The Broadway show details her life, from her childhood in Cuba, to immigration to the United States to struggles in the music world.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — It’s natural for Clay Ostwald to be on stage, pumping out the Cuban pop music he helped turn into hits as part of the Miami Sound Machine backing Gloria Estefan in the 1980s and 1990s.
What’s been more of an evolution for him is watching the music become theater in "On Your Feet," the Broadway show that details Estefan’s life and is coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center beginning Tuesday.
Ostwald — a veteran keyboardist who writes and produces music, including penning the song “Get on Your Feet,” which was the basis for the musical’s title, chuckles when asked what professional hat is his favorite to wear.
“I think my favorite is the enjoyment I get from doing this music we spent years writing and performing in a new setting, for new people, and still see that they find it enjoyable and have it mean something to them,” he says in a phone call from a tour stop in Washington, D.C. “The audience often has flashbacks to when they first heard one of the songs.”
"On Your Feet" traces Estefan’s childhood in Cuba, her immigration to the United States, her love story with husband Emilio, with whom she founded the Miami Sound Machine, her struggle to be accepted in the American music world, and her physical and emotional recovery and return to performing after a devastating tour bus accident in 1990.
“Music has been a big part of Gloria’s life journey, and there have been a lot of different styles and types of music we’ve done over the years, from pop-accessible music to Cuban folklore,” Ostwald explains, adding that the latter contains much richer cultural meaning for the Estefans.
The music of the Miami Sound Machine provided "On Your Feet" playwright Alexander Dinelaris “a rich palette” from which to draw the story of the musical, he continues. Being called in to help with the show’s development, Ostwald says he was surprised at the process because many of the songs were inserted out of chronological order in order to maximize dramatic effect. For example, songs like "1-2-3" and "Tradicion" are sung relatively close together in the show, but were recorded years apart.
“This was a whole new world for me to watch Alex write the show,” Ostwald says, adding that the story shows the continual forward movement of the Estefans in the music industry. “They constantly work to see what else they can do and express something different. This shows how bold and daring Gloria and Emilio have been.”
These days, Ostwald is on stage during "On Your Feet" as part of the band tapped to keep the beat moving throughout the show. He easily rolls through old favorites like “Conga,” “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Don’t Want to Lose You Now” and “Coming Out of the Dark.”
“I respect the writing and respect the music in this show. It’s been great to create a story that works in the theater,” Ostwald says.
— Susan McDonald is a regular contributor to The Providence Journal. She can be reached at Sewsoo1@verizon.net.
If you go ...
What: "On Your Feet"
When: Jan. 30 to Feb. 4
Where: Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence
Tickets: $42-$89
Information: (401) 421-2787, ppacri.org