Live. Play. Design.

On a recent trip to New York with Carren, she and I met up with Bea and her cousins to catch Spring Awakening. In the midst of lunch and chit chat, Bea handed me a flyer for a musical called "In the Heights." The image on the flyer was simple enough - a group of people dancing by a bridge. But there was something about it - maybe it was the title, "In the Heights" or the way everyone was dressed like they were just hanging out - but I felt like I had to watch it.


So I did some research and I found out that it was nominated for best musical, best score, best choreography, etc - which was a good sign. I listened to the tracks posted on the website and I began to hear subtle hints of hip-hop in the opening number, and then even more in 96,000. I thought, "Could it be? Did they really make a hip-hop musical?" I was excited.

I watched the show and it did not disappoint.

The reason I love this show so much is because it's my show. No, I didn't write it or anything like that... but I remember one fine day during Forum auditions - I made an offhand comment about West Side Story not really being West Side (insert gang sign here). That was the day I envisioned remaking West Side Story with a hip hop theme - all the singing, dancing, and even culture: all hip-hop inpired. Of course, that didn't work out too well, since having listened to West Side Story, I realized that it would be impossible to rewrite those songs with a hip-hop feel.

Other things I struggled with was the fact that Philippine theater was so engrossed with jazz dance. Now don't get me wrong, jazz dance is great and all, but i couldn't stand how hip-hop was looked down upon. I was convinced that you could still tell a story with hip-hop, and that it required just as much dedication as jazz to perfect.

Of course, it also helps that the show is so well crafted. I especially enjoy how the choreography helps tell the story instead of just being something pretty to look at.

Watching In the Heights made me want to run onstage and join the cast right then and there. It made me want to go up and thank Lin Manuel for creating something that I've been waiting for since I got into theater. And I guess in a way, it helped reinforce the fact that I wasn't crazy - that what I envisioned could be achieved. I just wish I could have done it first.