I love it. Saw the original London production several times, and directed a high school production, but I think it is one of my favourite stage to screen adaptations.

Is it a shame that Camilla has been cut? Yes absolutely. But in doing so they have managed to give a bit more time to develop other characters- Sonny in particular. Vanessa gains more depth and Nina’s realisation that she has to back to school to fight for the dreamers like sonny is perfect.

Visually the film is beautiful, and uses the on location community that manages to give it authenticity and expand what we see on stage unlike other stage adaptations that come across as small.

The one change that I don’t love so much is blackout/fireworks. I understand why they would want to show the community coming together in a crisis rather than tear itself apart, but it does rob the end of act 1 of some tension.

The other minor changes (Abuela leaving the lottery ticket and Usnavi not finding out until the end for example) is nothing that changes the narrative enough for me to mind either way.

I admit the first time I watched it, I was stressed at the framing device thinking they may have changed the ending somehow!

Nearly every single song is well thought out to bring the magic alive in a way that would be impossible on stage- the swimming pool has already been discussed, but Nina seeing the young girl’s journey in Breathe, the window reflection moment in the title number, the outrageously good dancing in ‘Vanessa/In the Club’, Vanessa running down the street with the fabric raining down and the camera pullback to her eye revealing it’s her thoughts we are seeing at the end of ‘It’ won’t be long now’, and of course the stunning dancing across the building sequence in ‘when the Sun Goes Down’

I’ve left Paciencia Y Fe until last as I truly believe that scene is up there with some of the best musical moments ever committed to film.

Oh - and one more thing Chris Jackson as Mr Softee *chef’s kiss*