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Playwright: Alexander Dinelaris
Top Cast: Christie Prades (Gloria), Ektor Rivera (Emilio), Nancy Ticotin (Gloria Fejardo), Alma Cuervo (Grandma Consuelo), Eddie Noel (Jose Fejardo)
Lyricist: Gloria Estefan
Description:
On Your Feet! Is at Centennial Hall for a couple more days, and I highly recommend everyone goes and sees it! It is fantastic. It is the story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, and if you don’t know who they are, (first of all I am sorry for you) they are responsible for the songs “Conga” and “The Rhythm is Gonna Get You”. You know the ones that you can’t help but dance to.
The set is great. There are panels that change in color and create new scenes. The band is onstage and give so much energy. Be sure to stay for the encore of the band at the end of the show.
The story is amazing and the music is beautiful and fun. It begins when Emilio and Gloria meet and are in a band together. It is so relatable to everyone but especially to latin people. I thought it was hysterical. The actors do such a great job portraying theses icons. Christie Prades looks and sounds so much like the real Gloria Estefan. The humor and potential awkwardness is so relatable and inspiring, as well as the stubbornness of the character. Ektor Rivera has a great accent and gorgeous voice that you will fall for just as Gloria did. (And he’s pretty). The whole cast has such beautiful voices and really do these songs justice. The mother and father have wonderful voices filled with strength and softness at the same time. The father, Jose, has a beautiful soft solo song to his daughter Gloria that you will not be able to take your eye off of. The mother, Gloria Fejardo, has a powerful and easy-to-dance-to song with a dance number that will blow you away.
The musical does a fantastic job of putting you on an emotional rollercoaster. There are touching parts as well as the joy that comes along with the song “Conga”. The relationship between Gloria and Emilio is adorable and the ups and downs of their journey together will hit you deep. It also comments on how latin people were and are treated in America and the obstacles that get in the way of progress. And there definitely isn’t a lack of not-so-hidden jokes that people (especially latin people) get a kick out of.
It is a beautiful story and I hope that everyone gets the chance to experience it and enjoy it as I did. I am dying to see it again. So in case you didn’t know… I really like it.
Name of Reviewer: Natty Trujillo
Date of Review: 11/16/18
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