“In the Heights,” the winner of four 2008 Tony Awards, including best musical, showcases more than just award-winning music.
“It’s about a street and family and friends and hope,” said actress Taruen Hagans. “My character, Daniella, owns a salon that she’s going to have to move to the Bronx because rent has become too expensive. The story takes place in three neighboring businesses and features family. There is a traditional family, an extended family and the family my character has, which is made up of the people she works with.”
While the show, coming to the Grand Opera House on Wednesday and Thursday, is definitely a feel good show, Hagans said that it deals with real life.
“It’s about the inevitability of change and finding the strength to face changes with humor and grace,” she said.
There are 23 cast members involved in the touring performance.
“We spend a lot of time together,” Hagans said. “We travel together, we work together, we play together. We started this tour in October and other than a few weeks off during the holidays, we’ll be on the road until June. This is my first big national tour and it’s a lot of fun, but the glamour of staying in hotels has long worn off -- although room service is still very cool.”
Hagans said the show draws a wide variety of audience members.
“The variety of musical styles is amazing and it has everything in the mix: hip-hop, rap, R&B and traditional musical theater styles,” she said. “It’s fun because a lot of people who wouldn’t normally hear rap, hear it in our show. The opposite is true, too. A lot of fans of rap who wouldn’t normally go to a show come to ours. It just proves that this is really a universal story for all audiences, although I’d say 10 years or older. There’s comic relief, and gossip, and funny moments, and great songs.”
One such song, which is Hagans favorite, is “96,000.”
“It’s a song about the game you play when you wonder how you’d spend the Lotto winnings. I play that game with my sisters every time the Lotto gets big at home. It’s just a really great song that I think a lot of people will relate to,” she said.
So far, “In the Heights” has mainly toured up north.
“We’re all looking forward to coming to Macon,” Hagans said. “We’re in Chicago right now and it is freezing. We’ve come to Atlanta and Athens already and loved Georgia, so we’re excited to be coming back.”
As for a reason to attend the show, Hagans said it’s because the show “is amazing.”
“The dancing is incredible, the lighting and sets are pretty, and the songs are infectious. People will see someone in this show that reminds them of their lives. You will see yourself and your friends and your life. It’s just too good to miss and I hope everyone comes out to see it.”
“In the Heights”
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday
Where: Grand Opera House, 651 Mulberry St.
Phone: 301-5460
Cost: $40-$48
