'On Your Feet,' the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, keeps Kravis Center audience happy | Review

The main thing you need to know about the musical “On Your Feet!” is that the rhythm is gonna get you.

Now at Kravis Center through Sunday, “On Your Feet!” tells the rags-to-riches story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, two Miami-bred Cuban-Americans who, first with the Miami Sound Machine and then through Gloria’s solo career, helped to cement the Latin sound and influence on American pop music. It’s a story that would be far-fetched if it weren’t true, a story tailor-made for musical theater.

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Wednesday's opening night performance was delayed by 25 minutes due to unspecified technical difficulties.

The show begins shortly before the bus crash in 1990 which left Gloria, played on this tour by Gaby Albo, with a severe spinal injury, and then flashes back to Gloria as a shy teenager who loves to sing and write songs. Gloria’s grandmother (Adela Romero) introduces her to Emilio Estefan (Samuel Garnica), in order to give her the confidence she needs to perform. Emilio recognizes Gloria’s talent, she joins his band, and the Miami Sound Machine is born, becoming the launching pad for Gloria’s solo career and injecting the Latin influence in modern pop music. The story follows the couple through Gloria’s recovery from that bus crash, to her triumphant return to performing.

There are obstacles, including Gloria’s disapproving mother (Francisca Tapia) and record executives who don’t believe that a successful Latin group can cross over to the pop charts. But the tenacity of the Estefans make believers out of their naysayers.

This is a homegrown musical, created by Emilio, the brains behind the band. “On Your Feet!” ran for nearly 800 performances on Broadway and is an exuberant celebration of love, music, and the American dream.

The funny and touching love story of the Estefans is played out through their hit songs, including “Anything for You” and “I See Your Smile.” The high-energy dance numbers, featuring flashy, '80’s-inspired choreography by director Luis Salgado, gets the audience on their feet with “Conga,”, “Dr. Beat,” “Turn the Beat Around” and the title song.

This production has some issues. Christopher Annas-Lee’s lighting design is often garish and murky, and sometimes detracts from Patrick W. Lord’s fantastic projections, which lend the scenes a three-dimensional feeling and help tell the story. The projections look great behind the performers, but the projections above the performers that run the span of the stage were cut off on top.

The performances are terrific. Alba embodies Gloria’s plucky, no-nonsense attitude and her strong, clear voice does justice to the songs. Garnica is especially good in the scenes when Emilio’s ideas are dismissed because he’s an immigrant.

Tapia is wonderful as Gloria’s strict mother, a talented singer in her own right who was prevented from realizing her own dreams of stardom. Augusto Guardado, as a record company executive, and Romero as Gloria’s grandmother, inject humor into the story.

“On Your Feet!” is an entertaining and inspiring show worth seeing. And if you go, be prepared to end the evening on your feet and dancing in the aisles.

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IF YOU GO

“On Your Feet!” runs through Sunday at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. For tickets and information, call 561-832-7469 or visit KravisCenter.org

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Gloria Estefan's 'On Your Feet,' is tailor-made for musical theater