So this week will be all about the Latinas of it all. I just came back from seeing "On Your Feet" in San Diego, and it blew me away. Before I get to the show, let me share just a brief out of body moment. I was sitting next to two theatre aficionados, and we started talking about shows they had seen, and the lady mentioned that she had seen Spamalot on Broadway with the original company because she had a friend in the show who had won a Tony award for playing the Lady of the Lake. Yeah, she went to Sara Ramirez, only my favorite person on "Grey's Anatomy" and "Madam Secretary". She even got a backstage photo with her. So yeah. That happened. Now, onto the show.
This was a party. This was the next best thing to seeing Gloria Estefan in the flesh. The band (which included 5 of her original band members) was awesome. The story was beautifully told. Some of the most poignant moments were with Gloria and her mother. Gloria and her mother had a very tempestuous relationship and they became estranged for about two years before the accident that nearly claimed Gloria's life brought them back together. One thing I have to say is that Gloria and Emilio represent many different things to many different people. They represent hope, they represent achieving your dreams, they represent fighting against adversity, and many other things. I'd like to give honorable mentions to the people who played Gloria's sister, her mother, her father, and her son Nayib. The actor who played Emilio, Ektor Rivera, joins the show direct from Broadway, and he was absolutely fabulous.
And now...
CHRISTIE PRADES!!! I know. I put her in all caps. There's a reason. I love her. She was fantastic. She embodied Gloria beyond any expectation I had. Her singing was flawless as was everything else about her portrayal. This was the best night that I've had at the theatre in a while.
Oh, and one more thing, as Emilio Estefan once said, "This is what an American looks like!"
Lastly, people talk about Selena Quintanilla all the time. There wouldn't be a Selena, a J. Lo, a Shakira, without Gloria. So many young women have looked to her for inspiration in the past, and many more will continue to do so in the years to come!
