In the Heights

Plot

Stage Show: Act 1

The musical opens with the sun rising on the hottest day of summer in Washington Heights, a largely Hispanic New York City borough. The audience meets Usnavi de la Vega, the owner of a small bodega in the borough, chases away a graffiti artist, Graffiti Pete. He introduces the audience to the corner he lives on along with some of its residents. We meet Abuela Claudia, the matriarchal figure who helped raised Usnavi and mothers the whole corner. We meet Sonny, Usnavi's young, lazy cousin with big dreams who helps run the bodega. We meet Daniela and Carla, gossipy women who run the local salon. We meeet Kevin and Camila Rosario who run the local cab company ("In the Heights"). Throughout the day, the Rosarios' daughter Nina, the pride of the corner who "made it out," arrives home from her first year at Stanford University. She dreads telling her family and neighbors the truth that she dropped out of Stanford due to losing her scholarship after her grades dropped from working two jobs to maintain tuition ("Breathe"). Before finding her parents, Nina runs into Benny, Usnavi's best friend and an employee of Nina's father Kevin. The clearly have romantic feelings for each other and begin to reconnect ("Benny's Dispatch"). Elsewhere, Vanessa, an employee of Daniela and Carla and long time crush of Usnavi, dreams of leaving behind Washington Heights and getting an apartment downtown in the West Village ("It Won't Be Long Now"). While she is on break at the salon, Sonny asks her on a date on Usnavi's behalf, an invitation that Vanessa accepts. Usnavi rejoices, but worries that Vanessa will forget about him and their community when she moves.

Finally, Nina reunites with her parents and reveals that she dropped out. Her parents are shocked at this information as well as her dishonesty about it. Kevin is devastated that he could not provide for his family, specifically Nina, and laments continuing the cycle that his poor tenant farmer father started ("Inútil"). Nina seeks comfort from Vanessa, Daniela, and Carla in the salon. She is subjected to their gossip about the neighborhood, specfically Nina and Vanessa's respective love interests - Benny and Usnavi ("No Me Diga"). Eventually, the conversation turns to Nina and her sucesses, forcing her to again reveal that she dropped out.

As Usnavi closes the shop, he discovers, along with Benny, Sonny, and Graffiti Pete, that the bodega sold a winning lottery ticket worth $96,000. They, as well as the rest of the block, begin to dream about what they would do with the money ("96,000"). As the excitement dies down, Abuela Claudia reminisces about her childhood in Cuba, life of poverty, and events that lead to her life in Washington Heights ("Paciencia y Fe"). Elsewhere, Nina finds comfort with Benny who walks around the neighborhood with her reminiscing about their childhood ("When You're Home"). As they head to Nina's house for dinner, the local Piragua Guy continues his day selling piraguas, Puerto Rican shaved ice, throughout the intense heat of the summer while competing with Mister Softee, an American ice cream truck franchise ("Piragua").

At the Rosario dinner, Nina, Benny, Usnavi, Vanessa, and Abuela Claudia are subject to an accouncement: Kevin sold the cab company to pay for Nina's Stanford tuition. Nina and Camila are shocked, but Benny is furious because he had dreamed about taking over the buisness. Kevin insists that Benny could never haven taken over the buisness because he isn't family, and isn't Hispanic. Benny storms about followed by Nina who refuses to accept the money.

Later on, Usnavi arrives at a local club for his date with Vanessa feeling incredibly nervous and acting overly aloof. As a result, Vanessa dances with other guys to make him jealous; Usnavi finds his own dance partner and also tries to make Vanessa jealous. Nina folows Benny to the same club trying to apologize for her father's decision and words, but Benny, who is drunk, angrily brushes her off("The Club"). Tensions rise in the club as both couple deal with their emotions. Eventually, Benny punches a man dancing with Nina, causing a fight to break out. It is interrupted by a sudden city-wide blackout due to the intense heat and humidity of the summer day. The neighborhood descends into chaos as Usnavi and Vanessa, and Benny and Nina, search for each other. Sonny and Graffiti Pete set of fireworks to distract robbers, guard the bodega, and light the way home for everyone. Usnavi finds Abuela claudia who surprises Usnavi with her lottery winnings from the $96,000 ticket. Benny and Nina find each other amid the chaos, argue, and eventually kiss ("Blackout"). Source: In the Heights Wikipedia, "Synopsis - Act 1"

Stage Show: Act 2

Nina and Benny spend the night together at Benny's apartment while Kevin frantically searches for her. Benny worries about what Kevin will say about their relationship, but is ultimately happy to finally be with her ("Sunrise"). Down the street, Usnavi finds the bodega looted and discusses what will happen with the money with Abuela Claudia. Abuela Claudia decides that she wants to give both Sonny and Usnavi a third of the money. She urges Usnavi to use his share of the money to achieve his lifelong dream of returning to his home in the Dominican Republic. Usnavi shares his doubts, but ultimately decides to go ("Hundreds of Stories"). Eventually, Nina returns home to her worried parents revealing that she was with Benny. Kevin expresses his disapproval of the relationship since Benny isn't Latino. Nina and Kevin loudly fight until Camila intervenes, criticizing Kevin for throwing Benny out and Nina for not coming home. She urges them to work things out as a family ("Enough").

