Estefans’ star search is over for ‘On Your Feet’
Miami is the place where Gloria and Emilio Estefan got their start, and now it’s the place where the superstar music duo found the leading lady for their upcoming bio musical, On Your Feet!.
On Monday, the Estefans did the national media rounds with Ana Villafañe and Josh Segarra, who will play them in the show. On Your Feet! will get its out-of-town tryout at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre June 2-July 5, then preview in New York Oct. 5-Nov. 4 before opening at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre Nov. 5.
Villafañe, who will be making her Broadway debut, attended Miami’s Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Gloria Estefan’s alma mater. A singer-dancer-actress, she appears in the upcoming Hulu series South Beach: Fever and has the female lead in the movie Max Steel, set for summer release. When Villafañe couldn’t make the Miami open auditions for the show, she chose the online video option, then was called in to audition for the Estefans and director Jerry Mitchell, who observed, “Not only was she beautifully reminiscent of a young Gloria, but she embodied her energy and spirit in such a captivating way.”
Segarra, who has appeared on Broadway in Lysistrata Jones, stars as Billy Cepeda in USA’s series Sirens, has a recurring role on NBC’s Chicago PD and will appear in the Judd Apatow movie Trainwreck this summer.
On Your Feet!, which features music by the Estefans and a book by Birdman Oscar winner Alexander Dinelaris (a former Barry University student), will also feature New World School of the Arts grad Andréa Burns as Gloria Fajardo, Gloria Estefan’s mother. Tickets to the Broadway run are now on sale via Ticketmaster at 800-714-8451 or www.ticketmaster.com.
CHRISTINE DOLEN
MAN IN THE MIRROR
Still missing the King of Pop? Joby Rogers performs The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience, a multimedia tribute concert, 8 p.m. Thursday at the Eissey Campus Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens. According to his website, the late music icon personally selected Rogers as his favorite impersonator after reviewing 116 of the world’s top MJ impersonators.
His career started back in the mid 1980s while in high school in Hartford, Connecticut, when Rogers won first place and a $1,000 prize in a Jacko lookalike cotest.
Proceeds from the performance benefit the Max M. Fisher Boys and Girls Club of Riviera Beach. $50. 11051 Campus Dr. 561-207-5900; www.palmbeachstate.edu
MAJOR LEAGUER
Where do you go to celebrate your first day in the big leagues? Friday night, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Mikie Mahtook, 25, celebrated his MLB debut against the Miami Marlins by feasting at The Forge with friends and family. Mahtook, called up from the Triple-A Durham Bulls, lined out to Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon on a 1-1 pitch. Mahtook, who traveled here with his mom and identical twin sisters, told MLB.com the siblings were excited for the trip.
“They’re 23,” Mahtook said. “Not too much younger than me. They’re pretty happy to be in Miami, I can tell you that much. … I’m kind of worried about them taking over [the town].”
GIRL POWER
Despite a crazy busy work schedule, Keke Palmer will make a stop at Lenora B. Smith Elementary School in Miami Wednesday morning. The TV personality (Just Keke) is set to visit with roughly 60 students to talk about her philanthropic cause, Hialeah-based Embrace Girls Foundation mentoring program. Palmer will then head to the Miami Dade County School Board to tour the facility.
The actress’ day is not over by a long shot. Later she’ll attend a Q&A before the 7 p.m. screening of her upcoming film, the high-school basketball drama Brotherly Love, produced by Queen Latifah’s production company Flavor Unit Entertainment. To attend the 6:15 p.m. VIP meet and greet at AMC Aventura, RSVP at brotherlylove-miami.eventbrite.com and enter the passcode: LOVE15. Seating is limited.
Palmer (Broadway’s Cinderella; TV’s Masters of Sex) will have a lot to discuss: The 21-year-old has just signed on to in Ryan Murphy’s comedy-horror anthology series Scream Queens, premiering in the fall on Fox. She’s also working with R. Kelly on a new album.
Brotherly Love is out April 24.
MADELEINE MARR
This story was originally published April 13, 2015 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Estefans’ star search is over for ‘On Your Feet’."