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eni1 's review for:
In the Heights: Finding Home
by Quiara Alegría Hudes, Jeremy McCarter, Lin-Manuel Miranda
I found out about In the Heights and Lin Manuel Miranda after Hamilton skyrocketed into the public consciousness. I really liked his work and when I heard that he had created and starred in another hit broadway show about a latine neighborhood in NYC, I got excited to watch it and was thrilled they were making a movie for it. Long story short, I loved the movie, the music, the lyrics, the story, the cast, and the visibility of latines on the big screen.
When this book came out I wanted to learn more about where Lin's career started. How did this happen? How did it go? What was it like to write a story about growing up latine in the US and interacting with our communidad and telling their stories?
This book exceeded my expectations. Lyrical breakdown and commentary, for not only the songs in the musical, but the ones that were cut as well. I learned how long it took Lin to get this on broadway, how many revisions, the bootcamps, trying to get funding and producers, being inspired by others, the self doubt he felt, miscommunications between friends, he also wasn't confident in his Spanish speaking abilities, and struggled with Spanish lyrics. There are photos, and detailed stories of how they all met and memories of what they all shared and what the show meant to each of them. The book is honestly really beautifully designed, and talks about how the show got written, how it eventually made it to broadway, achieving success, movie, other shows around the world, and what its legacy is.
Some quick notes off the top of my head:
* Chris Jackson met his wife on ITH since she played his love interest, Nina. Instant sparks. Been together ever since and they have Lin to thank.
* Benny's character actually evolved to be more like Chris as time went on. Which speaks to how much Lin respects and appreciates Chris. He ended up being more mature, no longer going to the clubs after work, more ambitious and thinking about his career. Some of the lines were even changed to Chris's unique way of speaking.
* Lin relates the most to Nina, not Usnavi. A talented girl going to university where here parents sacrifice so much for her dreams. Feeling too gringo for The Heights but too ethnic for unievsrity. Feeling somewhere in between and wanting to fit in. (Something a lot of us second generation immigrants can relate too)
* Lin wrote the Piragua song a couple weeks before Broadway airing during a lunch break when he realized act 2 was a little slower and sadder and needed a happy song.
* A lot of people In the Heights came back to work on Hamilton, which made their careers. But the cast of In the Heights will always truly be their "Familia." Any of them need a liver transplant and they know they will be there.
* So many people from different cultures who perform this show come out of it feeling like they made a whole new family. It goes beyond latin culture since there are so many themes other cultures can relate too.
* Anthony Ramos took two buses as a kid trying to get the role of Sonny, but after making it to the finals he did not get the role. ("He wasn't ready") He ended up impressing Lin and getting a role years later in Hamilton, and eventually taking the lead of Usnavi. Glad he finally got his wish.
When this book came out I wanted to learn more about where Lin's career started. How did this happen? How did it go? What was it like to write a story about growing up latine in the US and interacting with our communidad and telling their stories?
This book exceeded my expectations. Lyrical breakdown and commentary, for not only the songs in the musical, but the ones that were cut as well. I learned how long it took Lin to get this on broadway, how many revisions, the bootcamps, trying to get funding and producers, being inspired by others, the self doubt he felt, miscommunications between friends, he also wasn't confident in his Spanish speaking abilities, and struggled with Spanish lyrics. There are photos, and detailed stories of how they all met and memories of what they all shared and what the show meant to each of them. The book is honestly really beautifully designed, and talks about how the show got written, how it eventually made it to broadway, achieving success, movie, other shows around the world, and what its legacy is.
Some quick notes off the top of my head:
* Chris Jackson met his wife on ITH since she played his love interest, Nina. Instant sparks. Been together ever since and they have Lin to thank.
* Benny's character actually evolved to be more like Chris as time went on. Which speaks to how much Lin respects and appreciates Chris. He ended up being more mature, no longer going to the clubs after work, more ambitious and thinking about his career. Some of the lines were even changed to Chris's unique way of speaking.
* Lin relates the most to Nina, not Usnavi. A talented girl going to university where here parents sacrifice so much for her dreams. Feeling too gringo for The Heights but too ethnic for unievsrity. Feeling somewhere in between and wanting to fit in. (Something a lot of us second generation immigrants can relate too)
* Lin wrote the Piragua song a couple weeks before Broadway airing during a lunch break when he realized act 2 was a little slower and sadder and needed a happy song.
* A lot of people In the Heights came back to work on Hamilton, which made their careers. But the cast of In the Heights will always truly be their "Familia." Any of them need a liver transplant and they know they will be there.
* So many people from different cultures who perform this show come out of it feeling like they made a whole new family. It goes beyond latin culture since there are so many themes other cultures can relate too.
* Anthony Ramos took two buses as a kid trying to get the role of Sonny, but after making it to the finals he did not get the role. ("He wasn't ready") He ended up impressing Lin and getting a role years later in Hamilton, and eventually taking the lead of Usnavi. Glad he finally got his wish.