Lin Manuel-Miranda had to keep the green green dress deleted scene away from the public because he KNEW it would make everyone act up. I’m no exception. Andrew can tie me up any day- 🫣
I want to grab whoever planned the Oscar's performances by their shoulders and shake them very hard, because what the heck were they thinking with that performance of "We Don't Talk About Bruno"
Okay Lin Manuel Miranda is a great song writer and I love that for him, but the man cannot sing. Even in Hamilton it’s just him voice cracking his way through it, and he should never be allowed to sing again
Author’s note: wow, a year later I’m only at chapter 3 and still far away from all the ✨spicy✨ parts. I’m so sorry to disappoint, but this is a slow burn-y kinda fic. Please leave some comments if you feel like it, positive or negative alike, as it helps me so much with motivation. Also, if you have any ideas/promts you’d like me to include, feel free to comment or dm me 🥺 ps. This is my first fic ever and English is not my first language, so there might be a few errors.
TW: mentions of panic attacks
Tags: @biafbunny @raiseaglasstothefourofus
“So... I don’t know where to start, actually. But I’ll try not to take too long.”
“Oh no, take your time, tell us everything from the beginning” my sister replied.
Then they all had their eyes on me like vultures on a fresh carcass.
“Ok, so last week, I was at work, minding my own business and making the last adjustments to the layout of that flat we had to renovate, as one interior designer does, when Maya called.
“Y/N! Hi! How are you? Well I don’t have much time for chit chat, so... ehm... can you talk right now?”
“Hello to you. Yeah I’m fine... probably... but, uhm, I’m kinda in the middle of something right now. Is this important?” I whispered, trying to keep the volume of my voice as low as I could, in order not to stand out among the monotonous buzz of my fellow working bees.
“No! I mean, yes! I don’t know. Is it?”
“Maya, calm down, you sound like you’re having a panic attack”
“I’m not sure but I probably am.”
“Ok, give me a second and I’ll call you back. I have to become a ninja and disappear from the office.”
And so I did, I got up from my painfully uncomfortable swivel chair, I made painfully uncomfortable eye contact -the kind of eye contact that makes it obvious you have to go pee- with my desk neighbours in our hipster-modern-industrial open space and I took refuge in the farthest bathroom stall from the door. Thankfully, the whole bathroom was empty. I knew I didn't have much time before someone came in and heard me speaking on the phone and reported it to my boss, because that's what his reign of terror forces us to do, so I called Maya back.
She replied on the first ring.
"Hey Y/N. Ok, I know you have little time, so I'll try to be quick."
"Yes, please, you're making me anxious."
"Ok, so... ehm... you know I'm getting married next week, right? Right, of course you know. So... you also know we have a thoroughly planned reception with you know... entertainment for the guests?"
"Maya. Please. Get to the point."
"Yes. Well... they... I mean, they can't..."
"MAYA! For God's sake, breathe, and tell me what's going on!"
After a brief pause, she continued
"Ok, ok, so... the lead singer of the band we hired called Carlos an hour ago. He told him they can't come. He caught a very nasty flu, poor boy, and his bandmates too. So, there's that."
"Oh no, that's bad. Do you already have a plan B? Maybe they can recommend someone they know can be booked last minute?"
Another brief pause
"As a matter of fact we do have a plan B.”
"Oh?" I replied, a little bit confused
"It’s ... honestly both a genius idea and a very bad one. And it's not confirmed yet..."
"Maya, if you don't tell me everything in the next ten seconds, I'm going to hang up on you."
"Please promise me you won't freak out."
"I'm already freaking out!!"
"Ok, don't freak out more than this?"
"I'm hanging up right now."
"No! Wait! Please, I have to give him confirmation ASAP!"
"Him? Who's him?"
"Carlos' friend from Puerto Rico. I mean, he lives in New York now, but still, they played together when they were little."
"Ok? So?"
