Manny Schvartzman ’09, an FIU School of Music graduate, knows what it means to feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger. He has been working on ON YOUR FEET!– a new musical based on the life story of seven-time GRAMMY winning international superstar Gloria Estefan and her husband, legendary producer-musician-entrepreneur Emilio Estefan – for more than a year.

Hired in July of 2014 to come up with musical and vocal arrangements, Schvartzman adapted Gloria Estefan’s records for a 24-person Broadway cast. Now, the musical is in Chicago at the Oriental Theater, performing to full houses and standing ovations every night.

Schvartzman is full of nothing but praise for the creative team of ON YOUR FEET! The musical’s book was written by Alexander Dinelaris, who recently won an Oscar for his work on Birdman; original band members from the Miami Sound Machine are playing in the show; and the Estefans have been very involved.

“It’s been very great to collaborate with them and build the show together,” Schvartzman says.

This isn’t Schvartzman’s first foray into musical theatre. He worked on RENT when it came to FIU in 2010, alongside fellow CARTA grad and former Torch Award nominee Andy Señor Jr. ’13. He joined Señor in bringing RENT to Havana, Cuba, this past December, with Señor as director and Schvartzman as music director and supervisor. RENT was the first Broadway show on the island in more than 50 years.

“It was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I have ever had,”  Schvartzman says. “The show consisted of seven of us in the creative team from Broadway, a full cast of Cuban actors/singers, and a full Cuban crew and creative team that we trained to our Broadway standards.”

In addition, Schvartzman will soon leave Chicago for New York to work on Real Men, a show that will be performed for the New York Theatre Festival this summer off-Broadway. He will act as the musical director and vocal and musical arranger. Real Men originated at the Miracle Theater Actor’s Playhouse in Coral Gables in 2012.

Schvartzman’s home base is Miami, and he works on productions year round for regional theaters in South Florida, cruise ships and other local stages as a music director, arranger and pianist. He is also the director of music for La Salle High School in Coconut Grove. He has received the Silver Palm Award and the Carbonell Award (the latter two years in a row) for music direction.

Fore more music stories, visit the FIU School of Music online.

via FIU News