads them to each fall in love and encounter an assortment of comical problems along the way.

    Othello
    Shakespeare Dallas, through July 20
    In this Shakespearean tragedy, Othello is at the peak of his powers: not only Venice's greatest general but also husband to the noble and beautiful Desdemona. But he does not know that in passing over his servant Iago for promotion, he has created a deadly but brilliant enemy. This production is set in an alternate-history version of the 1990s in which the Venetian empire is the predominant political, military, and economic power.

    King Kirby
    American Chronicle Theatre Co., July 4-12
    This is the story of Jack "King of Comics" Kirby. The play follows him from the tough Jewish ghetto of Hell’s Kitchen in New York, to the harrowing battlefields of Normandy during WWII, to tense Senate hearings in the 1950s. Watch as he creates some of the most iconic heroes in pop culture: Captain America, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, the New Gods, and countless others.

    Your Wife’s Dead Body
    Second Thought Theatre, July 9-26
    Written by Second Though Theatre artistic associate Jenny Ledel in her playwriting premiere, the play takes place in the near future, as Jane takes advantage of a new AI technology that would extend her lifespan ... even if she's not around to see it for herself.

    The Wiz
    Broadway at the Bass, July 15-20
    This all-new production of the groundbreaking, Tony Award-winning musical returns “home” in an all-new pre-Broadway tour, the first one in 40 years. The groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway, from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock, and finger-snapping '70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world.

    Noises Off
    Mainstage Irving-Las Colinas, July 18-August 2
    This play-within-a-play captures a touring theater troupe’s production of Nothing On in three stages: dress rehearsal, the opening performance, and a performance towards the end of a debilitating run. Playwright Michael Frayn gives a window into the inner workings of theatre behind-the-scenes, progressing from flubbed lines and missed cues in the dress rehearsal to mounting friction between cast members in the final performance.

    Everybody's Talking About Jamie
    Uptown Players, July 18-August 3
    Inspired by true events, this musical tells the inspiring story of Jamie New, a 16-year-old boy from Sheffield who dreams of becoming a drag queen. His loving mom showers him with endless support but it's not all rainbows for Jamie as his deadbeat dad and some ignorant school kids attempt to rain on his sensational aspirations.

    Shucked
    Broadway at the Bass, July 29-August 3
    This Tony Award-winning musical comedy features a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn, a score by the Grammy Award-winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and direction by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien. The corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy an appetite for great musical theater.

    broadway at the bassmusicalsnational tourplayssecond thought theatreuptown playersshakespeare under starsshakespeare in the parktheater
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