Jordin Sparks Sparkled in "In The Heights!"

Last August, my then very pregnant sister and I watched the Tony Award-winning musical "In The Heights" on Broadway. We took advantage of the fact that Jordin Sparks was guest-starring in the role of Nina (until November 14th only). It was her first Broadway performance and indeed, she sparkled! The audience cheered the moment she appeared onstage. She looks tall in person! (She probably got the height from her football-player dad) She has a kissing scene, too!

Ignoring the announcement prior to the show, I was able to sneak a snapshot of the stage. Hey, we weren't the only stubborn ones in the audience! See the girl in the black outfit down there? She had her photo taken while sitting on the edge of the stage!

The musical is about the struggles of different characters in a Latino neighborhood in New York's Washington Heights. The Dominicano hero, a convenience store clerk named Usnavi (whose name has a funny etymology in the story) raps his dream of a better life by winning the lottery AND the secret love of her life (which matters more than the $96,000 lotto jackpot to him). The original Usnavi is the musical's creative genius, Lin-Manuel Miranda. His story-telling style is like a Caribbean-flavored Eminem.

Heartfelt and full of hope it was! The bilingual chatter also adds to the show's comedic factor. Each character will endear you: from the positively amusing Piragua guy to Nina's abuela Claudia. Near the end, it got emotional that you can hear sniffles across the darkened theater. Yes, I got teary-eyed, too because I remembered my deceased grandparents.

Despite the varied flags that fly on their small neighborhood in the "Heights," they all share common dreams that we can all relate to. Running a family business that may require PCI compliant hosting to keep up with the times, finding support and comfort in one's family, and that elusive, life-changing lottery prize.

Here's a clip of the "96,000" song performed during the 2008 Tony Awards in which they won multiple awards including "Best Musical."

What would YOU do if you won 96 grand dineros? Would you stay or would you go?



This inspiring musical ends its Broadway run on January 9th, 2011!