Real Women Have Curves to Close on Broadway

Real Women Have Curves will play its final performance at the James Earl Jones Theatre on June 29, following 31 previews and 73 regular performances. It had its first preview on April 1 and officially opened on April 27.

Based on the play by Josefina López that inspired the film, Real Women Have Curves takes place in the summer of 1987 and is about Ana Garcia (played by Tatianna Córdoba in her Broadway debut), who dreams of flying away from East Los Angeles and her family’s garment business. Music and lyrics are by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez and the book is by Lisa Loomer with Nell Benjamin. The musical is choreographed and directed by Tony winner Sergio Trujillo (Ain’t Too Proud). Music supervision is by Nadia DiGiallonardo.

Huerta and Velez were nominated for a Tony for Best Original Score and Justina Machado was nominated for a Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for playing Ana’s mother Carmen.

The rest of the cast is Florencia Cuenca as Estela, Shelby Acosta as Prima Flaca, Carla Jimenez as Pancha, Aline Mayagoitia as Itzel, Mauricio Mendoza as Raúl, Mason Reeves as Henry, Jennifer Sánchez as Rosalí, Sandra Valls as Prima Fulvia, along with Ariana Burks, Quincy Hampton, Zeus Mendoza, Claudia Mulet, Christopher M. Ramirez, Monica Tulia Ramirez, Shadia Fairuz, Elisa Galindez, and Omar Madden.

The creative team also features music director Roberto Sinha, scenic designer Arnulfo Maldonado, costume designers Wilberth Gonzalez and Paloma Young, lighting designer Natasha Katz, sound designer John Shivers, video designer Hana S. Kim, hair, wig, and make-up designers Krystal Balleza and Will Vicari, and orchestrators Nadia DiGiallonardo, Joy Huerta, Rich Mercurio, and Benjamin Velez.

Meg Masseron wrote in her review for TheaterMania, “Just as beauty is so much more than meets the eye, Real Women Have Curves offers far more than just its body-positive title. It may not be the flashiest musical of the season, but it’s real. The realest thing Broadway has seen in quite some time.”