By Matthew Wexler
Don’t be fooled by the jewel-toned designs or the vibrant Kahlo-esque video projections that help bring Broadway’s Real Women Have Curves to Life. Underneath the multisensory stimulation is a political and cultural firestorm.
At the Garcia Sewing Factory in Boyle Heights, a predominantly Latine neighborhood in East Los Angeles, Estela (Florencia Cuenca) faces the challenge of meeting her largest dress order to date—a nearly impossible task given the deadline and contract stipulations. The women, including her mother Carmen (Justina Machado), won’t let the opportunity slip through their hands.
Younger sister Ana (Tatianna Córdoba) has other dreams: pursuing a journalism degree at Columbia University. But the fear of leaving her undocumented family behind (Ana being the only one born in the U.S.) weighs heavily, as does Carmen’s constant body shaming.
Based on Josefina López’s play and subsequent film of the same name, the latest iteration delivers powerhouse performances, thanks mainly to the gifts of Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez’s score. The result? A pulsating palette for director-choreographer Sergio Trujillo to work his magic.
The 1987 setting and the passing of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which triggered a wave of deportations, remain palpable—and frighteningly current. But Lisa Loomer and Nell Benjamin’s book struggles to connect the dots. While these tenacious women live and breathe intersectionality, their stories, as written, occasionally feel siloed, as does Ana’s forcibly awkward new romantic interest (Mason Reeves). Where they succeed is in their nimble use of English and Spanish, a kind of celebratory codeswitching that resonated with bilingual audience members the night I attended.
In the musical’s title song, the women strip down to their undergarments amid a hectic and sweltering overnight shift to complete the contract. But what they’ve really done is reveal the power of their totality. Mothers. Daughters. Fighters. Lovers. Survivors. That and so much more. But above all, “real.”
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‘Real Women Have Curves’ Takeaway:
A 17-year-old America Ferrera made her feature debut in the 2002 film. She said in an interview at the time, “There comes a point in your life where you have to find what makes you love who you are.”
