At the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell Center, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan arrives in Manila this month with a production rooted in music, memory, and performance craft. At its center is Cuban-American actor Jason Canela, who plays Emilio Estefan.
A Quiet Evolution: Jason Canela’s Return to Emilio
Returning to the part he first embodied in Miami’s regional staging of the musical, Canela steps back into Estefan’s world with a quiet evolution. Less an interpretation this time, more an inhabitation. Years later, the character meets him differently. Not only as a musician and producer who helped shape the global sound of Latin pop, but as a figure whose vision, discipline, and emotional architecture now resonate through Canela’s own lived experience.
Best known for his work across television, Canela has built a career across genres and geographies, from English-language television to Spanish-language productions. Yet it is Emilio Estefan—music producer, cultural architect, and partner to Gloria Estefan. That remains one of his most personal artistic returns.
This story isn’t something I had to search far for—it’s in my DNA,” he reflects.
It is my story, too.”
The Soundtrack of Cultural Memory
That sense of lineage is embedded in On Your Feet!, a musical that traces the Estefans’ journey from immigrant beginnings in Miami to global stardom. Where Latin rhythm moved from the margins into the mainstream. The score—anchored by enduring hits such as “Conga,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “1-2-3,” and “Get on Your Feet”. Functions less as nostalgia than as cultural memory rendered in motion.
Yet beneath its exuberance lies a more intimate register: the emotional undercurrents of love, risk, family, and resilience. It is here that Canela finds the quieter truths of the role. Especially in songs like “Don’t Wanna Lose You” and “I Just Wanna See Your Smile,” where the musical briefly steps away from spectacle and into vulnerability.
Finding Gloria: Two Artistic Visions
Opposite him, alternating as Gloria Estefan, are Molly Langley and Kayla Rivera. Two performers whose artistry brings distinct tonalities to the production’s emotional center.
Langley arrives with a cosmopolitan stage background spanning the UK and international cruise productions. Her trajectory marked by versatility and vocal precision. Rivera, a Filipino-Canadian performer, has built a celebrated career shaped by early recognition and acclaimed performances. Establishing her as one of the most compelling musical theatre voices of her generation.
Together, they anchor a story that is as much about partnership as it is about performance.
A Dynamic Local Ensemble and Intergenerational Cast
Surrounding them is a richly textured ensemble that evokes the vibrancy of Little Havana and the kinetic pulse of the Miami Sound Machine. With veteran Filipino performers including Ayen Laurel, Pinky Marquez, John Joven Uy, Vien King, Jani Magadia, and Anyah de Guzman lending depth and lineage to the Estefan family narrative. The production also features alternating child performers portraying young Emilio and Gloria. Adding an intergenerational softness to the show’s otherwise high-voltage energy.
The Creative Visionaries Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes, the creative team—director Robbie Guevara, musical director Daniel Bartolome, and choreographer Nunoy van den Burgh—crafts a staging language that balances theatrical precision with emotional spontaneity. The musical itself, written by Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris with music by Emilio and Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine. This remains grounded in a story that is both deeply personal and globally resonant.
At its heart, On Your Feet! is not simply the story of fame. It is the architecture of becoming—of identity shaped through migration, sound, and persistence. A narrative in which rhythm is not just musical but generational.
On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan runs from July 10 to August 2, 2026, at the Proscenium Theater, Rockwell Center, Makati City. With performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM, and Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 PM.
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