About the artist
Doreen Montalvo was an American actress and singer known for her work on Broadway and in film, celebrated for bringing warmth and powerhouse vocals to Latina roles in major musical productions. She built her career through ensemble and featured roles in shows like «On Your Feet!», the jukebox musical about Gloria Estefan, and later became widely recognized for portraying Abuela Claudia in the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's «In the Heights».
Montalvo was closely associated with the world of Miranda's musicals, also appearing in productions connected to «Hamilton» and contributing to the vibrant Latin theater scene in New York. Her voice carried both technical Broadway polish and an emotional, soulful quality rooted in Latin musical traditions.
Her song «Finale» reflects the theatrical, orchestral pop-rap sensibility of the musical-theater world she inhabited, blending spoken word, R&B-inflected melody, and rap cadences typical of contemporary Broadway composition. She passed away in January 2021, leaving behind a legacy as a beloved figure in Latin American representation on stage and screen.