Broadway star Doreen Montalvo, known for On Your Feet!, In the Heights, dies at the age of 56

Broadway veteran Doreen Montalvo, who was appearing in Mrs Doubtfire at the time of the Broadway shutdown in March, has died at the age of 56 following a stroke earlier this month.

She made her Broadway debut as the Bolero Singer ("Para siempre…") in In the Heights and helped develop the roles of Camila, Daniela, and Abuela Claudia, eventually becoming the understudy for all of those tracks on and off-Broadway. She played Lupe in Michael John LaChiusa's Giant and was in the ensemble of On Your Feet!, eventually taking on the role of Gloria Fajardo on Broadway and on tour. Montalvo was playing the role of Janet Lundy in the Mrs Doubtfire musical, which only played a few performances before the industry closure.

"It is monstrously unfair that we did not get more time with her," In the Heights creator Lin-Manuel Miranda said in a series of tweets. "More shows with her. More music with her. More life with her. When someone brings that much joy and love to everyone they meet, that much commitment to the craft they love… it's unfair. And heartbreaking."

Miranda has confirmed that Montalvo will reprise her In the Heights work in the forthcoming film, which is set to be released across the world next summer.

"Doreen's immense talent was matched by her extraordinary kindness and remarkable generosity," the production of Mrs Doubtfire said in a statement on social media. "Her light shown brightly onstage and off."

Montalvo is survived by husband Michael Mann, whom she married in 2010, and her stepchildren.