Review: ON YOUR FEET! At Reynolds Performance Hall

Reynolds Performance Hall, 223 Beatrice Powell St., in Conway, knows how to bring the party! For one night only, ON YOUR FEET, the Gloria Estefan jukebox musical, had us singing, dancing, crying, laughing....all of it, Sunday, Feb. 5. The cast was so.....muy caliente!...muy fantastico! From beginning to end, the Rhythm is Gonna Get You. As the show closed, people were dancing the Conga out of the theatre, including myself. We had so much fun! Me encanto mucho!

Gloria Estefan has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl, so I was really looking forward to this experience. ON YOUR FEET is about how Gloria went from childhood to super stardom and the details in between. They open as if you are at a Miami Sound Machine concert with the horns, drums, and the rest of the band, along with the fabulous dancers. Then, out comes Gloria (Gaby Albo) singing and dancing her heart out. The

commitment to the energy of this show by the whole cast is amazing! After the concert, they go back in time when young Gloria (Katie McCollum) is helping with family chores. She sings to the neighborhood, and quickly turns into older Gloria. Abuela Consuelo Garcia (Madelin Marchant) is supportive of Gloria and her music, but Gloria is reluctant since she is studying to be a psychologist and helps take care of her father Jose Fajardo (Adriel Orlando Garcia). Still, abuela introduces her to Emilo (Samuel Garnica), who is head of the Miami Latin Boys. She sings Anything For You with support from her hermana Rebecca Fajardo (Lauren Danielle Horgan) for Emilio, who then wants her as part of the group. However, her mother Gloria Fajardo (Kristen Tarragó) does not immediately approve. Regardless, they start working together and become popular in the Spanish speaking countries. Emilio and Gloria want to crossover, but their music executive Phil (Augusto Guardado) is against it until he finally

hears her sing Conga-which leads to my favorite few lines....Does Gloria like the song? Emilio: She loves it. Phil: Good, she's going to be singing it for the rest of her life! He was not joking.

In Act II she becomes more famous. At some point her mother gets mad at her and doesn't speak to Gloria for a few years (there is a whole backstory to that). Then, while heading to a show in New York, her tour bus that holds Emilio, Nayib (Javier Ivan) and herself gets in a wreck. She breaks her back, has surgery, the fans send a lot of love, and she shows up to the American Music Awards singing Coming Out of the Dark. The musical ends with a mini-Gloria Estefan concert.

This was such a great show! If you missed it, I don't know what to tell you. I guess.... see where they are headed next and go there. I mean....you should. I suggest Key West, FL, on April 5, at the Tennessee Williams Theatre. That sounds like fun to me! But seriously, it's a phenomenal show. This cast has so much energy and heart. At one point, they all paused to acknowledge that They are what America looks like, and I wanted to stand up right then and there to join them. I was so proud. It was amazing!

The cast worked hard throughout the entire performance. They were having a great time on stage, and I loved it! The singing was on fire! The acting was equally as wonderful. Albo and Garnica's chemistry was so much fun to witness. I don't want to say that they could compete with their muses, but.....wow! I was convinced. Tarragó's character was strong and graceful. Her presence was powerful as she tried to take care of her family. You couldn't help but want everything to work out for her. The scene stealer, though, was Marchant as Consuelo. She was so funny, so delightful, and so loveable! My heart was happy to see that Gloria had an abuela like her.

Not that I'm picking favorites, but I am impressed with the lineup that Reynolds is offering. The choices of entertainment are varied and hits practically all of the fan bases. Next up is BLUE MAN GROUP, which is already sold out, then THE GRUFFALO and LUCI LOVES DESI. For you Pink Floyd fans, there is a show in the near future just for you as well. For a complete list, check out their website at https://uca.edu/publicappearances. If you are going to chase down ON YOUR FEET, you can find more information at https://onyourfeetmusical.com.

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