Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell brings the Gloria and Emilio Estefan story to life on stage with his new musical "On Your Feet!" The show was choreographed by Broadway veteran and 2016 Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo. NY1’s Frank DiLella recently caught up with the first-time nominee to talk about creating the conga for the stage and more.
With a dozen Broadway credits to his name as performer or choreographer, Sergio Trujillo is a musical theater veteran. But even with more than 20 years in the business, this year marked a first for the dancer - his first Tony nomination.
Trujillo is up for Best Choreography for creating the moves for the Gloria and Emilio Estefan jukebox musical "On Your Feet!" When he was first asked to create the dance language for the musical, he says it was important for him to unearth the Cuban culture.
"I felt like it was part of my job to go to Cuba and discover dance," Trujillo says.
And with “On Your Feet!” Trujillo had the task of crafting the big Act One closer – the conga.
"It actually came from Jerry Mitchell who actually, one of his friends had sent him a video from his Bar Mitzvah,” Trujillo says. “And it was one his friends and he was wearing a Mexican hat and he did a whole dance with these maracas to conga.”
Trujillo made his Broadway debut in the musical "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" in 1989. Since then, he's gone on to choreograph celebrated musicals like "Jersey Boys," "Next to Normal" and "Memphis.” He says he follows in the footsteps of the triple threats who came before him.
"I think it's important to stand by our history like Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, Debbie Allen,” Trujillo says. “And, it's like, I know what I'm going to be doing at their age. I'm going to be doing exactly what I'm doing today. I'm going to be pushing myself to be the best that I can in the work that I do and push my artistry. And that is who those people are, and that's what I learned from them.”
To see Sergio Trujillo's choreography in motion, check out "On Your Feet!" now playing at The Marquis Theatre.