Wow, what a great musical.
This is one musical that is uniquely different from the previous musicals that I've seen. The most unique aspect about this musical is the rapping that the actors do on stage. Whenever a group of actors started to rap, it felt like one of the "rap battles" that was depicted in the movie 8 Mile. There were times that I couldn't make out all the lyrics since they were rapping too fast for me to understand. They also felt very natural doing it which lent an air of authenticity to the lyrics.
The music had a great Latin feel. The rhythmic melodies the orchestra played was absolutely mesmerizing to listen to. I think using Latin-themed music enhanced the uniqueness of the musical without the need for the majestic songs that are commonly heard in classics like Phantom or Miss Saigon.
The lyrics and song writer played one of the main character for the show. When he first appeared on stage, the crowd erupted in applause. At the time I had no clue who he was and only found out during intermission as I scanned the Playbill. He apparently played the original role of the main character on the Broadway as well. Finally, the mayor of LA also came on stage and presented the cast with an award of some sorts for portraying a slice of the Latino immigrant population and Latino immigrant struggles in America so musically.
Overall, without analyzing too much, this musical was one of the better ones that I've seen in a long time. If you ever get a chance to watch it, definitely go.
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