High on In the Heights

Once again I am amazed by the talent of our students. In the Heights was a rousing success and exceeded all of my expectations. Usually I find time to see a rehearsal or catch a glimpse of an act. Aside from a quick song at a Board meeting I went in completely cold. The show blew my mind. Right from the start Kevin Merino set the pace. His portrayal of Usnavi had everyone talking. Where have you been? This has been the year of the newbies. Tommy Mulane started in The Diary of Anne Frank and now Kevin, Sangmin and Missy Dunlop round out a formidable trio. All three competed for best one liners. A more common occurrence is when an actor that has ensemble parts rise to steal scenes. There was no shortage of “scene stealers”- Rohit Singla, Kristyn Velez, Bonnie Small, Eric Timlin, Alexandra DiStasi and Brittany Vera all had incredible moments that left the audience mesmerized. In attendance was the cast from Malverne HS who put on the show last week. They particularly liked Matt Eisen ‘s Piragua solos! (so did I!) Lastly, I am speechless when Rebecca Bastos sings. She hits every note and then some! (X-factor try outs on April 25th) The ensemble is always critical but this show really depended on them. Fantastic job – singing and dancing really was superb! Shout outs to Aldany Diaz (great Salsa), Michelle Serna (rooftop singing), Jacob (great dancing?). The set looked amazing as well as the giant painted backdrop featuring the Bridge. Joe Owens continues to top himself year after year. I am grateful he continues to put his heart and soul into each production. He was assisted by the district’s super girl Jaclyn Lusardi (what are we going to do without you next year?) and newcomer to HS shows Drew Smith. The pit sounded wonderful thanks to Don Carreras. Lyrics were clear and sounded beautiful thanks to Meg Messina. Welcome home Aislinn Oliveri- Thoroughly Modern Millie has returned and is now teaching dance. Finally special thanks to all of the unsung heroes-the crew. As a former stage manager I know the show doesn’t happen without you. Kudos to all on a job well done.