"He's not the point. I mean, he kinda is, only half of it though. He very kindly accepted to be our DJ for the whole night. He's lovely, Carlos told me he is a fairly known rapper and songwriter or something. But. Two things. One. I still need a singer for our first and second dance and for the... spicy broadway medley we planned together. You know, those couple songs we discussed?”
Of course I remembered. I have a digital copy of her 110-Pages-long planning journal, inclusive of 19 pages dedicated to the musical entertainment, with all the songs and dances and every one of the sneezes and farts the band, which was more like a little orchestra than a band, would make. Also, a couple of classic love ballads from the ‘80, such as(I’ve had) the time of my life so they can do the lift plus the infamous spicy Broadway medley, in which two unfortunate singers shout to the audience the joys of steamy lovemaking.
"I remember. Yes. Some of the hottest songs in musical theatre. Also, you said he’s a rapper?"
"Yes, I guess. Or something like that. I don't know him, Carlos does. That's not what concerns me though... The real issue here is that I have only one option right now. You."
"I'm sorry, WHAT?"
"I said you. You're my only hope, Y/N. Please, consider it. Please please, I need you to go back to singing, just this once, for me and Carlos. Please. I know you promised not to sing anymore in public, but..."
"Maya, no buts. I'm sorry, but I can't. Can't you ask the DJ if he could sing instead?"
"I did, but he told us he's not much of a singer on his own, but maybe... a duet? You and him together?"
"What? Me and a total stranger singing about how much we want to bone each other? Hell no. No way. It's been ages since I last sang. And even if I’d sung until yesterday, no. I'd have to prepare both physically and psychologically. And with work and everything, I can’t. A week it’s too soon.”
"But you know those songs so well already! And you love musical theatre! And all the Broadway hits are your jam! You know Rent and Chicago and that other one about a hot and sassy Thomas Jefferson by heart! No one is better than you at this, Y/N, please."
"I know, but I don't want to risk having a whole panic attack at your wedding. I’ll ruin it, and I don’t want that.
And that’s Hamilton, by the way, and it’s not about a hot and sassy Thomas Jefferson, although there is, in fact a hot and sassy Thomas Jefferson.”
"You see? You know everything there is to know about musical theatre!
I promise, you’ll be fine. Just trust me, please. Please don’t say no to this, if you know what I mean”
“Maya, please, don’t force me into this. Also, what about the DJ? Does he know the songs at least?”
“Carlos said that he too is a Broadway enthusiast, you both know your shit, you’ll be fine, I promise! I’m begging you, you’re my only hope. Please, please, pretty please.”
She then proceeded to implore me another twenty times or so, until I budged.
“Fine.” I said, eventually “I’ll do it. But just because I couldn’t stand to hear the butchering of the songs I love.”
“Great! You promise? You said you’ll do it, you can’t back down now.
“I promise”
“God,I love you Y/N”
“I know. But we’ll talk later about the specifics. Oh and by the way, do you know his name? The dj, I mean…”
“Sorry, no, I don’t remember… No wait, maybe something short like Tim? Or Jim? Maybe Lenny?”
She didn’t have time to finish the sentence, though, because I heard the door creak open.
“Shit I have to hung up now, someone’s entered the bathroom, talk to you later” I said, in a whispered hurry
“Ok, thank you again y/n, I love you so much. Bye.”
“Wait, so you hooked up with someone famous?” Liz interjected “Oh my god, is it daddy Yankee?” Continued liz with a screech.
“What the hell liz, no, it’s not daddy Yankee”
“Bad bunny?” Squeaked Kate, an octave higher than her normal voice.
“No. Not Bad Bunny.”
“So who is he?” The four women asked almost at unison.
“If you shut up, maybe, I’ll tell you”
So they nodded, slightly disappointed, and went back to stare at me with gossip-fuelled hungry eyes.
