The final weekend of LBCC’s production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” drew a large crowd of people to the Bob and Barbara Ellis auditorium.
Attendees started to arrive almost an hour before the musical started at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14.
The family of the lead character Usnavi, played by Joel Rodriguez, came to support him.
Danny Rodriguez, Joel Rodriguez’s older brother, came all the way from Arkansas to see Joel perform.
“I was proud of him,” said Rodriguez after he found out his brother had received the lead role in the musical.
“For as long as I could remember, he’s always been really good at doing stuff like this. He’s always pretty goofy and he’s pretty serious too, but it’s kind of weird to kind of see how natural it could be,” Rodriguez said.
One of the most climatic moments was during the beginning number of the musical “In the Heights” as Rodriguez, playing Usnavi, raps and introduces himself as well as the rest of the cast, while everyone around him dances their heart out.
Throughout the play, ombre background lights set the tone for most scenes, with a recurrent sky fading from blue to pink representing a casual day.
In moments of intensity, vibrant, yet deep colors took over the background.
Dimly lit stage for the play ‘In the Heights’ on Tuesday, March, 4 2025 at LBCC Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium. The play will open for the public on Friday, March, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16. (Jose Calix) 
Joel Rodriguez who plays main character, Usnavi, stands center stage in the beginning number of “In The Heights” musical at the Bob and Barbra Ellis Auditorium, March 4. “In The Heights” will play six shows at LBCC beginning March 7. (Sam Villa) 
The cast of the musical “In the Heights” dances in the first act of the show during the dress rehearsal on Tuesday, March 4. “In the Heights” will run for six shows at LBCC beginning Friday, March 7. (Paloma Maciel) 
Melodee Fernandez, who plays Abuela Claudia in the musical “In the Heights” acts during the dress rehearsal on, March 4. “In the Heights” will run for six shows at LBCC beginning Friday, March 7, 2025 and it’s ending on March 16. (Paloma Maciel) 
The cast of LBCC’s rendition of the musical “In the Heights” acts during Nina’s welcoming dinner during the dress rehearsal on March 4. “In the Heights” will run for six shows at LBCC beginning March 7, and it’s ending on Sunday, March 16. (Paloma Maciel) 
Joel Rodriguez, who plays main character Usnavi, stands in the first number of the musical “In The Heights” at the Bob and Barbra Ellis Auditorium, March 4. “In The Heights” will play six shows at LBCC beggining Friday, March 7. (Sam Villa) 
Actor Natalia Carrera who plays Vanessa, left, dances along with other cast members, looking at actor David Chhom who plays Graffiti Pete, right, during the song “The Club” at the Bob and Barbra Ellis Auditorium, March 4. “In The Heights” will play six shows at LBCC beginning Friday, March 7. (Sam Villa)
When Daisy Johnson, who plays Nina, performed the song “Breathe”, the stage turned a deep purple, as she voiced the overwhelming pressure she felt because everyone expects her to be successful.
Next up in the performance, the club scene was amongst one of the most memorable, as the whole cast changed into fancy, colorful dresses and formal trousers with button ups.
Meringue and salsa were danced with crazy flips, lifts, and even the splits.
Suddenly, at the end of this scene, the lights completely shut off on stage and in the entire theater representing the neighborhood’s power going out.
With the changing of the background from cotton candy ombre to represent the day and to bright solid colors to express dramatic moments, the play followed the pattern of having a climatic moment, slowing down, then escalating once again.
Johnson, as Nina, sang powerful and emotional ballads such as “Breathe,” “When You’re Home,” and “Sunrise.”
Natalia Carrera, who played Vanessa, also belted throughout the musical, most notably in “It Won’t be Long Now” where she is passionate in leaving the neighborhood of Washington Heights in hopes to make a better life for herself.
Along with numbers like “No Me Diga (You Don’t Say)” or in “Champagne” where Vanessa begged Usnavi to stay in their neighborhood and not move to the Dominican Republic.
The show’s costume design consisted of casual streetwear pieces with the ensemble wearing jeans, t-shirts, and button ups.
Yet the hues of hot pink, bright orange, blue, and yellow mixed with funky patterned tops made each scene captivating to behold.
Along with the live orchestra that was a part of the production of the musical, three ASL interpreters attended the event making the event accessible to anyone who would want to attend.
Venus Robertson, who is a part of the theatre program at LBCC and auditioned to be in “In the Heights” was present near the auditorium before the musical started.
Robertson wasn’t going to watch the musical that night, but is eager to watch it on its closing night the next day to support her friends who are in the musical.
“This is like the first musical in like 18, 20 years and you know I’m so happy that we’re finally able to put on a musical and I’m so happy that our dean, or the vice president Dr. Munoz, I’m so happy that he wants to fund the musical, he wants to fund the theatre department so that we can put on more musicals. And I can not wait to see that happen and for more future shows to come, and I can not wait to be a part of that,” Robertson expressed.
After two months of preparation for this musical, where cast members underwent rigorous training in acting, singing, and dancing, and with the collective efforts of the director, the orchestra, and a world of designers, “In the Heights” will come to an end on March 16.
“Getting to perform it was unbelievably fun. We get to experience what it’s like to have an audience, just like to have people sit and wait, and sometimes they’ll applaud after a scene, if they’re surprised by the acting. But every scene has a song in it and the audience is just so excited that it just reinvigorates your energy every scene, every time you’re on stage, it’s fun,” said Jaylen Ferrera, a cast member part of the ensemble.
LBCC’s next musical production will be “Into the Woods” and it is set to perform in March of 2026.
The director of the musical is not yet known, but auditions will start in early Dec. of this year.
“In the Heights” will have its closing performance on Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. in the Bob and Barbara Ellis Auditorium located in the J building on the LAC Campus.
Tickets can be purchased at www.lbcc.edu/performingarts under the section “Purchase Tickets” or before the show starts at the box office in front of the auditorium.