Review: The Scorching-Hot Rhythm of ON YOUR FEET! Is Gonna Get You at La Mirada

The high-octane, vivacious rhythms of Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum selling recording artist Gloria Estefan's music is currently making a welcome, percussive return via a vibrant new local remounting of her biographical 2015 jukebox musical ON YOUR FEET! - THE STORY OF EMILIO & GLORIA ESTEFAN, which continues performances at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through October 29. This admirable Southern California regional premiere production---presented by McCoy Rigby Entertainment---will also serve as a launching pad for an all-new multi-city 2023-2024 national tour.

Though the show's fact-based, aspirational narrative chronicling the professional and personal ascent of successful 80's Cuban-infused Pop Music power couple Gloria and Emilio Estefan is, for the most part, refreshingly lower-stakes (well, except for the near-tragic event depicted in the tail end of Act 2 that forever scarred the Pop star in real life), the true draw of this ferociously entertaining song-and-dance extravaganza is, as expected, the Estefans' hits-filled, ear worm-heavy catalog---and, in particular, how this awesome ensemble assembled for this La Mirada (and eventual touring) production performs the holy heck out of these numbers!

Literally taking to heart Estefan's hit "The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" as its overarching, mostly feel-good philosophy, this new production reverberates with non-stop vitality, as it surges forward with some of the most enthusiastically-performed dance numbers that have ever been presented on this stage. From start to finish---under the swift and dynamic direction of director/choreographer Luis Salgado---the show always seems to be moving along with exhilarating, fervent activity, only just slowing minimally for us (and, surely, the cast members) for a chance to catch our collective breath.

Here, upbeat numbers---overflowing with mirthful concert-party vibes and scorching-hot sounds---feel lively and electric, while the touching ballads, at times, have the dramatic verve of a passionately-emotive telenovela. While certainly not a perfect show (Alexander Dinelaris' book is serviceable at best), there's lots here to root for and, well… you can't help but applaud a show that can genuinely engage its audience during its entire run time.

To that end, I'd even go so far as to admit that, based on their recent Opening Night performance in La Mirada, I did slightly enjoy this newer, locally-produced iteration much more than the official Broadway national tour that breezed through So. Cal. a few years ago---because of both this production's refreshed visual presentation and the undeniable, extra-dolloped zeal witnessed in the performance choices of its cast (so much so that even individual ensemble members---you know who you are---make their particular multiple smaller roles intriguingly distinct and memorable… not for them to steal a given moment or to chew the scenery, but to make genuine impact in the show's overall presentation).

Luckily, this production's greatness starts at the very top.

Playing the show's heightened, musical-theater approximation of Gloria Estefan (née Fajardo) is triple-threat Gaby Albo, whose palpable fiery personality and impressive vocals are vividly on display right from the get-go. From timid songwriter to genuine international pop star, and from contentious daughter to loving wife and mother, Albo's portrait of down-to-earth/sassy-confident Estefan allows for many layers to feel genuinely all be coming from the same person.

Paired harmoniously with Albo is the excellent Samuel Garnica as Gloria's hardworking bandleader-turned-doting husband Emilio, an intuitive impresario whose immovable goal is to make his talented wife be the huge star he feels she deserves to be. In every scene, Garnica easily commands the room, and when this actor sings, it's hard not to sit up and take notice at his performance prowess.

As actors playing a real-life couple, Garnica and Albo have great, believable chemistry, though, curiously, the roles feel as though they have been, perhaps, written to be a bit more prudish (the show was endorsed by the Estefans themselves, so, maybe, the couple exercised their prerogative to not disclose too much in telling their love story)?

Be that as it may, both actors are really enjoyable to watch in their duets and interactions, making them easily likable.

Albo also shares many stirring, riveting scenes with the enchanting Kristen Tarragó, who plays Gloria's stern, slightly controlling mother. Tarragó, in her own right, is also quite a brilliant singer and dancer, evidenced by her flashback scene of much younger days in Cuba before she immigrated to the U.S. (we later learn---spoiler alert!---that, although she wishes for her daughter Gloria to pursue more grounded pursuits like, oh, a psychology career rather than enter the unpredictable music business, Mommy Fajardo was once tapped to be the Spanish singing voice for Fox Studios' Shirley Temple movies, but turned the offer down to care for a daughter whose daddy goes overseas to fight in a war).

Speaking of Gloria's daddy, also worth noting is Max Cervantes as Gloria's army vet father José, who himself also has a strong, beautiful singing voice, as does Emma Heistand who plays Gloria's younger sister (and frequent harmonizing backup singer) Rebecca. Javier Iván amuses as the Estefans' young son Nayib---a pre-pubescent teen beaming with a cheery disposition that will surely make you smile. There's also Jake Dylan's portrait of music executive Phil (who has quite a large personality), who provides some light-hearted moments of "conflict" for the Estefans in their bid to break out of the Latin music bubble into the more lucrative world of the Pop (English language) mainstream.

And, finally, there's the wonderful Adela Romero as Consuelo, Gloria's sweet, very supportive abuela, who champions her granddaughter's ambitions unconditionally. Continuing a long tradition of super sweet but spitfire-like grandmas in musical theater, Romero often steals part of the show when she appears on stage. When her character tells Albo's Gloria lovingly, "what's the use of writing songs if no one hears them?" the audience melts and collectively wishes we all had someone like her rooting for us.

Along with the liveliness of the full, proudly all-Latinx ensemble (amazing singers and dancers all), this production of ON YOUR FEET! boasts bright, vibrant visuals by bringing together the Scenic Design of Clifton Chadick, the Lighting Design of Ryan J. O'Gara, and Projections/Video Design by Patrick W. Lord---all blending seamlessly together to create everything from nightclubs in Havana, Cuba, palm tree-lined apartments in Miami, to concert venues across the country (with one distracting caveat: the horizontal neon lights that sometimes clash thematically with some environments).

Jeannette Christensen's excellent costumes are certainly bathed in nostalgia, from the flashback scenes set in the Cuba many of the characters left behind, to Gloria's fiery 80's pop starlet concert ensembles greeted with stage lighting and flash bulbs.

The show's hits-filled Latin-Pop soundtrack, naturally, gets the audience to groove along with abundant joy, aided by the amazing band led by Musical Director Daniel Alejandro Gutierrez. Most of the songs arrive via the expected concert performance recreation (a jukebox musical staple), but many, interestingly enough, are performed in the expected book musical fashion---as a way to convey the emotions of a character during a specific moment via song (my favorite is hearing "Don't Wanna Lose You" repurposed as a song sung by Emilio to declare his affections and understandable worries toward a post-tragedy, disheartened Gloria).

Other hits revived in the show include "Conga," "Everlasting Love," "Anything For You," "Live For Loving You," "Reach," and even her popular cover of "Turn the Beat Around" that’s included in the rousing finalé megamix.

Overall, this genuinely uplifting, nostalgia-filled, dance-heavy new Broadway-caliber production is a winning show worth experiencing, especially if you're a huge or even a casual fan of the music of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine. Come for the rhythms… and stick around for the heart.

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Photos by Jason Niedle courtesy of La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Performances of the McCoy Rigby Entertainment presentation of ON YOUR FEET! - THE STORY OF EMILIO & Gloria Estefan at The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts continue through Sunday, October 29, 2023, before embarking on a multi-city national tour. The theater is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in the city of La Mirada, CA. Parking is Free. For tickets, visit LaMiradaTheatre.com or call (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310.

For information on the show's future tour stops, visit onyourfeetmusical.com/shows

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