Warnings: NSFW (18+), papi kink (I can't help myself), light spanking (I mean like, FEATHER-like), begging
Words: 1,622 words (I got carried away, I'm SO SORRY)
Request Prompt: Hey I don't know if you're up for requests right now but would you maybe be willing to write a Lin x reader one shot where the reader goes with lin on a press tour in puerto rico and he gets stressed out / worked up and things get steamy in the hotel room? Of course you don't have to write it but I'd be grateful if you did!
-
Being with Lin always had its ups and downs when it came to his busy schedule with touring, being in a show, and endless press interviews, but after being with him for so long, you had grown accustomed to such a busy life with him. It was tough at times, but you wouldn’t trade any of it for the world because you knew how much his work meant to him, and you would do whatever it took in order to help him with whatever he needed. However, there was one press tour that stood out among the rest, and that was his tour for Hamilton in Puerto Rico.
You were sitting in the living room of your hotel suite, waiting for Lin to come back from rehearsal, opening night just a few days away. When Hamilton opened on Broadway, you were used to him coming home stressed, but it was nothing that a glass of wine and some cuddles couldn’t fix, but this time, you could tell that it was much different. This tour was so important to Lin because you knew how much bringing Hamilton to Puerto Rico meant to him because it had meant just as much to him when he brought In The Heights on tour here, but it felt much more stressful for him because he knew that he had a lot more to live up to now that his name was much more well known within the world.
When you heard the door open, you automatically knew that something wasn’t right with him when he didn’t greet you with a kiss as he usually did- instead, he sat down at the table and laid his head down against it, sighing in frustration.
“Lin? Honey, you okay?”
“No- no, I’m not okay. These rehearsals aren’t going the way they should be, everyone is messing up on their steps, including me, and all these fucking press interviews are so bunched up together, I feel like they’re all just asking the same shit over and over again and I’m just so fucking tired.”
“Okay, just breathe for a second, I know you’re stressed, you just need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and just relax for a bit.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to relax when I’ve got so much shit to do and get done?!”
You had heard this song from him many times before and knew exactly what to do to get his mind off his stress. While he was talking, you slowly got down on your knees in front of him, your hands making their way up his thighs as you began to palm his dick which was already semi-hard.
“What… what are you doing?’
“Helping you relax a bit.”
You continued your antics and began undoing his jeans, popping the button and bringing the zipper down before reaching into his underwear and pulling his warm dick out, eyeing his size- although you had been married for about 10 years, and together for much longer than that, his size still impressed you every time you saw it… He was big, and he knew exactly what to do to please you, but right now, you were more focused on pleasing him and making him feel good. You kissed up the shaft of his cock, feeling him grow harder by each second with each touch of your lips.
“Oh fuck, [Y/N], yes.” The way he moaned your name made your own needs begin to throb below, your wetness beginning to gather below. Bringing him into your mouth, you felt him place his hand on top of your head, guiding you down on him, your hands jerking off what you couldn’t fit in your mouth, and to add to the sensation, you moaned around him, the vibration of the sound setting shockwaves through his body, causing him to buck his hips against your mouth but being careful not to hurt you. You continued in your ministrations, feeling him tense up beneath you, you knew he was getting close, so you decided to stop before he got too close.
“Fuck, why’d you stop?”
“Well, I figured you’d rather cum while fucking me, wouldn’t you?”
Without any hesitation, he pulled you into a kiss and the two of you backed up onto the couch, shredding each other’s clothes on the way, your lips not once leaving one another’s. Slowly, Lin kissed his way down your body, showing extra attention to your perked nipples, making you arch your back against him, your hand going to grab a fistful of his hair. You loved when he showed you so much attention, he was always so caring to your body and needs, but you knew that when it came to him fucking you while he was stressed, he was anything but gentle- still, he always made sure to never hurt you or do anything to make you uncomfortable.
“God, I wanna fuck you so bad, baby.” He whispered in your ear, his voice husky and low, filled with lust and something else delicious. The way he kissed at your neck, sucking softly, each kiss setting your skin on fire, the soft whispers against your skin made you feel like you were the most important woman in the world- and to Lin, you were. He kissed his way back to your lips, kissing you like it was the last thing he would ever do, his tongue dancing with yours as his fingers made their way into your soaking pussy, his course fingers circling your clit, making you bite his lip in response, a breath-filled moan leaving your lips.
