YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Caitlyn Santiago was drawn into theater by the works of playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The Youngstown resident was gripped by Miranda’s landmark musical “Hamilton” and it spurred her to take part in shows at Youngstown State University theater when she was a student there.
But it was “In the Heights,” written by Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes, that made a more personal connection to her.
“One of the reasons why I felt so deeply connected to ‘In the Heights’ is because there aren’t a lot of stories that talk about the Latino experience,” Santiago says. “What got me into theater was ‘Hamilton.’ But I felt like I was really seen once I discovered ‘In the Heights.’”
Santiago is directing the Youngstown Playhouse’s season-opening production of the show, which opens Aug. 28 and runs through Sept. 6.
“In the Heights” is set in Washington Heights, a New York neighborhood whose residents are mostly Hispanic.
Santiago is of Puerto Rican heritage, and she relates to the interpersonal connections depicted in the musical.
“I share a lot of the sentiments that our main character, Nina Rosario, does,” Santiago says. “She has to drop out of college [for financial reasons], and she doesn’t want to disappoint anyone because her family has worked so hard all their lives, and that’s kind of how I felt in my own personal life. You know, my family has worked so hard, and I don’t want to disappoint them, and I also want to work hard, but also I am struggling.”
The musical was the first show she ever saw that is centered around Puerto Ricans in an American city.
“After I discovered it, I wanted to do it,” Santiago says. “It’s funny because [directing ‘In the Heights’] has been a dream for myself and my stage manager [Isa Foltz}, who are both Puerto Rican. When we first started working at the Playhouse together, I told her, ‘One day I’m going to direct ‘In the Heights’ and you’re going to be my stage manager and we’re going to be the Puerto Ricans running this show.’ And we’re doing it!”
It feels good to see characters similar to oneself onstage, she says, but it’s a rare feeling for most folks in the Latino community. For that reason, they can be reluctant to get involved in theater.
Santiago feared that only a few would audition for the roles, but that was not the case.
“It’s very warming to my heart to look at my cast and see a beautiful array of Black, Hispanic and lots of different people of color,” she says.
The cast includes Donovan Rubante, Malina Funes-Kendrick, Savannah Hernandez, Justin Pope, Missy Rentas, Austin Barriger, Naté Jones, Julia Stefanowicz, CJ Hall, Zavier Rubante and Angie Mercado.
The ensemble includes Patty Carr, Belita Rubante, Michael Gomez, Mekhi Dawson, Logan Kaminski, Andy Scott, Zion Hunter, Alyssa Moore, Makenna Liller-Dahman, Kate Congo, Jaietta Jackson, Adriana Traficante, Nikita Jones-Beacham, Megan Delaney, Hannah Pasco, Donovan Stringer and Joseph Campbell.
About the Show
“In the Heights” may have the excitement of “Hamilton” – and it makes use of the playwright’s rap-talking style – but it’s a much different show.
“It’s more like your typical musical where you have scenes in between [the songs], with characters interacting, and then getting into a big song,” Santiago says.
The action flows around Usnavi, the owner of the neighborhood’s bodega who takes care of his ailing grandmother.
“The show tells us quite literally of three days in Washington Heights – their different trials and everything else,” she says. “It’s about family. It’s about how the times are changing.”
Another storyline involves the Rosario family, whose daughter, Nina, has dropped out of college because of financial problems. The family is selling its business to raise money for her to return to school.
“And then we have the girls at the local beauty salon,” Santiago says. “It’s getting too expensive for them to live in Washington Heights, so they’re packing up and moving somewhere cheaper.”
Santiago says the show “dips into what it’s like to live in a Latino community. … Like in the Rosarios, for example, you see the kind of family dynamic that they have, one that is very similar in a lot of Latino households.”
Choreographer
“In the Heights” has its share of lively dance scenes, and the Playhouse production has the rare good fortune of having a Broadway veteran as its choreographer.
Amber Ardolino squeezed the Youngstown show into her schedule. She spent a full week with the cast in late July and early August, and planned to return for another segment before opening night.
A native of Beaver County, Pa., Ardolino is a Broadway actress who has appeared in “Hamilton,” “A Beautiful Noise,” “Back to the Future, the Musical,” “Funny Girl,” “Head Over Heels,” “Moulin Rouge” and “The Great Gatsby.”
She also appeared as a dancer in the 2021 film adaptation of “In the Heights,” and in the TV shows “Law & Order: SVU” and “Elsbeth.”
Her only link to the Playhouse is Tyler Stouffer, the Playhouse’s managing director, who befriended her years ago when both were doing a show at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland, Pa.
Ardolino lives in New York, but Stouffer contacted her when she had returned to her hometown to choreograph a show at Lincoln Park.
“Tyler was like, ‘Well, she’s kind of in town. Let’s see if she can do ‘In the Heights,’” Santiago recalls. “And she did!”
The director says she has long admired Ardolino’s work and feels honored to work with her.
“I discovered her many many years ago, when I first started my theater career, and now I had the chance to work with her,” she exclaims. “You always get nervous when you meet famous people, professional people, because you never know what you’re going to get. But she’s so authentic and so sweet and genuine. She encouraged the cast so much, and she enjoyed working with them. And they really enjoyed working with her. She was just a normal person with us, even though she has worked with so many amazing theater legends. She gave us her time and her energy, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
A Great Experience
Stouffer says Ardolino’s involvement was a great bonus for the cast members.
“They’re having the time of their lives, and Amber has been blown away by the professionalism of our staff and the cast,” he says. “She’s amazed by the amount of talent here.”
Stouffer says her presence likely increased the number of auditionees who tried out for the show. He asks all would-be actors to follow the theater’s social media for audition notices for other productions in the upcoming season.
“In the Heights” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 4-5; and 2:30 p.m. Aug. 30 and Sept. 6. For tickets, go to YoungstownPlayhouse.org.
Pictured at top: Justin Pope (as Benny) and Savanah Hernandez (as Nina) rehearse a scene from the Youngstown Playhouse’s production of “In the Heights.”
