It’s crazy times here, what with starting a new job and all that. But I want to take a moment to urge you to see the national tour of In The Heights — currently playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through January 3.

The hip cast is fantastic, the music is like confetti for the ears, and the stories, which blend and weave within each other, are beautifully moving. As I’ve no time to summarize the show in my own words, I’m blatantly pulling this from the In The Heights web site:

In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in Manhattan’s Washington Heights – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

It’s a joy from beginning to end. Keep an eye out for Isabel Santiago as feisty fireball hairdresser Daniela — a crowd favorite who’s walking (and dancing!) on what seems to be a twisted ankle. Also, the darling Arielle Jacobs as Nina, the driven, young undergrad who comes home with disappointing news for her eager parents, is giving an honest, emotionally raw performance. Kyle Beltran, who serves as a sort of audience gateway into this lively community, is charismatic and engaging enough — if just a touch too young and perhaps a bit timid. And I have to say I’m so happy Natalie Toro, a former Evita, has a featured role in this great show. She’s wonderful, and stands out in every scene she’s in.

Shit. The whole cast is wonderful.

I’m reviewing for EDGE, so my thoughts will be more processed by then (we hope!)

See it!