On Your Feet! Is a glorious celebration of the life and
music of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine who bought the incredibly rich
Latin sounds from Cuba to America in the 1980’s and does what it says – gets you
on your feet. Jerry Mitchell directs, and his long-term associate Sergio Trijllo
does the choreography in energetic up-tempo routines to create a slick concert
style tribute. It makes you smile; it makes you sway; it makes you tap your
feet as the sound fills the vast Coliseum auditorium. The early scene in Cuba almost
pays homage to the brilliant scene and music in Havana in the wonderful stage musical
Guys and Dolls but the overall production does not hit these musical theatre heights.
There is a slick stage design by David Rockwell which uses automation, sliding
walls and some attractive projections by Darrel Maloney to set the scenes.
Despite a vibrant bright opening the first half feels long
as the show traces Gloria and Emilio’s early life in Cuba, journeying to
America and first meetings through to their first hits “Dr Beat” (1984) and “Conga”
(1985) and they make the crossover from Spanish speaking Latin stars to English
speaking hit makers. Some of the words get lost as the combination of Spanish accents
and language and the amplified sound of the band overwhelm the head mics. However,
it is the second half of the show that packs the emotional punch with the terrible
coach crash on her long world tour in 1990, her long arduous recovery from back
surgery and triumphant return for the American Music awards.
Though the biographical snippets don’t shy away from her
fathers multiple sclerosis or the strains her ambition and injuries placed on
her relationship with her mother and her husband Emilio the book does this in
an affectionate and gentle way which must surely have reflected the active involvement of the family in the production.
Ultimately this is a show about the music and with a ten-piece
band on stage, backing singers and a strong colourful lighting set up by
Kenneth Posner with the volume turned up the Miami sound transports us back to
the eighties and the excitement and energy of this musical style. One of the early
highlights is her mother, Gloria, (Madalena Alberto) singing the 1993 hit “Mi Tierra”
an indication that she too might have been a star and perhaps explaining her reticence
in supporting her daughters’ ambition.
Christie Prades who plays Gloria Estefan manages to show how
her stage presence grows over the years to the excellent conclusion in “Coming
out of the dark” and the Grand “Finale”. She looks the part but when Gloria herself
comes on stage at the Gala opening, she brings an extra bit of magic to the
stage that is hard to replicate. Emilio is played by George Ioannides and
although we never feel the love that has kept them together for forty years of marriage,
we see how he has driven and managed her career. There is also a delightfully
scatty and charming cameo from Karen Mann as her grandmother Consuelo and a powerful
and poignant performance from Elia Lo Tauro as her father Jose (a Vietnam veteran).
This is more than a Jukebox musical and has higher production
values, a stronger emotional connection and a deeper vibrant sound than recent West
End and regional touring productions like Club Tropicana and Rip it Up eighties.
The Estefan’s created an original unique sound that has left an enduring legacy
and this production will delight their strong fan base, but I hope also introduce
a new audience to this loveable lady and her musical style and offer a party
night out for groups all-round the country who simply want to go to the theatre
to enjoy themselves.
Nick Wayne
Four stars
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