Here’s
the second installment of In the Heights
songs. Nice mix of lighter “flavor”
numbers like “No Me Diga” and “Piragua” and more heavy-hitters like
“96,000” (the song that, at the Tony’s, introduced me to Lin-Manuel Miranda as
a composer) and “Paciencia y Fe”
(some spoilers.)
“No Me
Diga”
– This is a nice bit of fluff, a fun character piece that nudges the main ships
a little and circles around to Nina’s plot toward the end. Great harmonies from the ladies, and I like
the sense it creates of Daniela and Carla’s personalities.
Best
lyric: “Carla! / He’s packing a stretch
limousine!”
“96,000” – Another “I want” song, this one features a
good chunk of the main cast. When it’s
discovered that a winning lotto ticket was sold at Usnavi’s bodega, word
spreads through the neighborhood and everyone imagines what they’d do with the
money, funding everything from education to relocation to urban rehabilitation.
Best
lyric: “For real, though, / Imagine how
it would feel goin’ real slow / Down the highway of life with no regrets, / And
no breakin’ your neck / For respect / Or a paycheck.”
“Paciencia
y Fe”
– Just beautiful, a ballad of Abuela Claudia’s immigration from Cuba as a
child. The delicate balance between
struggle and hope is so plaintive, and I like that Abuela highlights the
positives and negatives of both La Vibora and New York.
Best
lyric: “Ay Mamá, what do you do / When
your dreams come true? / I’ve spent my life / Inheriting dreams from you.”
“When You’re Home” – A lot going on
here. This is the first song between
Nina and Benny that really starts moving them toward romance, and it also
explores Nina’s feelings about being home, her continuing worry that she’s let
her parents and the neighborhood down, and fond memories both of them have of
growing up in Washington Heights. I love
Benny’s warmth and delight as he takes Nina on the trip down memory lane, and
Nina’s solo in the second half of the song is great.
Best
lyric: “I used to think we lived at the
top of the world / When the world was just a subway map.”
“Piragua” – Piragua Guy is such a great addition to this story. He doesn’t even has a name, but he gets his
own song (with a reprise, no less!), just one person in a bustling neighborhood
working toward his goals bit by bit. I
love his exuberance and tenacity, which are introduced here and brought to
fruition later in the show.
Best
lyric: “I keep scraping by the fading
light. / Hey, pana, this is my town!”
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