The genius behind 'In the Heights' comes to Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Ifirst met Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda over lunch at Bond 45 in New York City on a cold winter day early in 2011. Arranged by Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization president and executive director Ted Chapin, the lunch was an opportunity for me to meet the genius behind In the Heights, the musical we would be staging in Manila later that year.

Charming, gracious and excited about our production, Lin-Manuel was hoping he would be able to make it to the show’s opening night, especially since our production would be the first internationally licensed production of the musical. We kept in touch during the months leading up to opening night, and unfortunately he was scheduled to shoot a movie with Dayanara Torres during our opening. He wouldn’t be able to make it to Manila.

But, fortunately, his schedule was free to fly to Manila for the opening night of the repeat run, which goes on stage until March 25 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. We are thrilled to welcome him to Manila, which will be his first visit here. But it seems as though he knows a lot more about the Philippines than we all think.

What follows are some questions I threw at Lin in preparation for his long flight to Manila.

BOBBY GARCIA: What is your first memory of being moved by music? Who were your early inspirations in music?

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA: I don’t have very many non-musical memories. My parents had crates and crates of records, and I remember going through them and putting them on from a very young age. Everything from “El Gran Combo” to “Thriller” to cast albums: “Man Of La Mancha,” “Camelot.” I remember my mother blasting “Camelot” in the car, and how much the music moved her. I always collected movie soundtracks: Footloose, Karate Kid, John Williams. I loved the pop songs and made up storylines to the instrumental sections. I was also at a formative age during the Disney musical golden age. Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Lion King. I couldn’t believe how well the music told the story in those movies. They had a profound effect on me.

You write both lyrics and music. Can you take us through a little bit of what that process is like for you?

Every song is different, but each one starts by first figuring out the dramatic moment, what needs to happen. Sometimes I write the music first, record it onto my iPod, and walk around with it, or write the lyrics as I listen to it on the subway. Sometimes I’ll start with a phrase and roll it around in my head until it suggests music. Sometimes it all comes at once, and every songwriter is grateful for those days.

Can you tell us more about freestyling and how you got into it?

I had friends who were very good at it in high school, and I was always too intimidated to do it. Somewhere in college, a switch flipped in my brain. I think I had done so much songwriting by that point that I figured I would be able to improvise on the fly. As Freestyle Love Supreme began to take shape, and we began improvising in front of crowds, it slowly became second nature. At this point, it’s like a part of my brain that I can access when I need it. No, it’s more like a filter. As information passes through, I have a filter that knows how to make the words rhyme as they’re coming out.

You began to write In the Heights at 19. How has the show evolved from when you first conceived it until it opened on Broadway?  

I’ve answered this question a lot of times, so I’m going to answer it with another question. How different are you as an adult than you were as a teenager? That’s how different the first draft of Heights was from the Broadway version. The college version was a love story that happened to be set in Washington Heights. The Broadway version is a musical about a community, and it’s much more sophisticated and self-assured. We grew up as we continued to work on the show. One reason is I learned my craft while working on draft after draft. Another was my incredible creative team — Tommy Kail is just as much a dramaturg as he is a director, and his questions and input always pushed the work forwards. Quiara Alegria Hudes, our librettist, joined us in 2004 and really shaped the story, and focusing the characters to really make them a community. Alex and Bill were really integral to helping us figure out the musical identity of this show, and making the Latin and hip-hop elements cohere.  

As a composer and lyricist (and not as a co-actor), what are some of your pet peeves when it comes to performers? Alternately, what are some qualities you look for in performers?

 I just finished working with Stephen Sondheim on a production of Merrily We Roll Along, and I think of something he told me at the end of the run: “There’s nothing better for a show than leaving the actors alone with the material. They find things you never would have anticipated.” We always look for performers who are not locked into one way of approaching a scene, who can adjust on the fly, because in live theater, it’s essential. And every composer’s pet peeve is needless riffing.

The audiences in Manila leave the theater with huge smiles on their faces. They have come up to me to tell me how much joy In the Heights has brought them.  We share a common ancestry with you and most of the characters in In the Heights, so the show feels very FIlipino, in many ways.  How does it feel to have your show embraced so lovingly more than 6,000 miles away from where you first created it? 

It feels wonderful! I got so many positive tweets and messages about that first run. I’m thrilled I’ll be able to see it for myself.

What have your Filipino friends told you about the Philippines?  What are you looking forward to on your first visit to the Philippines?

One of my best friends is Aileen Payumo, who played Nina in my Wesleyan production of Heights, and grew up in Subic. So I have been hearing about the Philippines for years, and I can’t wait for all of it. The nature (I wrote a paper on Mt. Pinatubo in college), the people, and, of course, your production.

You have had several Filipino performers in various companies of In the Heights in the US.  What can you say about their talent?

I think the fact that Filipinos and Latinos share a common language and ancestry is enormously helpful in terms of performing this show. It’s a show in which family plays such an important role. Aileen, Daniel Cruz, Chris Chatman, they’re all incredibly talented performers, and help tell this story incredibly well.

Have you learned any Filipino words or phrases yet? 

Duuuude, pare, I know a lot of slang, including some insults unfit for print. I even wrote a song called Hey, Kaibigan back in college!

* * *

For tickets contact Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.