Blackout: In The Heights Powerful Act One Closer

 The lights shut out, or I should say the ones on stage, and suddenly this upbeat musical scene of the club, mixing comedy, drama, and some great dance numbers has all dissolved into chaos. There is one more song in "In The Heights" before the curtain falls. This summer time show that loves to talk about romance, dreams, the heat, shaved ice, and many other topics taking place in the heat of the summer season. A show about family, friends, and the world around us. The song "Blackout" takes everything, and everyone we have seen so far and throws them into one situation, of losing power in the midst of a heat wave, unless you watch the movie which goes in a similar, and sometimes different direction, but today I am going to focus on the one we hear on stage and hear in the original cast album.

Usnavi goes looking for Abuela Claudia and finds her, Benny and Nina argue, Nina's father looks for her and her mother, Venessa and many of the cast seem lost, trying to navigate the chaos, and Sunny with his friend try to use fireworks to fend of looters. Looting, voices shouting over each other, people searching for each other, as our cast navigates through the night.

The voices of the cast echoing over each other, working in great harmonies, as each moment culminates the fireworks. The fireworks uniting everyone no matter the problem they are facing may be in that moment, making the ensample one voice as they see the different colors light up the night sky. The ensemble between these moments shouting out a lyric with a deep double meaning. "We are Powerless". Not only is the electricity out for miles, but many times in the show, it has been shown that everyone is stressed, and is not the best off financially. The song "96,000" highlights just how much people would need that kind of cash to make a better life. They are without power, and feel powerless in their community. That line echoes so much as this is a community of many different African American, Afro Latino, and Latino cultures, saying that they are facing a great problem, and can not change it. A lyric packed on all ends that stays in my mind every time I listen to this song.

The instrumentation, use of the whole cast, and the lyrics, make this song packed from the moment it begins with energy that carries until it stops. Until the last note is hit this song never stops. This song is a great listen but also has some emotional moments the audience can connect with. This is a great way to show the characters all dealing with the same event, almost like earlier where it was most of the cast singing about how they would use the money of a winning lottery ticket. Putting everyone in the same scenario and seeing how they would react shows their character and how each one stands out in the story without creating unique scenarios for each one which I appreciate. 

There is only one solo in this song only lasting mere seconds before going into mostly duets and the whole ensemble. Highlighting the voices almost trying to climb over each other as everyone navigates this hectic event no one asked for. Most of the characters either interacting with each other or singing at the same time which captures the feeling needed. The emotion of panic, is offset in another certain moment I want to highlight.

As mentioned earlier Usnavi goes into the night, leaving his friends and date to find Abuela Claudia, when they meet up, she gives him the money she won in the lottery to protect it, trusting the boy she practically raised, now fully grown with an important task. Right before that exchange you hear his relief that she is okay, as she admires the stars she gets to see and enjoy. In that moment she gets to enjoy the stars in the sky she rarely sees, taking joy in the midst of this blackout in this simple, quiet moment. Then there is one lyric that hits me "You're Not Alone Tonight" first said by Usnavi, then repeated but now said by Usnavi and Abuela.

This one moment is beyond sweet, as everyone shouts about feeling powerless, about trying to survive the night, these two family members reassure each other. Usnavi who has not found the courage to take the next step with Vanessa, and Abuela who has worked so hard and is later stated to have made the neighborhood her family. Reminding me of my own relationship with my own grandmother, this lyric much like the one I mentioned is packed with emotion.

This song is worth a listen, the movie version is very different so you could listen to both, but I wanted to highlight the stage version today because that is the one I prefer, I enjoy both soundtracks but still have my preferences based on versions. Watch the movie, or at least listen to this song, the instrumentation, emotions, and lyrics are fantastic. This song, much like the fireworks hanging over the skies of Washington Heights should be marveled and enjoyed, even if for a moment in the midst of pure chaos. 

The 78th Annual Tony Awards... Performance Of Hamilton

 Yeah, I didn't tune into the Tonys this year. I just didn't really follow Death Becomes Her, Boop, Dead Outlaw or really any new shows. Unlike last year with The Outsiders, Hell's Kitchen, and some other shows, and the years previous, I did not feel a draw to the musicals performing this year aside from Maybe Happy Ending. The shows from this season I will get around to at some point, I am sure when I am looking for new shows to listen to, in the sea of shows both old in new, I may discover some songs or even shows from this season that I enjoy. The one thing I had to look into though was the heavily advertised Hamilton reunion performance, as after this month, the monthly Hamilton posts collimating in the entire month of July being about Hamilton to acknowledge it's tenth anniversary series this blog has been going on this year will conclude. It's been fun to look back at songs, characters, and now this performance. 

This was advertised so much, even sometimes as the reason to tune in and how it was on exclusive streaming services. Built up as this grand return which is cool, but this also lasted a little over five minutes. And not every single show from this season got to perform even, which means this show that is ten years old was picked, and used for advertising to try and get a boost, over shows that are currently running and could use the screen time better, Hamilton is already a household name. 

There were complains about the audio before the performance on social media, and I have to agree. During the performance there were times that I could barely hear the singing because the mics were so quiet, which has not been an issue in the past, even during the Tony Awards that Hamilton swept in which was the first one I ever watched.

When I could hear it, it was a cool, nice, little medley of songs from Act One and one song Act Two of Hamilton. Blending together, it was nice, many of the of the actors got to have their moment which was nice, from "Nonstop", to "My Shot", "The Schuyler Sisters" and more, it was a great use of songs. Seeing the cast perform again was great, even though it felt like the point where some lyrics were cut to make it a medley felt a little choppy and run as smoothly. 

Everyone wore black, which was a surprise because I thought as did many that the cast would be suiting up again in their old costumes. But this seems more as a tribute, a nice addition, that was added, and fun way to showcase a show ten years later. This was more experimental way then it was a recreation, more so performing the songs we all know, in a different way. 

When I first heard this news I thought it was going to be just one ensemble song, perhaps the one that started it all and starts the show "Alexander Hamilton" as it does showcase everyone and has plenty of moments for solos, since "York Town The World Turned Upside Down" was the song performed the last time this show strutted across the Tony Award Stage. That song was used again and that surprised me because that is not new for the Tonys, not even Mulligans swearing that needs to be bleeped, that happened last time too. 

The song choice was fine, and it was nice, and the whole crew got the loudest applause of the night with a standing ovation. That shows that all this time later Hamilton still has an impact, it is still in the mainstream to be covered, performed, and parodied. This show changed Broadway and opened the door to shows that could try different styles and music genres and step outside of the norm, many of those new shows I love. Shows that don't follow the traditional musical theater sound, or follow the rule of being two acts even. So was this a nice tribute, yes. But it was not without bumps in the road, some of the lyric splicing was messy and the crowd was so excited with audio that was so low that even on multiple viewings it is hard to hear.

This was very cool, and I enjoyed it, but I was not as hyped as I wish I was. Hamilton will always be in my top three, it will always be special to me, I have seen it multiple times, watched the Disney Plus proshot, I still listen to it all the time. I love the Hamilton Mixtape, the Hamildrops, the covers, the remixes, all of it. So it should be celebrated, but I do think not giving current shows a time to shine, and heavily advertising this and using it as a marketing push was not the best. I think this should of been treated as the icing on the cake, not as the cake itself. just as all the reunion performances of RENT, Wicked, Hairspray, and the like were not too long ago. But at the end of the day it was a celebration I am glad I viewed, a medley that had a lot of heart in it, and is just another reminder of why this show still all this time later means so much to me as the first time I put in my earbuds and heard "My Shot" for the first time.