“Fuck me, Lin-Manuel, please.”
“You know I love it when you beg for it, mi amor… You sound so sexy moaning my name, begging me to fuck you harder, softer… fuck, you know I’ll do whatever you want me to.”
You could tell that he couldn’t wait any longer when he flipped you up and around, bending you over on the couch. You loved it when he fucked you like this, he would take complete control this way, taking you hard, soft, fast, slow, whichever way he was feeling, and since he was stressed, you knew it was going to be rough with lots of aftercare.
“Are you ready for me, [Y/N]?”
“Yes, Lin, please fuck me hard, papi.”
As if that was the last thing he needed to hear, he entered you swiftly, giving you a second to adjust as he knew you needed each time you fucked. When you gave him the okay, he quickly got to work, immediately fucking you hard, the sound of both of your moans and your skin making contact with one another filling the room and the feeling of his cock moving in and out of you being the only sensations your body was enduring.
“Fuck, baby, your pussy feels so fucking good around me. I love fucking you so much.”
You could hardly respond, but you managed you speak, just barely.
“God, I- Shit, Lin, I’m gonna-“
“You gonna cum, huh? You wanna cum for me, baby? Beg for it, mi amor.”
His tone of voice and his pounding only brought you closer to the edge, and as if that wasn’t enough, his fingers made their way back to your clit, circling it in time with his thrusts. You began seeing stars, your vision whiting out, the only thing you could focus on was how hard he was fucking you and how good he felt inside you.
“I, fuck.”
“What’s that? Louder for me, baby, I wanna hear you.”
“Please let me cum, Lin. I’ll be so good for you, just for you.”
“Fucking hell, [Y/N], you’re so good for me. Cum for me, baby.”
He said as his hand met your ass, slapping it just hard enough to make you lose yourself in the sensation, Lin fucking you through your orgasm as you moaned out loud, his name and explicits being the only two things you could get out. Your pussy clenched around him, causing him to pull your body flush against him, his lips back on your neck as he palmed your breasts in his hand, pinching and pulling at your nipple, adding to, and prolonging, the intense orgasm he had given you. He began fucking you harder, his thrusts getting sloppy as he was nearing his own climax, the sound of his moan in your ear bringing you closer to your second orgasm.
“Oh, fuck, [Y/N]- You feel so fucking good, shit. I’m gonna cum, baby. Jesus-“
His hips stuttered against you, forehead resting on your shoulder as you reached your highs together, his hips slowly moving slowly before stopping altogether- both of you panting, sweating, tired, but reveling in the amazing sex you just had. He kissed your shoulder and pulled out, walking away for just a second to throw away the condom before picking you up and carrying you to the bed, your hearts beginning to slow down. Lin gently laid you down before joining you and bringing you into his arms where you placed your head on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat increasing at your touch making your own flutter.
“So… You still feeling stressed?” You mused, making both of you laugh.
“Not anymore, thanks to you. I love you so much, [Y/N], I seriously have no idea what I would do without you.”
“I was thinking the exact same thing, Lin-Manuel. Anything else stressing you out?”
“Does something have to be stressing me out for me to want to fuck my sexy ass wife?”
“Guess not,” You said as you kissed him before moving on top of him, your hips straddling his, “because now it’s my turn.”
“And you know damn well, for you I would ruin myself, a million little times…”
When you pictured moving to New York City, an apartment in Washington Heights was a far cry from your Gossip Girl dreams. That was, until the guy next door flashed you a smile that could light up the entire city and your world turned upside down…
Mature / no warnings for this chapter but FIRE later! / 2049 words
Chapter 1: In The Heights
I can’t believe this is finally happening.
