Family isn’t just about relatives. It can be people who connect because they live in the same neighborhood and care deeply about each other like the residents “In the Heights” who are portrayed in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical. (The book is by Quiara Alegria Hudes).
Marriott Theatre is taking audiences to that neighborhood Jan. 24-March 17 under the direction of James Vásquez.
Performances are 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sundays, plus select performances at 1 p.m. Thursdays.
This is the third time that Vásquez has directed “In the Heights.” “What’s really exciting about it is every time I have done it, it has been in a different space,” Vásquez said. “So it has forced me to think about the show in a fresh, new way.” His previous productions were in a proscenium theater and on a thrust stage. This time, he’s directing it in the round.
“The show is about a community,” the director said. “Here in the round it gives us such an opportunity to really invite the Lincolnshire audience to be a part of the neighborhood.”
There are some challenges, however.
“The show takes place inside the shops and it takes place outdoors, often with very quick shifts back and forth. Navigating how the neighborhood operates has been a fun challenge,” Vásquez said.
Even though Washington Heights is a primarily Dominican community, Vásquez is convinced the residents’ stories are universal. “We all have an abuela — a grandma — in our lives. We all have kids in our life that we root for. We have cousins that are like brothers and sisters,” Vásquez said. “And then, outside of our blood family, we have a chosen family.”
Joseph Morales plays Usnavi, the owner of a small bodega who serves as the narrator. It’s a familiar part for Morales, who was Lin-Manuel Miranda’s understudy for the first Broadway National Tour and then took over the role.
“He is kind of the everyday man,” Morales said of Usnavi. “He is a leader of the community. He navigates the audience through the story.”
Caring for others — especially his abuela — makes him happy, the actor said. Morales noted that Usnavi dreams of moving to the Dominican Republic and lifting his family.
The role is an interesting one for Morales because, “He’s kind of the man I strive to be in life,” he said. “He has an open heart. He’s an optimist in every circumstance and tries his hardest to always do the right thing.”
Paola V. Hernández plays Vanessa, who Usnavi has loved from afar for a long time. “He’s finally working up the nerve to make a move,” Morales said.
“Usnavi brings comfort and respect,” Hernández said of his importance to Vanessa. But she has her own plans.
“She’s a very strong woman who wants to continue to dream,” Hernández said. “She’s a very fiery woman. She really wants to succeed and she works hard for it.”
Vanessa works long hours at a salon, hoping to afford her own apartment.
“She comes from a very toxic environment and she’s trying to leave that,” the actor said.
Hernandez has discovered that she’s not that different from the character she plays and that she can actually learn from Vanessa.
“The more I get to run these scenes and sing these songs, the more I fall in love with her,” Hernández said. “She’s teaching me how to continue on when it comes to struggling with a lot of things.”
Vásquez concluded that all of the cast members “live and breathe this show and this story.” He added that the show is “a beautiful reminder about community and connection.”
‘In the Heights’
When: Jan. 24-March 17
Where: Marriott Theatre, Ten Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Tickets: $60-$73
Information: 847-634-0200; marriotttheatre.com
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.