Review: In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Victory Lap at New York City Center

A bridge stretches across the stage in the New York City Center production of In the Heights. The central feature of Riw Rakkulchon’s scenic design, it’s meant to represent the George Washington Bridge connecting New Jersey to Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood, where the musical is set. I couldn’t help but see it as a giant metaphor for composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose work has spanned the gap separating Broadway from Latin pop and hip-hop, and served as a bridge connecting the musical theater of the past to our present moment.

It has been 19 years since In the Heights opened off-Broadway, 18 years since it moved to Broadway where it ran 1,184 performances, and 11 years since the off-Broadway opening and speedy transfer of Miranda’s sensational sophomore musical Hamilton, which is still running at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. In that time, Miranda’s work has been the subject of imitation and satire, but it is unquestionably the sound of Broadway in 2026, with Miranda occupying a position once held by Stephen Sondheim, and Rodgers & Hammerstein before him. It’s an impressive place to be at 46, and with a new musical on the way in the spring, now is a fine time to revisit Miranda’s Broadway debut.

He collaborated with book writer Quiara Alegría Hudes to tell this story of bodega owner Usnavi (Matte Martinez), who dreams of returning to the Dominican Republic just as much as he dreams of the beautiful Vanessa (Ashley De La Rosa), who wants nothing more than to move into a studio apartment downtown. While they look for ways to escape Washington Heights, Nina (Jaci Calderon) has just returned from her first year at Stanford; she dreads telling her father (Ivan Hernandez) and mother (Veronica Vazquez-Jackson) that she lost her scholarship. But no one is more pleased to see her than Benny (Aaron James McKenzie), an employee at the family’s cab company.

Meanwhile, the whole neighborhood is abuzz with the news that Usnavi sold someone a winning lottery ticket. Everyone fantasizes about what they would do with a windfall of $96,000, a handsome sum that even in 2008 wasn’t nearly enough to make life comfortable on the tiny island that serves as the center of global finance.

In the Heights is a musical love letter to an entire community, and director David Mendizábal honors that spirit with a joyous and energetic production. The show is at its best during big group numbers like “Carnaval del Barrio,” which features the whole cast waving an assortment of Latin-American flags while working up a sweat to Mayte Natalio’s lively choreography.

The principal cast is across-the-board excellent: De La Rosa conveys both fortitude but also a distant sadness as Vanessa. Calderon and McKenzie have real sizzling chemistry as Nina and Benny. Natalie Venetia Belcon brings a winning combination of big vocals and grandmotherly sweetness to the role of Abuela Claudia. And while Martinez never quite escapes the shadow of Miranda (who originally played Usnavi), he still charms the audience with oodles of charisma. I loved watching him dance in the first act finale, awkward moves powered by a hint of competitive rage.

The supporting performances are in many ways the more remarkable: Linedy Genao finds humor in every moment as Daniela, the salon owner and gossip monger. Cedric Leiba Jr. is adorable as Piragüero, the flavored ice salesman fighting a protracted battle against Mister Softee. And Ishmael Gonzalez delivers the most memorable performance of the evening as Sonny, Usnavi’s young cousin and shop assistant. Armed with incredulous eyes, bratty braids, and irresistible sass, Gonzalez takes complete ownership of the role with a take that is very different than the one originated by Robin De Jesús.

Dede Ayite outfits Gonzalez in baggy cargo shorts, just one of many costume choices that help reveal character in a specific time and place. While Rakkulchon’s set is not nearly as attractive as the one Anna Louizos designed for the original production, the bridge does give Mendizábel and Natalio plenty of levels on which to stage, and it acts as a bandstand for music director Alejandro Senior and his orchestra.

They sound great, but the show suffers from occasionally poor sound balance, an endemic problem in contemporary musical theater that is particularly irksome in a show with complex rapid-fire lyrics (the sound design is by Alex Neumann). Justin Townsend lighting enhances the vibrance of the stage design and looks particularly lovely during “Paciencia y Fe,” Abuela Claudia’s musical memory of leaving Cuba and coming to New York.

In the Heights is by no means a perfect musical. Miranda and Hudes unspool more plot threads than they can satisfyingly tie up, and the second act drags in that way so many musicals do. But it’s easy to see why In the Heights was such a shot of adrenaline to Broadway back in 2008, bringing new stories, voices, and sounds to the stage in a way that would leave Broadway richer and more representative of the city in which it lives. It’s only a matter of time before the show makes its way back home to Broadway.