This is the only thought in my mind as I stand in front of the apartment building, bags in hand and a moving van parked up on the street behind me. I stop to revel in it for a minute, the late summer sun beaming down on me like my own little movie moment - finally, I’m getting the freedom and independence that comes with having my own place, and the endless possibilities of following my dreams in New York City…
Sure, Washington Heights is hardly my Gossip Girl fantasy and following my dreams is a far cry from what I’m actually doing here, but I was beyond grateful when I was offered a job transfer, giving me a solid excuse to move back to the city. The apartment was a last-minute last resort, but the building looks nice enough and the neighbourhood doesn’t seem particularly unsafe, which I see as a positive sign. I hadn’t been anywhere near the city since I graduated at Columbia shortly before the world shut down, but after spending the entire pandemic back at my childhood home with little to do besides introspection and work, now in my mid-twenties I couldn’t imagine a more perfect time for a fresh start.
So with the help of a couple of old friends from college, and a couple of their friends on my side… Let the moving begin.
—————
Moving is romanticized far too much in the movies, I curse quietly as I find myself struggling to haul my last suitcase up the stairs. It’s only two floors up, but with this thing, I may as well be climbing a mountain.
With my attention entirely on the heavy piece of luggage, I walk backwards, dragging its weight with all my might - when I crash into someone and almost tumble to the ground as I trip over the last step. My suitcase collapses onto the landing with an echoing thud but before I can fully process what’s happening, a pair of strong arms encircle me and the kind stranger helps me back to my feet.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” I exclaim in a state of panic, turning around to face him.
There, I freeze for a second - because holy handsome hell. He is a fair few inches taller than me, and I let myself admire him for a moment; dark hair cut short, light tan skin, startlingly sparkly brown eyes, a goatee that would have no business looking attractive on anyone else ever - and outshining all of that, a stunning smile that could easily light up this entire city and ten more… Definitely older than me, but probably not by much if I tried to guess; and vaguely familiar, though I can’t imagine we’ve ever met before. He is dressed in a graphic tee, straight-leg jeans and sneakers, which honestly seems odd on him, but who am I to question it when I look a hopeless mess myself?
“It’s all good. Are you okay?” There’s something strangely soft and calming about his voice, which I can only appreciate under the circumstances. I nod, feeling a slight blush creep up my cheeks at the most inopportune moment. “Here…” After making sure I’m stable on my feet, he steps past me and lifts the suitcase back upright, ready to be rolled on.
“Thank you so much,” I say sincerely.
“You’re most welcome. Moving in?” he asks, peering curiously over at the open door of my new apartment and the tower of cardboard boxes stacked outside it. I nod again, struggling to find my words for a second.
“Yup, I guess that’s one way to get acquainted with the neighbourhood,” I joke, introducing myself with a handshake.
“Nice, that place has been empty for a while, so it’s great to meet ya, neighbour. I’m Lin,” he says, happily taking up the handshake. That’s a spark if I ever felt one, but for now, all I can do is hope he doesn’t feel the shiver that runs through me when his warm hand clasps mine. And I don’t particularly want to let go, but when we hear my friends yelling out to me through the doorway of my apartment, Lin drops my hand with a knowing smile.
“I better…” I gesture in the direction of their voices.
“Of course. If you need a hand, feel free to knock! I’m just across the hall,” Lin offers, heading towards the door opposite.
“Thank you!” I call out, as I run to my side of the hall to return to the task at hand. I surely am not one to inconvenience a kind neighbour when I have this many helping hands - even if I do think he’s cute.
—————
I collapse onto the polished wood floor of my new apartment, surrounded by furniture in various forms of packaging that renders everything entirely unusable until I get around to unwrapping it. I’d only seen the apartment over a video call but the place is far more spacious than I’d expected, with an open-plan kitchen and living area, a beautiful large bedroom, a bathroom that could just as well belong in a fancy hotel, and another smaller bedroom I plan to use as an office. I’m already falling in love with the amount of natural light from the huge windows, though I know I’ll need to go furniture shopping at some point, seeing as I only arrived with the basics. It really has been too long, and I’m determined to enjoy this.
