Living The American Dream: New Broadway Musical 'On Your Feet' Chronicles Life Of Emilio And Gloria Estefan
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The newest musical to hit Broadway is full of familiar songs.
"On Your Feet" is based on the life and music of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
CBS2's Alice Gainer caught up with the Cuban-born couple, who say their story is about living the American Dream.
From sold out concerts on stages around the world, to the Broadway stage.
"We thought, 'you know what this is a good moment because we've lived a life, we've done some things,'" said Gloria.
"Some things" include the sale of over 100 million records and countless Grammy awards between the pair, just to name a few, Gainer reported.
"On Your Feet" is about the couple's life story, and it begins with how they met.
"(Gainer: You said when you first saw Emilio he was wearing very short shorts?) Yes, he was. (Gainer: Is that in the show?) Oh yes, although the shorts in the play are a lot cuter, they're little white shorts," Gloria said. "He's got great legs, alright. Josh has nice ones too, but they don't beat his."
Josh Segarra and Ana Villafane play the couple in the musical. The casting is almost too perfect, Gainer reported.
Villafane and Estefan actually attended the same Catholic girls high school in Miami.
"She didn't have to learn how to speak like me because she's from Miami, we have this special accent," said Gloria.
The show isn't all fun and dancing though, a big part of the couple's story is the 1990 tour bus crash that left Gloria with a broken back.
CBS2 was there when she was brought to a New York City hospital.
"I remember them telling me in the hospital it's probably going to be impossible for you to have another baby, you might walk again," Gloria said.
But she did walk again and she did give birth to a second child, a daughter.
"It's really about minorities, about dreams, it's about the respect that we have for this country and, it is a place where any dreams can come true," Emilio said.
Nearly 40 years married with two children and a grand child, plus they work together -- so, how do they stay so in sync?
"You tell your wife yes to everything," Emilio joked.
If their story line doesn't get you, as the song says, the rhythm will.
The couple's daughter, the one doctor's didn't think Gloria could have, helped write the only original song in the musical.
"On Your Feet" officially opens Thursday night.
