Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style
BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2013
In the Heights From page 22
Emotional and compelling songs “It Won’t be Long Now,” an Act One song featuring Vanessa, Usnavi and Sonny (Ryan Alvarado), a teenage employee at Usnavi’s bodega, is more schmaltz than salsa, but Harika’s outsized performance adds grit and emotional heft to the show tune. It’s intense, compelling and ultimately uplifting. “Paciencia y Fe” (“Patience and Faith”) is a stirring exploration of the clash of aspiration and struggle, as Freeman’s Abuela leads the company in a floorfilling mélange of melody and melodrama. Act Two opens on a somber note, following a somewhat cataclysmic ending to the first act. It seems like a bleak dawn after the festive first act. But we know the innate humanity of the people in this neighborhood will overcome tribulation, and we’re not disappointed. Soon enough, it’s time for “Carnival del Barrio,” another high-energy production number featuring Santina Maiolatesi in her happy Toby’s debut as Daniela, wisecracking owner of a beauty salon who is eager to re-locate her shop to a better area. I say production number, but here at Toby’s, that means a floor filled with dancing and singing, with just a few minimal props, as it’s theater-in-the-round, and that round space has to serve food just prior to the show. Still, the dance is so eye-catch-
ing and vibrant, and the singing so joyous, and the music so pulsating, that nothing else is really needed. The music, as always at Toby’s, comes from a small live band tucked away in a cramped room, augmented with synthetic sounds emanating from a keyboard. “Alabanza,” mourning the loss of a beloved character (more by-the-numbers emotional manipulation from writer Hudes), becomes an elegiac anthem and a highlight of Act Two. Also of note is the too-brief singing of Tobias Young, in the mostly walk-on role of Piragua Guy, who sells piragua, a frozen, syrupy concoction popular in Puerto Rico. He ends Act One with the song “Piragua” and reprises it near the end of Act Two, unleashing a sweet, soaring voice that we need to hear more of in future productions. The show’s story takes place July 3 through July 5, and Toby’s production runs right through the 4th of July holiday. It’s fitting, as this is an American tale, however often it has been told.
bage,” and “Arroz de la Vega,” which is fiesta rice with spicy tomatoes. In the Heights continues through July 21 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Columbia. The show runs seven days a week with evening and matinee performances.
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Reservations are required. Ticket prices range from $35.50 to $54, depending on which performance is selected. There is ample, free parking on the premises. For reservations and more information, call 1-800-88TOBYS (888-6297) or visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.
Ethnic buffet dishes Making this production a sensation for the palate, as well as the eyes and ears, Toby’s has mixed in some Dominican-flavored dishes to its usual evening buffet fare, included in the ticket price. These include “Abuela’s Pork Goulash,” Dominican Chicken, Pasta Del Dia, “Carnaval Corn Medley,” “Benny’s Broccoli Con Queso,” “Caribbean Braised Cab-
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