NSMT is speaking Latin in musical ‘On Your Feet!’

By Rich Fahey

BOSTON – By definition, a successful jukebox musical is the perfect marriage of story and score.

But not every life can be made into a musical that can both entertain and tell a story.

But few have a story to tell like Gloria and Emilio Estefan, two Cuban immigrants who collaborated to change the face of pop music, instilling an insistent salsa-flavored beat where none had existed before.

Their tenacity and their talents allowed the Estefans and their Miami Sound Machine to rise to the top of the pop charts, crossing over from their niche in the Latin Music scene to become international pop superstars. In 2023, Gloria made history, becoming the first Latina composer to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The North Shore Music Theatre is opening its 2026 season with an explosive production of “On Your Feet!” onstage through June 14.

It’s all there: Rich, melodic voices, a top-notch orchestra, and sensational production numbers designed to get theater-goers up and dancing to the beat.  

Director/choreographer Marcos Santana directed last season’s NSMT production of “Rent,” which amassed 12 2026  Norton Award nominations, including two for Santana for Outstanding Direction and Choreography. He also served as associate choreographer for the Broadway production of “On Your Feet!”  and that says it all when it comes to this production

The sleek, sexy ensemble is seemingly always in motion, giving spectacular life to a series of Estefan hits and other hit Latin numbers.

Newcomer  Isabel Leoni, a 2025 graduate of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, is getting her post-grad career off to a roaring start with her portrayal of Gloria Estefan, the iconic performer   who overcame a series   of obstacles – including a terrible crash that nearly killed her – to become an international superstar, with husband Emilio (Marcello Audino) by her side the entire way.

The role requires not only a certain look, but vocal and dancing chops to match, and Leoni has the entire package.

Act I details Gloria and Emilio’s rise, clearing various hurdles to stardom – not the least of which were the roadblocks set up by Gloria Estefan’s own family – and the second act works off the well-documented 1990 bus accident that almost cost Gloria Estefan her life, and her subsequent triumphant comeback.

The Fajardo family flees Cuba for Miami at the dawn of the Cuban revolution for a new life, and as the play opens José  Fajardo (Henry Gainza) is serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, listening to a tape of his daughter Gloria singing and predicting stardom for her.

He is later beset by illness; young Gloria becomes his caretaker and José  dies at a young age, leaving his wife Gloria Fajardo (Karmine Alers) as the head of a family that also includes supportive grandmother Consuelo (a wonderful Sydia Cedeño-Genat) and younger sister Rebecca ( Olivia A. Cruz),

When Emilio (Marcello Audino) approaches Gloria and asks her to sing for him and his band, it causes a strain – to put it mildly – between Gloria and her mother.

Consuelo helps young Gloria realize the reason her mother isn’t supportive is that her own dreams of stardom and a career in Hollywood were dashed by her own father. It will later lead to an estrangement that will split the family for years.

Eventually, mother Gloria Furtado gets a chance in this show to sing and strut her stuff on stage, the things she would have done if she had had the chance.

Alexander Dinelaris’ book faithfully chronicles the oft-bumpy ride of the Estefans and while he seems to be en pointe when it comes the family part of the equation, some of the dialogue doesn’t always quite ring as true when it comes to the Estefans’ dealings with the music business. The record execs really take it on the chin in this re-telling, and, let’s face it, many of their dealings with artists have been underhanded.

The book chronicles the first tentative steps when Gloria begins performing with the “Miami Latin Boys,” who sing in Spanish and perform for peanuts.

Eventually, they become a top act in the world of Latin music but are aching to gain a wider audience. They struggle to first perform in English and then get their music before the public, oftimes performing for free in small venues exchange for a promise to have their music played on radio or at nightclubs.

That leads to funny moments when the band swallows its pride and plays bar mitzvahs and weddings as a way to spread the musical word, which is how a young Jewish boy comes to lead a Conga line.

“On Your Feet!” aims to please, and it’s hard to resist its combination of splashy dance-floor numbers, and sleek, sexy, indefatigable dancers performing Santana’s explosive choreography.

There is excellent support in the production values. Jack Mehler’s scenic and lighting design, Emilio Sosa’s colorful costumes, Alex Berg’s sound designs, and Pamela Hersch’s projections all complement the action onstage.

The orchestra led by Jose Delgado is fabulous in fast-paced numbers such as “Conga,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You” “Rhythm is Gonna Get You” and “Turn the Beat Around.”

That gives way to slower ballads in Act II after the accident but eventually the heat is cranked up again, including a dazzling finale, and encore dances, much in the style of another jukebox musical, “Mamma Mia.”

By the end, you will have experienced an inspiring story you perhaps didn’t know that celebrates the achievements of two immigrants who found the American Dream.

Prepare to be on your feet early and often.

The North Shore Music Theatre production of “On Your Feet!” Book by Alexander Dinelaris. Directed and choreographed by Marcos Santana. Featuring music produced and recorded by Emilio and Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. Nsmt.org