(WSVN) - The song-driven story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s meteoric rise to stardom is dancing off the Broadway stage and shuffling its way to a theater near you.
When they were pitched the idea of turning their life story into a musical, the Estefans got up and made it happen. The result was the Grammy-nominated “On Your Feet!”
“It’s basically our story. Starting very quickly, it goes from when I came into the United States and was little, sending my dad tapes in Vietnam, to suddenly I am 17 and meet Emilio,” said Gloria, “and it’s kind of like how we were able to break through the music industry, how we fell in love.”
Emilio said it tells a universal rags-to-riches story with a Latin flavor.
“I think it’s a story, you know, about dreams. It’s a story about minorities,” he said. “It’s a story about that we live in an incredible country that gives you opportunity, and you know, you have to hustle and work and believe in something.”
“We truly have lived the ‘American dream,’ and that’s also a big part of the show,” echoed Gloria.
Emilio said the musical portrays how the couple was asked to assimilate their identity.
“It’s a big responsibility, because it was so hard for us, because in the beginning they said, ‘You have to change your last name’ or ‘change your sound,'” he said. “We didn’t want to do that because I think people need to understand that you have to be real and that people like you the way you are or not like you.”
Emilio said it was strange to see his life unfold on stage.
“It’s really weird to see yourself, but you know, I really wanted to get somebody so much better looking than me, and I got him, so that’s good,” he said.
“Yeah, that’s the one. The one big lie on the show is that Emilio ever had a six-pack,” said Gloria.
She also took the opportunity to thank the cast of the current production of “On Your Feet!”
“These performers are the hardest working people, hands down, in any entertainment industry,” said Gloria. “I mean, to do eight shows a week and sing, dance and act live, every moment, to me it’s always been fascinating. I’ve loved Broadway, but after being involved in it, I just have even a deeper respect for what they do.”
“On Your Feet!” is already doing the conga in Los Angeles and will make its way through other cities in California, Colorado, Nevada and the Pacific Northwest in the next several months before spreading its catchy rhythms across the rest of the country.
The current tour arrives at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach on Jan. 8.
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