Anya, my best friend from college, sits beside me on the floor, also gazing around the apartment in wonder. Opposite us are the other three members of this crew - Gina, a childhood friend of Anya’s, who’d also recently moved to the city; Jon, Gina’s boyfriend; and Max, Anya’s twin brother. I was grateful to all of them for helping me out, considering the limited acquaintances I had in the city now - most people I knew had moved away during the pandemic. Though I knew Anya and Max well, Gina and Jon were practically strangers, and yet here we all are. So out of gratitude, I order pizza for everyone and we sit in a circle in the mess that will soon be my living room, eating and chatting as though we’ve known each other our entire lives.
“Girl, this place is actually really nice!” Anya says, impressed.
“Thank you!” I smile, “It was really just good timing, I can’t take any credit. The owner’s a family friend, I think they just modernized the place but they’d been struggling to find a new tenant, so I’m just grateful… I’ll probably move downtown once I find my feet here, but I guess it’s nice enough till then.”
“Damn, how rich are you?” Jon laughs.
“You should see the shoebox studio I live in,” Gina sighs.
“Well, you’re all welcome to hang out here any time!” I offer, a genuine invitation. It’s nice to have a few friends around, and I’ll probably drive myself mad if I’m constantly alone in this huge space.
“Oh, you bet they will when they hear this,” Anya tells me, before excitedly turning to Max, Jon and Gina. “Guys, guess who lives across the hall? I spotted this one swooning in his arms already,” she teases, nudging me with her elbow. I can already feel my cheeks turning red again; I had no idea she’d witnessed the whole hallway moment, but I’m far from surprised.
“Ooh, who is he? Is he cute?” Gina joins in, earning a mock scowl from Jon.
“Anya! I nearly fell down the stairs, I’m sure that guy was just being nice…” I defend. Besides, he seems more like the type I would admire from a distance…
“That guy is Lin-Manuel Miranda! Fucking Hamilton lives across the hall!” Anya exclaims.
“Of course, we’re in Washington Heights!” Gina sings. Everyone’s eyes widen at the realization and I suddenly feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on. I might’ve vaguely heard of Hamilton, sure, but I hadn’t seen the show and I’d be damned to tell you anything about it; I wasn’t much of a musical theatre person in general, despite Anya’s persistence to drag me into it during our days of freedom as students.
Max is the first to notice my blank look. “Wait. You don’t know who he is.”
I sheepishly shake my head, brushing off the fact that this is the most Max has spoken to me all day. “Not really. Please don’t kill me,” I add, noticing Gina and Jon’s utterly shocked expressions.
“We need to educate you,” Jon says, retrieving his phone out of his pocket and tapping on the screen, “Gina, your Disney Plus account kicked me out again!”
“That’s because you kept watching Hamilton at work, Jon,” Gina rolls her eyes and snatches his phone, making the rest of us laugh, “But I’m logging out straight after, only because this is important.” She taps in the password and throws the phone back at him.
“Fine…” he says begrudgingly, and hands me the phone, “Click play.”
I do as he asks, and the show begins. What follows is so much and so insane that it positively blows my mind and I wonder how I’d gone this long having never seen it - and the star of it all? My gorgeous new neighbour.
Interesting.
—————
We neglected to remember that the front door to the apartment was wide open, since I trotted in with a leaning tower of pizza in my arms over an hour ago. And this probably wouldn’t matter much, but the five of us are still sprawled on the floor around Jon’s phone, all our attention focused on Hamilton playing at full volume - and our reactions are no quieter, even though everyone except me has clearly seen it before as they sporadically sing along, hitting every note perfectly. I guess it’s the sort of thing that never gets old.
So it’s no wonder we all jump when we hear a sudden knock at the door, intentionally matching the beat of the song that happens to be playing. I whirl around on the wooden floor and spot Lin, popping his head through the doorway. Who knocks on an open door?!
Him, apparently.
