On Your Feet!

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ON YOUR FEET!

Photo: Matthew Murphy

Cititour.com Review
Will you be on your feet at the end of “On Your Feet,” the extremely lively biomusical about Latina superstar Gloria Estefan, now at the Marriott Marquis Theatre? Unless you are made of stone, you may have no choice.

First, the people in front of you are 99 percent likely to be upright, seduced by the now-obligatory mega-mix of Estefan hits (including “Rhythm Is Going to Get You”) that is used for the extended curtain-call/dance party smartly staged by choreographer Sergio Trujillo (taking advantage of his own Latin heritage) and director Jerry Mitchell, who knows a thing or two about how to move people around!

And if by some chance, they’re still sitting, you’ll truly want to stand and applaud newcomer Ana Villafane, who makes an astounding Broadway debut as Gloria. It’s not just that she sounds remarkably like Estefan (especially on such ballads as “Anything For You”), but this young actress possesses infinite charm and physical stamina, iron lungs, considerable dramatic flair – and a body to kill for.

Given Villafane’s star-making portrayal and the strength of the Estefan song catalogue – which includes such hits as “1-2-3” and “Live for Loving You” -- you can’t help but wish she was in a somewhat sturdier vehicle than this one, which too often plays out like a so-so Latin version of “Beautiful.” Indeed, the show’s arcs (taken from real life but crafted here by Oscar-winning writer Alexander Dinelaris) are almost identical – except Gloria and Emilio are still happily married.

After a couple of brief flashbacks, we start with the teenaged Gloria’s first meeting with older musician-cum-producer Emilio Estefan (an underwhelming Josh Segarra) and end with Gloria’s triumphant appearance on the 1991 American Music Awards, just months after almost being paralyzed in a tragic bus accident. (In a nod to verisimilitude, Villafane sings the same song Estefan did on the show, “Coming Out of the Dark” and is dressed in a copy of the singer’s stunning blue gown, here rendered by ESosa, who provides an array of colorful costumes throughout the show). And just, as with Carole King, Gloria must also deal with a difficult if loving mother, here also named Gloria, and brought to full-bodied life beautifully by the always wonderful Andrea Burns (who even gets her own flashy flashback number, “Mi Tierra”).

Indeed, while the spotlight is mostly on Gloria and Emilio, a few other performers get a chance to shine. The veteran actress Alma Cuervo is a hoot as Gloria’s feisty grandmother, Consuelo; Eliseo Roman has some lovely moments as Gloria’s father Jose (who was injured in Vietnam);Lee Zarrett is funny if a bit stereotypical as nerdy Jewish record executive Phil; Alexandria Suarez impresses with her strong voice as young Gloria; and little Eduardo Hernandez proves to be a true scene-stealer in a variety of roles, including an unusual bar-mitzvah boy!

Oh, as to the question whether you’ll be able to control yourself or give in to the “Conga” beat – I’ll leave that for you to find out!
By Brian Scott Lipton


Visit the Site
http://onyourfeetmusical.com

Cast
Ana Villafane, Josh Segarra, Andrea Burns, Alma Cuervo, Alexandria Suarez, Eduardo Hernandez

Open/Close Dates
Opening 11/5/2015
Closing 8/20/2017

Preview Open/ Preview Close Dates
Preview Opening 10/5/2015
Closing Open-ended

Box Office
877-250-2929

Theatre Info
Marquis Theatre
1535 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
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