Real Women Have Curves: The Musical heads to the James Earl Jones Theatre on Broadway this spring and the production has announced casting for two of their leading ladies.
Broadway newcomer Tatianna Córdoba will make her debut starring as ambitious high school senior Ana Garcia (a role that marked America Ferrera’s breakout debut in the 2002 HBO film). Starring alongside her will be film and television actress Justina Machado (One Day at a Time, Pulse, The Horror of Dolores Roach) as Carmen Garcia, Ana’s hardworking mother who imagines a traditional life for her daughter. Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is set to begin performances on April 1, ahead of an opening night on April 27.
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is a funny, joyous, and empowering new show coming to Broadway this April. It’s the summer of 1987, and Ana Garcia dreams of flying away from East Los Angeles. But when her family receives a make-or-break order for 200 dresses, Ana finds herself juggling her own ambitions, her mother’s expectations, and a community of women all trying to make it work against the odds. Based on the play by Josefina López that inspired the iconic hit film, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is “a winner, with a big heart and joyous abandon” (The Boston Globe). “It makes us feel we can all soar!” (WBUR).
The production also announced the full creative team for the Broadway run, which will feature direction and choreography by Tony and Olivier Award winner Sergio Trujillo, music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning artist Joy Huerta and composer/lyricist Benjamin Velez, book by Lisa Loomer with Nell Benjamin, and music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo. Real Women Have Curves: The Musical will also feature music direction by Roberto Sinha, scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Wilberth Gonzalez and Paloma Young, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by John Shivers, video design by Hana S. Kim, hair, wig, and make-up design by Krystal Balleza, and Orchestrations by Nadia DiGiallonardo, Joy Huerta, Rich Mercurio, and Benjamin Velez. Tripp Phillips will serve as Production Stage Manager, B.J. Holt as General Manager, and Alecia Parker as Executive Producer.
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is based on the play by Josefina López and HBO’s Real Women Have Curves (screenplay by Josefina López and George LaVoo). American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University produced the musical’s critically acclaimed world premiere in 2023.