Opening night at the Wales Millennium Centre and the Emilio & Gloria Estafan musical certainly lived up to its name. ON YOUR FEET had everyone in the theatre wanting to do just that, in fact, we knew the sing-a-long encore was coming and couldn’t wait to get on our feet and make it happen.
What went before that however was a real treat and one everyone we spoke to thoroughly enjoyed. We knew we were in for some great songs, it’s Gloria Estafan, so of course we were. What really took the show to another level was the incredible high energy dancing, top class band, who were very much an integral part of the staging, and a story which drew you in from the very start.
Don’t take our word for it, this is what the audience had to say..
It’s always difficult to single out one member of an exceptional cast, they were all terrific. Philippa Stefani is Gloria so of course has the biggest part. Having seen Gloria live back in the day, I can tell you she really captures the essence of her. George Ioannides is a perfect Emilio and he gets a particularly loud cheer when he pops out in his skimpy shorts (not literally).
PHILIPPA STEFANI 
GEORGE IOANNIDES
The staging is exceptional, switching seamlessly from live concert to intimate story telling. It’s fun and funny, yet emotional with real heart. Gloria’s father had MS and they deal with that part of the story really well, without ever being over sentimental. It had a huge impact on her family’s every day life but, as with most people who live with a situation like that, they adapt and work around the hand they were all dealt.
Before we take our look back over Gloria’s career, the horrific bus crash which almost killed her and this phenomenal musical, we spoke to FRANCESCA LARA GORDON who plays Gloria’s sister and occasionally Gloria herself.
The biopic follows the life of the husband-and-wife team, who were born in Cuba and achieved the American dream. Coming from humble beginnings, Emilio and Gloria rose to superstardom, and we are talking mega-stardom status, while spreading their music throughout Miami, across the US and all around the world.
The crash Francesca spoke about happened in 1990. Gloria had been on top of the music world for years, but was nearly killed in a devastating bus crash while touring for her album Cuts Both Ways.
There were reports the collision very nearly shattered Gloria’s spine. Afterward, she worried she would never walk again. Amazingly, she was back on stage less than a year later. Despite the trauma of the crash and the long, hard road to recovery, Gloria says the incident strengthened her bond with her husband, who never left her side.
These situations can often tear relationships apart, but for Gloria, it showed how strong her husband’s love truly is.
Musically, the couple, who are also responsible for Latin pop group Miami Sound Machine, have 26 Grammys to their names and sold well over 100 million records. They really were like a machine as well, turning out hit after hit, year on year.
They were the days when you got good value for your singles. Box, postcards and the record. In your face digital downloads…..
So, let’s have a little conga through the Miami Sound Machine catalogue to refresh your memory……
Put those incredible songs, together with a story of grit and determination and you have the ingredients of a musical which has had rave reviews everywhere it’s played. So it should too, the material is great and the production team who’ve put the tour together know what they’re doing too, with more than a few successes under their belt.
ON YOUR FEET is directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), with choreography by Olivier Award-winner Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and book by Academy Award® winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman).
The cast are amazing too. Philippa Stefani (RENT, In the Heights, Grease), as Gloria Estefan, George Ioannides (Annie, Mamma Mia!, An Officer and a Gentleman) as Emilio Estefan, Madalena Alberto (Evita, Cats, Les Misérables) as Gloria Fajardo and Laura Friedrich Tejero (Saturday Night Fever, West Side Story) as Consuelo. And of course Francesca Lara Gordon.
MADALENA ALBERTO 
LAURA FRIEDRICH TEJERO
We think it’s a given at just how many of the songs you will know. Each of them mixes Cuban rhythms with pop with a burst of colour, sound and movement. Which brings us to the choreography – WOW. It’s all there, mambo and salsa steps with thrilling spins, lifts and jumps.
The show had five star reviews in America and the same when it opened in London, and this is an important place for the group. Gloria told us………
“The UK has not only been an important source of beautiful music for our world, but has also played an integral role in my own personal musical history. To have our life story playing throughout the UK is a dream I could never have imagined coming true. I am thrilled and excited beyond words!”.
ON YOUR FEET is at the Wales Millennium Centre all this week till Saturday 26th October. For more details and to get tickets, you can either call the Box Office on 02920-636464 or go here WMC. See it if you can, the rhythm will completely get you.
Here’s a couple of videos to take a peek at. The tour video here TOUR. When the show had its UK Premiere in London, the crowd went wild, and if you look closely you’ll see Emilio playing the bongos. PREMIERE. Finally, this is really fun. Gloria decided to head onto the streets of London to promote the show – she still has it. GLORIA
