I will be the first to admit that I am in no way familiar with the music of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. I love “Conga,” and that is really all I know about their discography. Heck, I was not even familiar with the songs of their titular musical, “On Your Feet: The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.” However, I was still curious when the show was performed at the Luhrs Performing Arts Center on Tuesday.

Based on the true story, the musical recounts the tale of how Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García met, performed with, and ultimately fell in love with musician Emilio Estefan. Once the two come to America, they are set to top the charts and make music history by tearing down the barriers of the 1980s music scene. All this while set to familiar tunes such as “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Don’t Want To Lose You Now,” “1-2-3,” and “Coming Out of the Dark.”

So, I must say that I am already not the biggest fan of biopics, especially ones based on musicians, since so many of them follow the same standard formula. That goes for film, so sadly that translates even more to musicals. I just feel that if you have the resources to do a Broadway musical, why stage it and frame it like a regular movie? Go big!

Sadly, “On Your Feet” fails to go big and honestly left little impression on me after viewing.

Now I will say that from a technical aspect and casting standpoint, the show checked all my boxes. The performers were all insanely talented, and the choreography was next level, but they are let down by a very generic book. The show hits all the same beats you would expect a story like this to hit, even having the singer, in this case Gloria, hit a low point so they can triumphantly rise again. It is a stage version of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and I kind of do not need it.

Again, however, this is not a diss to the cast in any way. Gaby Albo and Samuel Garnica are terrific as Gloria and Emilio, and they are aided by a superb ensemble cast. Kristen Tarragó was by far the highlight of the show as Gloria Fajardo, the mother of our lead. Her song number was not only the most well-sung vocally but visually as well.

I normally fall in love with any musical that comes to Luhrs, mainly because I love musical theater so much. However, “On Your Feet: The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan” just does not have anything unique about it to make it memorable or a musical I would seek out the soundtrack for. It is a predictable story and let down by a series of songs that, while well-sung, just do not leave any type of impact on me.

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