Emilio Estefan & Gloria Estefan and their Broadway counterparts Ana Villafañe and Josh Segarra
Ana Villafañe made big news when she was cast as the female lead in the popular Mattel superhero milm Max Steel last year. How do you top that? She takes on Broadway! In what is the biggest news on Broadway of late, Villafañe will play Gloria Estefan in the autobiographical musical On Your Feet, as it was revealed on Monday on NBC’s Today show when both Gloria and her husband Emilio Estefan appear on the show for the big reveal
The conga line to Broadway begins in Chicago where previews begin June 2, by October 5 On Your Feet will be in previews at the Marquis Theater with an opening night set as November 5th.
Villafañe as Gloria Etefan
Villafañe is a relative unknown, for now, and at least until Max Steel is released later this year where she plays the lead role of a superhero, and she makes her Broadway debut later this year. Villafañe grew up in Miami, listening to Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine and performing in musicals at the age of nine. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2008 to attend Loyola Marymount University, she landed a role in the web series Los Americans, and the indie film Hiding. In this case, preparation surely met opportunity.
Josh Segarra, another Floridian (from Orlando) of Puerto Rican heritage, is no stranger to Broadway having made his debut in Broadway’s Lysistrata Jones. This graduate of the Tisch School of Arts at NYU has prepared well for his first lead on Broadway with a long list of theater credits (Fools in Love, Dogfight) and TV and film credits. He is currently starring in USA’s Sirens.
It will be a Latin explosion on Broadway this coming October with a cast that includes Andréa Burns (In The Heights) as Gloria Fajardo (Gloria’s mother), Alma Cuervo (Beauty and the Beast) as Consuelo (Gloria’s grandmother), Alexandria Suarez as Little Gloria, Noah Johnston as little Emilio, Karmine Alers, Yassmin Alers, David Baida, Natalie Caruncho, Henry Gainza, Linedy Genao, Carlos E. Gonzalez, Nina Lafarga, Genny Lis Padilla, Omar Lopez-Cepero, Hector Maisonet, Marielys Molina, Felix Monge, Doreen Montalvo, Liz Ramos, Eliseo Roman, Luis Salgado, Marcos Santana, Martín Solá, Brett Sturgis, Eric Ulloa, Tanairi Vasquez and Lee Zarrett.
On Your Feet will be directed by Tony winner Jerry Mitchell and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo. Book is written by Alexander Dinelaris. Gloria and Emilio have penned new music for On Your Feet and of course their hit songs The Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “Words Get in the Way,” “1, 2, 3″ and the Oscar-nominated “Music Of My Heart.” will all be utilized to tell their inspirational story.
The rest of the creative team includes are scenic designer David Rockwell, costume designer Emilio Sosa, lighting designer Kenneth Posner, sound designer Steve Kennedy, projection designer by Darrel Maloney and hair and wig designer Chuck LaPointe. The music direction is by Lon Hoyt, orchestrations by Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan, dance arrangements and dance orchestrations by Oscar Hernandez, the On Your Feet! orchestra will include several members of Miami Sound Machine.
Tickets for On Your Feet went on sale on April 13.
Ticket sales April 13
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