“On Your Feet!” is doing something right.
I’m pickier than I wish I was when it comes to “lighter” musicals. More often than not, I find the production to be too aware of itself/finding itself more clever than it actually is (Gentleman’s Guide), trying too hard to be more poignant than it is (Kinky Boots), or just plain boring in its fluff (Honeymoon in Vegas). But, at the matinee of “On Your Feet!” yesterday, I had a hard time finding any fault with the show because I was having too much damn fun!
I didn’t know much about the Estefans besides a familiarity with a few of Gloria’s songs. But, the show and the wonderfully endearing leading actors had me leaving the theatre feeling like a full-fledged fan.
There’s not much to the show and there’s not even much of a big conflict -- but, I say this not as a negative. It doesn’t try to be more than it is and, in turn, provides a sincere, sweet look at the rise of Gloria’s career. The conflict that is presented (whether it be career-related or relationship-related) feels real and unforced, which makes you all that much more endeared to the characters and their relationships.
I think that’s this musicals best asset: none of it feels forced. The conflict isn’t forced. The fun isn’t forced. There’s no pandering to the audience. No huge moments that feel simply showy and unnecessary. It just tells the story and entertains. In its move to Broadway, this should absolutely be what the show holds onto.
The cast, from top to bottom, are extremely talented. That dancing! I feel like I could have watched them go on forever. Hats off to those dancers and the choreographer!
Ana Villafane as Gloria is extremely charming with an excellent voice. She felt like a real person. She had natural showmanship when emulating Gloria’s onstage performances, and gave a understated, tender performance when Gloria was “offstage.” I felt endeared to her from the get-go.
And, Josh Segarra as Emilio is charming as can be. His singing voice is pleasant, although restrained. There are other actors who could sing the songs with a bigger voice, but Segarra is such a natural in the role that I understand how he snagged the part. It also made sense with his character that he wouldn’t have as big of a voice as Gloria. His quiet voice actually added to the part for me.
Andrea Burns is excellent as Gloria’s mother and brings a lot of the deeper moments to the show. She has some great moments.
The show could add a little more clarity in terms of when certain events are happening, but, besides that, I really can’t think of much it should change. It’s not trying to be anything it’s not and, in turn, rings truer and more sincere than other musicals that are trying so hard to create moments (whether of poignancy or spectacle) that they know the audience will react to.
All that said, it’s not a show that makes you want to analyze the performers or the piece itself. It’s just pure, good entertainment. After the first big number all I could think of was how much JOY was emanating from that stage and it just kept coming. The show was entertaining in exactly the way it should be. An interesting story that shed light on just how much Gloria paved the way for Latin music in the mainstream, endearing characters with relationships you rooted for, and no over-indulgence to get in the way of the audience’s enjoyment of the piece. I left that theatre feeling joyful, happy, and fulfilled.
Just also wanted to note that once the cast leaves the stage after curtain call, the lights remain down and the band continues playing. Instead of turning the lights on in the audience and the band playing as the audience walks out, the lights remained off and everyone stayed in their seats (or, rather, stayed dancing in front of their seats, as everyone was on their feet – no pun intended - by the end) and the musicians got the final moments of the show. It was a delightful change and well deserved for that talented group!
Updated On: 7/6/15 at 12:35 PM
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