Photo By Sisy Sannoh / Staff
By Toni Gibson
Southwestern’s production of “On Your Feet!” is a tale of great courage and perseverance in the face of great obstacles.
We’re talking not about the plot of the musical, but of sick actors. Lots of sick actors.
A virulent flu swept through the cast and crew of the punchy musical about the rise of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, canceling two performances and threatening to wipe out the entire second half of the run. Both lead actors were stricken.
Like a Latina Lazarus, powerhouse actor-singer-dancer Montse Cabrera somehow shook off the scary flu that sent some members of the production to the hospital. Her tour-de-force performance of Gloria made her a celebrity for immune systems everywhere.
Miami Sound Machine leaned into the Cuban roots of its music, but borrowed heavily from the Staples Singers, disco and proto hip hop. Like many America Latinos who immigrated to the U.S., they started out in Spanish and transitioned to English as they gained confidence. They were beloved by Cubanos, adored by Latinos and enjoyed by white and black Americans, too.
“On Your Feet!” opens with a young Gloria Fajardo coaxed by her neighbors to sing for them while they hang out their wash. Her voice is already strong and beautiful, as embodied by actress Aimee Denova. She credibly presages adult Gloria with an endearing blend of sassy and shy.
Santiago Gordillo, a standout in so many SWC productions including “The Crucible” and “The Cradle will Rock,” was clearly hobbled by the flu, but gave the kind of impactful performance local theatre-goers have come to expect. His cocky, assertive Emilio pushed the show forward in between the pulsating production numbers.
There were several standout acting performances. Clarissa Contreras was comic relief with pipes as abuelita Consuelo. She was spicy and funny yet also cloaked with regret for stifling her own daughter’s career. Contreras’ brilliant performance was broad when allowed but nuanced when necessary.
Sofia Petroulias was like a lovable wobbly fawn as Gloria’s vulnerable hermanita, Rebecca. Her pretty voice and gift for the harmony parts made her the perfect actress to compliment Cabrera. Francisco Beltran was entertaining as the kind-of-slimy, late-to-the-game Jewish band manager, Phil.
It was Cabrera’s show to steal, and she nearly did, pumping out a high-energy dancing-singing-emoting Gloria who was mesmerizing and lovable – the best Cuban export since baseball stars Luis Tiant and Tony Oliva, TV icon Dezi Arnez or Montecristo cigars. Cabrera never once let on that she had spent the previous three days burning up with fever rather than disco moves.
With all respect to the terrific ensemble cast, the salsa orchestra gave what was arguably the most impressive performance of the evening. Anchored by guitar virtuoso Dr. Jorge Pastrana and uncanny student drummer Andre Buck, the musicians channeled Miami Sound Machine’s infectious Caribbean rhythms and rock-inflected power. Like the L.A. Wrecking Crew or Alabama’s Muscle Shoals horns, Tracy Burkland’s band elevated the music to another dimension.
Emilio and Gloria longed to crossover into English-language music, and the unintentional metaphor resonated with the mostly-Latino Southwestern College audiences. Radio stations and nightclubs were not willing to give a Latin group a chance to appeal to an English-speaking audience. Local Latinos have felt that sting for years.
Gordillo and Cabrera took the audience on the journey of disappointment, excitement and finally success. “On Your Feet!” is a Cubano Cinderella story that argues talent is wasted without perseverance.
“On Your Feet!” has some Act II problems. Hospital scenes following a tour bus crash scenes are maudlin and badly underdeveloped. There is little continuity and the plot careens aimlessly like the tour bus before the wreck. At one moment Gloria is struggling to get up off the ground during physical therapy, but seconds later is performing effortlessly on TV. It is predicable and implausible all in one.
Gloria recovers (of course) and the Miami Sound Machine begins singing for a whole new generation of fans. Calling rewrite!
“On Your Feet!” is a feast of Latin music and dance brought to life by talented Latino performers and musicians. Its lasting message, though, was more about demographics and culture. “This is the face of America,” declared Emilo.
Si, es verdad.
