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When we think of Latina representation in theatre, the shows that come to mind are few and far between. From In the Heights to Buena Vista Social Club to On Your Feet!, there are only a handful of shows making it to the stage centering Latinx and BIPOC stories. For this reason, seeing a show like Take the Lead make its way to audiences reminds us how much our stories deserve to be told. The stage adaptation of the 2006 film of the same name had its world premiere on March 29 and is playing at the Paper Mill Playhouse through April 27. The musical stars Puerto Rican-Ecuadorian singer, actress and television host Adrienne Bailon-Houghton and is co-choreographed by Maria Torres who is of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. With deeply rooted connections to the story, Bailon-Houghton and Torres are both passionate about bringing this story to life on stage. As an original musical production, Torres takes pride in the creative direction they have in making the “blueprint” for what the show will be:
“We get to create the blueprint of what the audience and what other cast members in the future are going to perform, that’s what I love. More importantly, on something that I absolutely know, because I lived it and also being a Latina, that’s an Afro-Latina. I’m Puerto Rican and Cuban from Brooklyn, but my whole thing was always about representation. No matter the quality of work that I do. It’s always been about that, so this project is unique. It’s because it sort of touches all the benchmarks in my life.”
Take the Lead is based on the 2006 dance film starring Antonio Banderas portraying the story of Pierre Dulaine, a former professional ballroom dancer who brought ballroom dance into New York City public schools through his program Dancing Classrooms. The story follows Pierre as he volunteers to teach ballroom to a detention class in a public school in Harlem. While students and staff initially dismiss him, the students begin to embrace Pierre and his teaching that blends hip-hop, classical ballroom dancing, formal cotillions and street dance. He inspires them to enter an end-of-year student ballroom competition and through their practice with Pierre grow a new sense of confidence and dignity. Pierre Dulaine’s impact can be felt throughout the show and behind the scenes through Torres’ experience being mentored under the celebrated dancer and teacher.
“I think that the story that we’re putting on stage is amazing, because it’s closer to the real truth of who he is. The kind of person that he still is, because he’s still alive. He’s impacted so many lives, including myself. I’m looking at a lot of those kids on the stage, and I’m getting flashbacks of things that I lived and experienced when I was growing,” Torres tells HipLatina.
Photo: @maria.torres.official
Torres is an acclaimed and celebrated choreographer that has paved for Latinxs in the arts. She has been a guest choreographer on the dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance and won two Choreography Festival Awards for her original choreography on the show. Her credits include the film Dance with Me, the six-time Tony-nominated Broadway musical Swing!, The Skin of Our Teeth at the Public Theater and being an associate choreographer for In The Heights. She shares with HipLatina the impact Dulaine had on her throughout her illustrious career:
“He would come and check us out [at competitions] and then, when he had a studio in New Jersey, the Dulaine Dance Center, he had us come out there and do competitions at his studio, and then do performances at his studio. He pretty much stayed in my life while I was starting to build a career as a professional artist in the field, she says, “When I did my first Broadway show Swing! on Broadway, I remember him calling me and asking me to come to judge one of the Dancing Classrooms competitions that they were having at the World Trade Center. I’ll never forget that it was really wonderful. It was kind of like a full circle moment for me, because throughout my life, I was always in and out of his life, and he was in mine. He was such an incredible force and I remember him always letting me know that being different for me was unique, and that I should love what I do.”
Bailon-Houghton also has a personal connection to the show, rooted in her background as an entertainer growing up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.The 41-year-old stars as interim principal Arianna, a new character written for the musical. Arianna takes over the school following the principal’s departure who used to be one of the “loud mouth” students who attended the school. Bailon-Houghton describes her as being the only one “dumb enough to try to get this place in check”. Through her character’s background as a former student, she has much more insight into where these kids come from—their backgrounds, their home lives, and that despite their attitudes, they are misunderstood.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of musical theater, but it is beyond rare to go see a show that I go ‘Oh my gosh, they grew up like me. There’s music that I listened to growing up that sounds like that.’ The fusion of hip hop music and ballroom, just that fusion of Latin music and hip hop. That combination, to me, is really special. I think it’s so rare that we see ourselves represented in musical theater, even less than TV and film. It’s very rare where you have a show where there’s Spanglish in it. Where you feel the cultura and the sazon sprinkled all over it, and that is definitely what this show is”, she tells HipLatina.
The actress also emphasizes the importance of currently having two shows prominently featuring Latinxs on the Broadway stage: Real Women Have Curves and Buena Vista Social Club. With Take the Lead’s run at the Paper Mill Playhouse, there’s yet another show that celebrates la cultura and showcases our stories. With decades in the industry, Bailon-Houghton herself has been a source of representation for many: “I’m so grateful that I still get to do that today, especially in a story like Take the Lead, where this is a principal who literally was one of the students 15 years ago. She was one of the kids from the Bronx.”
Torres speaks to the importance of inclusion and authenticity in the casting of the show. Conversations prior to the show were about hiring cast members who brought a certain uniqueness and authenticity to Take the Lead —with many first-time actors in the musical having a dancing background and Torres ensuring Latinas were being considered in the casting process.
As Take the Lead debuts this month, Bailon-Houghton hopes audiences will enjoy the musical performances and take with them the importance of the arts in school:
“It’s a musical comedy, so there’s so many funny parts. I want them to laugh. There’s a lot going on in the world right now, it’s really awesome to be able to have a moment to exhale and just laugh. And last, but certainly not least, that they walk away singing the songs. Because I think the music is top tier in this show. I think the music and the dancing will blow you away. It’s a wildly dynamic show, and these kids are just so talented.”
Meanwhile, Torres is excited for audiences to immerse themselves in the inspiring stories of the young students portrayed in the musical.
“I think the audience has never seen a show like this before. I really want the audience to walk away rooting for the underdogs and also understanding that, you know, just because you come from the other side of the tracks, which is something that I came from, that anybody can make it.”
Take the Lead is playing at the Paper Mill Playhouse now through Apr 27, 2025. Tickets are available for purchase online.
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