Tag Archives: On Your Feet

Lissette Feliciano to Write & Direct Film Adaptation of Gloria & Emilio Estefan Broadway Musical “On Your Feet”

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Lissette Feliciano is ready to get you on your feet.

The 33-year-old Latina writer, director and actress will write and direct On Your Feet, a feature adaptation of the same-name Broadway musical that’s in early development at Sony Pictures, Deadline has learned.

Lissette Feliciano, A jukebox musical that tells the inspiring true story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, two Cuban immigrants who launched themselves to international musical stardom from humble beginnings, On Your Feet will be produced by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, as well as John and Jordan Davis of Davis Entertainment, with John Fox executive producing.

Premiering in November 2015 at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway, where it ran for more than 750 performances, the show specifically hones in on Gloria’s Estefan’s trajectory from her early days in Miami to her breakthrough as the lead singer of the Miami Sound Machine — a crossover artist, blending Latin and pop music —  and ultimately, her triumphant return to the stage after a near-fatal accident. The musical delves into the challenges she faced as a young artist, including her struggles to balance her cultural identity, family expectations, and artistic ambitions, and at the same time explores her romantic relationship with Emilio.

With a book by Alexander Dinelaris, the show features such hit songs from the Estefans as “Conga,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” and “Get On Your Feet.”

Directed by Jerry Mitchell, it went on to earn a Tony Award nomination for Choreography, as well as seven Outer Critics Circle Award nominations and three Drama League Award nominations, before going on to tour the U.S. and internationally.

Feliciano is best known for Women Is Losers, the 2021 indie drama that marked her feature directorial debut. Set in ’60s San Francisco, the film watches as a once-promising catholic school girl, Celina Guerrera (Lorenza Izzo), sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future for herself that sets new precedents for the time. Also starring Bryan Craig, Chrissie Fit and Simu Liu, the film premiered to critical acclaim at SXSW and was acquired by Max following its successful nationwide festival run.

An NYU Tisch alum and a Tribeca Film Institute AT&T Untold Stories grant recipient, the filmmaker is repped by Verve and Adelman Matz.

Emilio Sosa Named Chair of American Theatre Wing

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Emilio Sosa is taking the chair…

The Dominican Tony Award-nominated costume and fashion designer has been elected the Chair of the American Theatre Wing. Sosa succeeds current co-chairs David Henry Hwang and Ted Chapin.

Emilio Sosa

Sosa, who joined the Wing’s board in 2015, said in a statement, “I could not be more honored to step into this role at this crucial time, or more humbled to be succeeding two such accomplished leaders. I look forward to continue building the Wing’s ongoing, long-term equity work, expanding and deepening our education work, building bridges between all parts of the theatre ecology, and cultivating conversation and action across every region of the country to ensure all voices and occupations in our industry are heard.”

Sosa will be joined by newly named Vice-Chairs Dale Cendali, Patricia Crown, James Higgins, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Lee Perlman, and Nadine Wong.

Trustees Pam Zilly and Natasha Katz will also join Board leadership as treasurer and secretary, respectively.

Both Hwang and Chapin will maintain active roles for the Wing as they take on responsibilities as its Immediate Past Chairs.

“We all owe a giant debt of gratitude to our two exemplary co-chairs, David Henry Hwang and Ted Chapin, who have helped navigate the organization during our industry’s most trying time,” said American Theatre Wing President & CEO Heather Hitchens, adding, “Now, as we enter the post-pandemic era, our extensive agenda and growing portfolio has created a need for our most robust leadership team ever, including an unprecedented six vice chairs. I can’t think of anyone better suited to lead that team than Emilio as we continue to elevate and advance the Wing’s work and its programs to ensure that this artform and our industry come back better than ever before.”

Sosa’s Broadway credits include Topdog/Underdog, On Your Feet, Motown: The Musical, Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.

Sosa rose to acclaim after taking second place on the seventh season of Project Runway. He later appeared on Season 2 of Project Runway: All Stars.

Ana Villafañe to Star in NBC’s Comedy Pilot “Night Court,” a Follow-Up to the Classic Legal Series

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Ana Villafañe is holding court…

The 32-year-old Cuban and Salvadoran American actress/singer has landed a series regular in NBC’s half-hour pilot Night Court.

Ana Villafañe

The project is a follow-up to the classic legal comedy series headlined and executive produced by The Big Bang Theory’s Melissa Rauch, with the original series’ John Larroquette reprising his Emmy-winning role.

Written/executive produced by Dan Rubin based on the original series created by Reinhold Weege, the multi-camera Night Court centers on unapologetic optimist judge Abby Stone (Rauch), the daughter of the late Harry Stone, who follows in her father’s footsteps as she presides over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court and tries to bring order to its crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (Larroquette).

Villafañe will play Monica, the court’s assistant district attorney. Type A, superficial and tightly wound. Monica sees the night court as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. She’s above this place and all the people in it, but it’s a good way to get some courtroom experience under her belt. It’s all part of her plan to land a job at one of the big firms. Thirty will be here before she knows it and if she’s not wildly successful by then…well it’s best not to think about it.

Villafañe is recurring on the final season of Younger, which streams on Paramount+.

She has also recurred on two NBC/Universal Television series, drama New Amsterdam and comedy Sunnyside.

On stage, Villafañe originated the role of Gloria Estefan in the Broadway production of On Your Feet and starred throughout the musical’s entire 2014-2017 run, winning the 2015 Theatre World Award for Best Actress.

She later starred as Nina Rosario in the Kennedy Center’s 2018 production of In the Heights and made her off-Broadway debut in MCC’s Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties in 2018. She is a two-time Drama League Award nominee for On Your Feet and Collective Rage.