The neighborhood is extremely frustrated over the heat and the continued blackout. Daniela tries to energize the neighborhood into a celebration. The block ultimately tries to make the most of a bad situation. Daniela leads the crowd in mocking Vanessa for not recognizing that Usnavi had feelings for her as well as teasing Benny for his night spent with Nina. Usnavi emerges and announces that Abuela Claudia won the lottery as well as that they will be leaving for the Dominican Republic the following day. Vanessa and Sonny are both incredibly upset about his leaving. Usnavi calms Sonny down by revealing that a third of the money is going to him. He rouses the excitement of the block oncce more by encouraging them to celebrate before everything changes forever ("Carnaval del Barrio").

As the celebration and dancing dies down, an upset Nina pulls Usnavi offstage as Kevin makes an annoucement to the barrio through the dispatch: Abuela Claudia died suddenly ("Atención"). Usnavi holds a memorial for Abuela Claudia, revealing that she died from a combination of stress and stifling heat. Nina leads the block in singing Abuela's praises ("Alabanza"). Afterward, Usnavi and Nina reminisce as they go through Abuela Claudia's old photos. Nina recalls how important Abuela Claudia was to her education. In memory of her, she decides to accept the money Kevin made by selling the cab company in order to return to Standford at the end of the summer ("Everything I Know"). As Vanessa prepares to move out of the neighborhood, Daniela gives her a cruical piece of information: Usnavi convinced her to cosign Vanessa's new lease so that Vanessa could get it. The blackout continues as the Piragua Guy rejoices in how the heat has improved his buisness ("Piragua (Reprise)").

Overwhelmed by Usnavi's kind act, Vanessa visits Usnavi as he cleans up his looted bodega. She flirts with him and offers him a bottle of cold champagne. She suggests to the distracted Usnavi that he should stay in Washington Heights to take care of Sonny and stay in their lives. Usnavi firmly rejects her pleas. Vanessa kisses his before leaving, lamenting that she realized her reciprocal feelings for Usnavi too late ("Champagne"). As Nina tells Benny about her Stanford decision, they agree to spend the summer together and maintain a long-distance relationship when she leaves. They promise to think of each other every day they are apart as Benny determines to eventually make his way out West to California with her ("When The Sun Goes Down"). Benny confronts Kevin again, insisting that he was always their for him. As the night winds down, we see Sonny approach Graffiti Pete with a secrete proposition; Pete accepts.

With the next morning, it is clear that the neighborhood has changed. The car service sign on the Rosario building has been removed and the bodega grate is still open. As Usnavi plays one of Abuela Claudia's old records, he accepts that the corner is about to change forever. He wonders if anyone will notice that he's gone. Before he leaves, Sonny brings him to the bodega's open grate. When Sonny pulls the grate down, he reveals a graffiti mural of Abuela Claudia painted by Pete. When Usnavi sees the mural, he has an epiphany and has Sonny and Graffiti Pete tell the neighborhood that he has decided to stay. The musical ends with Usnavi reflecting on his role as the neighborhood's storyteller, a possible future with Vanessa, and the importance of ensuring that his family's legacy is remembered. He accepts that this corner in Washington Heights is his true home ("Finale"). Source: In the Heights Wikipedia, "Synopsis - Act 2"

Movie Adaptation

Based on the trailers and coverage of the movie adapation, the plot is expected to be very similar to that of the stage show. The main differences are that two new characters have been added meaning some character relationships will be changed. The movie also expands on certain characters. For example, the trailer shows Vanessa showing Usnavi her dream of fashion design. Some plot changes may be expected as the trailer opens with Usnavi telling the story of Washington Heights to several children on what appears to be an island. The characters in the trailer also seem to focus on the gentrification of the neighborhood more so than the stage show, even though that persists as an important theme in the above plot.

Musical Numbers

Act 1

Act 2

Source: In the Heights Wikipedia, "Musical numbers"

Listen to "In the Heights (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" here!

Or, give the intro song "In the Heights" from the stage show a listen below!