Mandy Gonzalez and Javier Muñoz
Hitting New Heights
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ
September 24, 2022
Reviewed by Nathaniel Jones
This was the second performance of Mandy Gonzalez and Javier Muñoz’s touring cabaret. The audience in the Virginia G. Piper Theatre was brimming with excitement as they waited for the show to begin. The stage was filled with instruments and lit in red and blue. The crowd filed in, quickly filling the seats. Before the patrons could settle in, they were startled by the drummer’s attention-grabbing entrance. Their focus turned to the stage, and one by one, the instrumentalists entered, marking the beginning of the show.
The crowd erupted as Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, In the Heights, Wicked) opened with a magnificent rendition of “Something’s Coming” (Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim from West Side Story). This introductory song flawlessly showcased Gonzalez’s power and her innate magnetism, both of which drew the crowd in. She spoke to the star-struck audience and then launched into a bluesy rendition of a song she said was one her mother had sung to her— “Que Sera Sera” (Jay Livingston/Ray Evans). She then talked about the postponement of this show and of theater in general due to Covid and how she felt about her return to the stage by singing a goosebump-inducing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Don Black/Christopher Hampton from Sunset Boulevard). Although we were only three songs into the show by now, the magic in her voice brought a mist of tears to the crowd.
Gonzalez then introduced Javier Muñoz (Hamilton, In the Heights, The Devil Wears Prada). They talked about their respective experiences with the shows like In the Heights and Hamilton and about working with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Together, they bought down the house with two selections from Hamilton: “Satisfied” and an energetic “My Shot.” The crowd erupted with excitement as Muñoz invited them to sing along; many were able to recite the lines word for word and even filled in with harmonies and lines sung by other characters. A heartfelt “A Very Good Day” (Miranda) from Working pulled at our heartstrings, to be followed by “Fathers and Sons” (Stephen Schwartz from Working). Before the song, Muñoz gave us an introspective view of his own personal relationship with his father and what it took for him to tap into the role and ultimately into this amazing piece. Gonzalez then returned to the stage singing The Temptations’ hit “Get Ready,” sending the crowd buzzing and into intermission.
After a much-needed intermission, Gonzalez opened with a magnificent performance of “Born to Run” (Bruce Springsteen). With Muñoz joining in, the two displayed the beauty of In the Heights with “Breath,” sending yet another mist of tears over the audience. Both Muñoz with “Corner of the Sky” from Pippin and Gonzalez with “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (Jim Steinman written for Bonnie Tyler) were flawlessly delivered by this amazing pair. However, the showstopper of the entire production were Gonzalez’s renditions of “Bein’ Green” (Joe Raposo written for Kermit the Frog) and “Defying Gravity” (Schwartz from Wicked). After her hilarious banter about being “the green girl,” Gonzalez in “Defying Gravity” was mesmerizing, sending the audience into a frenzy of a roar at its anticipated ending note. Gonzalez closed the show with a song Lin-Manuel Miranda had written for Fearless from the album of the same name. Backed by a local high school choir, the performance was breathtaking and made for a magnificent way to end the show. Of course, this show wouldn’t have been truly complete without an encore of the In the Heights finale, brought this magnificent production to its close.
Javier Muñoz and Mandy Gonzalez were truly perfect performers, as was shown beautifully in Hitting New Heights. Their respective talents were unmatched, and it was a privilege to witness them. Hitting New Heights inspired creative people to continue moving forward.
