Over holiday break, I attended my first Broadway musical. No, it was not one as popular as “Hamilton” or as classic as “The Lion King,” but upon watching, it quickly became clear why this particular play deserved to open alongside them.

This particular production, called “On Your Feet!” chronicles the lives of singers Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Seemingly a clean-cut narrative about an underdog who beat the odds, the story actually proved to be much more.

“On Your Feet!” begins with the introduction to the home life of Estefan, then Gloria Fajardo. We meet her lovable grandmother, her strict mother, and her close younger sister in their small Miami home. But her almost catatonic wheelchair-bound father clouds this dynamic and seemingly idyllic family.

Enter her future husband Emilio, who recruits Gloria as the lead vocalist for his small band. Much of this portion focuses on their budding relationship, which proves loveable even to the most cynical of people. The family dynamic evolves, with the mother resenting Emilio and even Gloria because she was once a promising young singer, too, whose hopes were dashed by Cuban turmoil at the time.

As the Estefans, now married, gain ground in the Hispanic Miami music scene, a conflict arises that anyone with a multicultural identity, Hispanic or not, can relate to. Their new single is too English for the Latino populace but too Spanish for the rest. There is no middle ground to anyone, and they are torn between two parts of themselves by their music. The most memorable scene comes from this part, where Emilio Estefan angrily and proudly tells his producer that, “This is what an American looks like!” while gesturing to himself. At this point, the audience cheered, because this reflects what we all know to be true: America has always been a culture of immigrants. There is no one way an American should look, behave, or come from.

“On Your Feet!” goes on to show the Estefans’ signature hit, “Conga!” and their fame among all Americans, not just a select group.

The acting was excellent, the music was obviously good and lively given the subject, and together along with relatable themes for anyone, “On Your Feet!” earns its spot on Broadway with the best of the best. I highly recommend it.