“Hi,” he greets, giving me a little wave.
“Hey!” I respond, standing up and walking over to him, “Sorry about this…” I gesture towards my friends, who have now paused the show to fix their comically shocked stares on us.
“It’s okay, I just wondered what was going on out here! You might want to close this door before anyone else shows up,” Lin says, in a tone that’s more playful than warning. For a second I had worried he would complain, or think we were insane, but he seems far from annoyed. Amused, even.
“I will. I’m so sorry, again, these guys were just…”
“Fans of the show?”
“YES! A million times yes!” Gina exclaims, running across the room and stopping behind me. I cringe at my new friend’s lack of shame, but Lin shoots me a reassuring smile.
“And this girl didn’t have a clue, so we had to enlighten her,” Jon says, exasperated. He jumps to his feet and bounds over to us, holding his hand out. “Hi Lin, I’m Jon! So awesome to meet you, you’re like, an inspiration.”
I hide my face behind my hand, concealing my embarrassment. The last thing I need is for my coincidental celebrity neighbour to think this is all some creepy elaborate fandom ruse, but something about the look he gives me, tells me I have nothing to worry about.
“Thank you, it’s great to meet you too,” Lin chuckles, obliging his handshake, “I’ve got to go, but I guess I’ll see you guys around.” He nods to me; I wave goodbye and close the door once he leaves.
Feeling a little more relaxed now that he's gone, I grab another slice of pizza and turn back to Gina and Jon, teasing, “You guys are such fangirls.”
The two of them respond simultaneously; Gina giggles, whilst Jon grins, “I’m sorry! It’s him, how could I not?” “You’ve gotta get me his autograph sometime…”
Yeah Lin Manuel Miranda has some pretty sick rhymes but Preminger from Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper rhymed champagne and Charlemagne so who's the real winner
I really tried to like In The Heights, which I did until after The Club… I know movie musicals don’t and shouldn’t be exactly like the stage production, but a ton of the changes were just unnecessary. Spoilers ahead
1) Piragua Man just seemed like an unnecessary part of this movie. I know it’s nice for people who love Lin Manuel Miranda, but the song doesn’t flow and their duet in Carnaval makes no sense
2) Blackout was my most anticipated song of the movie, but the way they cut out the best song and the conflict that arises and the ENDING of the song ruined it for me. Where was Benny and Nina fighting, where was that sexual tension?
3) Going off that, where was Benny and Nina’s relationship?? It felt untouched upon (and like we only got snippets) and in Carnaval when their relationship gets mentioned I’m like but they haven’t been together and act almost like friends would
4) The plot was completely moved around and gave moments less value. The resolution between Nina and Frank feels heavier and more significant with Abuela there, yet they kill her off. Additionally, killing off Nina’s mom resulted in a less “we are a family, we solve things as a family” vibe which was a great part of the musical! 96,000 makes less sense as a song when the lotto isn’t touched on again until 10 minutes before the movie ends
5) It was unnecessary to change lyrics that flowed better into lyrics that flowed less- for example, “I went downtown to get it” into “I went next door to get it” like what was the point of that
6) With how the movie ends you just look at Vanessa and are like, “Okay so she didn’t achieve her dream really? She just sells homemade clothes at a small bodega?” It’s unsatisfying
7) My biggest issue really was Blackout. The song is an Act 1 Finale and it felt so insignificant and even had slut shaming in there. They took out the best verses!! What was with that!!!
8) I hated how they didn’t mention how Nina worked a few jobs to help pay for Stanford and how they had her complain about the racism there with no further explanation. So you’re just gonna go back to that racist school and do what? Take it? Like yes we know the world is racist. We know that, and being able to pay for your tuition wouldn’t change that. If they would have mentioned like oh, I’m gonna go find my community at my school, or been like I’m going to make sure not to accept that behavior going forward, it would have fit more
9) Also… almost no Afro-Latinos in a primarily Afro-Latino Heights?
These were the issues I could think of off the top of my head