Audition Dates
Performance Dates
Saturday, July 31 8:00PM
Sunday, August 1 2:00PM
Friday, August 6 8:00PM
Saturday, August 7 8:00PM
Sunday, August 8 2:00PM
Wednesday, August 11 2:00PM
Friday, August 13 8:00PM
Saturday, August 14 8:00PM
Sunday, August 15 2:00PM
Wednesday, August 18 7:30PM
Friday, August 20 8:00PM
Saturday, August 21 8:00PM
Health & Safety Protocols
Character Descriptions
[GLORIA ESTEFAN] Female, Cuban. Initially shy, opens up as the story progresses. Becomes an icon. Sharp sense of humor. Good actress, star quality. Must speak fluent Spanish and sing and move well. PRINCIPAL
[EMILIO ESTEFAN] Male, Cuban. Confident. Handsome. Sometimes stumbles over his emotions… and his English. Loyal. Leading man with character. Must speak fluent Spanish and sing well. PRINCIPAL
[GLORIA FAJARDO] Female, Cuban. Gloria’s mother. Brassy. Strong willed. Latin Matriarch. Survivor. Biting humor. Must speak fluent Spanish and sing well. PRINCIPAL
[CONSUELO] Female, Cuban. Gloria’s Grandmother. Cuban stage mother. Sometimes an apparition. Wise. Loving. Warm. Gloria’s guardian angel. Must speak fluent Spanish and be able to carry a tune. PRINCIPAL
[YOUNG GLORIA] Female, Cuban. Innocent, but smart and self reliant. Slightly sad, but always full of hope. Must speak fluent Spanish and sing well. PRINCIPAL
[YOUNG EMILIO/NAYIB] Male, Cuban. Emilio as a boy and Nayib Gloria’s son. MUST BE A STRONG DANCER. Must speak fluent Spanish and does not need to sing. PRINCIPAL
[MALE & FEMALE SINGERS WHO CAN DANCE] – This show requires a strong ensemble who can sing and dance as well as tackle multiple character tracks.
Production Staff
Director: Natalie Novacek
Natalie Novacek is a freelance director who lives on Wahpekute land in Minneapolis, MN.
Her intimate productions have garnered critical acclaim for their precise balance of humor and heart. Her interpretive work thrives in contemporary American texts as well as firmly established texts in the theatrical canon.
In 2014, she began development on a design-driven adaptation of Moby-Dick; or, The Whale titled Book of Ishmael. She is currently working on a creative editing of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses tetralogy (Henry VI, parts 1-3 and Richard III) that focuses on the journey of Queen Margaret. Margaret was developed in part by a 2017 Drama League Rough Draft Residency.
Natalie was a 2005 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Selection Team Directing Fellow in Washington D.C. and a 2016-2017 Directing Fellow at Asolo Rep in Sarasota, FL. She is an alum of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and the SDCF Observership Program.
Natalie is a former teaching fellow for the University of Texas at Austin. She has directed for many academic institutions, both at the high school and university level.
Natalie received her M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Texas at Austin and her B.A. in Theatre Arts from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Natalie is a proud Associate Member of the Stage Director and Choreographers Society.
Choreographer: Emily Hart Lopez
Originally from Charleston, SC, Emily Hart-Lopez is a professional dancer, actor, and educator based in NYC as well as the founder of her personal artistic training ground and creative community, HartHeals. Emily is a 2016 B.F.A in Dance graduate of UNCSA (under Dean Susan Jaffe) with a Contemporary Concentration. Emily's work ranges from contemporary to heels, zouk, ballet, jazz, bollywood/tollywood, musical theater, street jazz, salsa, other latin styles, immersive theater, and more. Emily has performed with Rumbamena, Helen Simoneau Danse at NYLA, Sprout Works, Gotham Dance Theater, Cirque du Nuit, Shoem LLC, DPA Entertainment, Reaction NYC, Gaspard & Dancers, and the Designated Movement Company. Additionally, Emily freelances by dancing for artists DSP (DSP U.S.A Live Tour), Grace Kelly, Vassy, Damion Anthony, Ozzie Valencia, Baby Dayliner, etc. appearing in music videos/film/T.V. Appearances include being a Non-Union dancer in the Dirty Dancing remake (Choreo., Andy Blankenbuehler) and Season 1 (and upcoming 4) of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Additionally, Emily is a teaching artist offering classes in dance to all ages (Choreolounge, Self-Centered Events, ASTEP, Arts Horizons, HartHeals, etc.). Emily has recently set work on the professional dance company, Gotham Dance Theater, that premiered last Summer and will debut a new choreography again this Summer at the Queensboro Dance Festival. Emily is currently an actor in the online immersive production of "Thickett Quest" and a member of Actor’s Equity. Emily has worked as an actor in a few short film/plays, such as the Rose/Snake in “The Little Prince” (Flint Rep) and more. Emily’s mission is to be an example of artistic professionalism and excellence, while creating impact in her community through arts advocacy.
Choreographer: Marc Nuñez
Marc Nuñez was born in Switzerland and raised in California. He is a queer Filipinx-American, Queens-based Director, Choreographer, and Dancer. Professionally, Marc has danced for Rihanna, Todrick Hall, Donald McKayle's Etude Ensemble, Mike Esperanza's BARE Dance Company and Entity Contemporary Dance, as well as played roles in musicals including Peter Pan (international tour starring Cathy Rigby), Disney's Newsies, Cabaret and The King and I. Marc has directed productions of The Wizard of Oz and choreographed Sweeney Todd (Media Theatre). Marc is Founder and Director of Gotham Dance Theater since 2015 and Dance Curator at The Tank, where he produced concerts including GDT Shows Fade to Black and Other, and The Annual Big Gay Dance Show, Emerge Choreographers Showcase, The Soul Spot (Choreographed by Candace Brown). Marc is also an instructor at Mae Mae Dance Center (Flushing, Queens) and Airbnb Online Experiences. Marc holds a BFA in Dance Performance with Excellence in Choreography from the University of California, Irvine. Marc is a member of Actors Equity and represented by CESD Talent Agency.
Music Director: Matthew W. Surico
Matthew has been the Resident Music Director for seven years and has worked on countless shows including The SpongeBob Musical, The Little Mermaid, All Shook Up, Swing!, Mamma Mia, Beauty and the Beast, Dreamgirls, Les Miserables, On the Town, Aida, and South Pacific.
