Playwright: Alexander Dinelaris. At: Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St. Tickets: 800-775-2000; BroadwayInChicago.com; $33-$100. Runs through: July 5
The new musical On Your Feet! is based on the life of singing sensation Gloria Estefan. The story chronicles her life from growing up in Cuba to making her comeback after a tragic accident. There are nods to other musicals, a pinch of West Side Story, a smidge of In the Heights and a little Sound of Music. Several music stars have jump-started recent musicals in Chicago before launching in New York, but this one has a personal approachso the stakes are even higher.
From the beginning there are bright costumes, salsa moves and Miami flavor. When the charming Emilio Estefan meets the family, her grandmother, Consuelo Garcia, is immediately star-struck and exclaims, "Nice culo ( ass )," noticing his tight white shorts. I'm glad Granny and I are on the same page. The humor and energy of the show has all the right moves.
Josh Segarra channels the heart and soul of Emilio. There's a twinkle in his eye and a sense of pride that is important to the role. Segarra's singing sometimes misses and is hard to hear at times ,but the overall portrayal is very strong. He is hard not to like.
The show cleverly incorporates Gloria's classic Spanish hits by having her mother sing them in a time warp. The mother, Gloria Fajardo ( played by Andrea Burns ), is vital to the plot and brings some emotional depth.
The production team of On Your Feet! struck gold by finding Ana Villafane to embody Gloria. It is not an impersonation but a tone that is held throughout her performance that balances things. When she sings either Gloria's past hits or new songs written for the musical, her vocals hit the mark. There were a few sound-system glitches where she could be turned up, but that's a minor quibble.
Smoother than Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz that opened in Chicago back in 2010, Feet benefits from a stronger team and, thanks to director Jerry Mitchell, the pacing is kept concise and the show doesn't drag for a moment. Time flies as the audience experiences the ups and downs of Gloria's ride in the music business. Fighting the difficulties of crossing over when no artists were able to at that time shows how the industry has changed over the years. While some of the younger generation may be unfamiliar with her legacy they can learn a lot from her journey by watching this production.
Costume designer Emilio Sosa has a ball with some of her '80s fashions, especially those iconic leather chaps over jeans.
As the show marches on to Broadway in November, there are just a few minor changes to be made before audiences are standing on their feet and dancing in the aisles. The rise of Gloria back on her feet needs some tweaking to pull out the emotional struggle, but the idea is there and is inspiring.