Joy Huerta initially hesitated when approached about transforming Josefina López’s play "Real Women Have Curves" into a musical.
In 2019, director and choreographer Sergio Trujillo invited Huerta to help adapt the story for the stage. At first, Huerta, known primarily as one half of the pop duo Jesse & Joy, was unfamiliar with the original 1990 play and had never seen its popular 2002 film adaptation.
However, after delving into the script, Huerta quickly recognized the story’s universal appeal and its powerful potential when told through music.
"I remember feeling a surge of excitement because the story resonates with everyone," Huerta said. She composed the music and co-wrote the lyrics with Benjamin Velez for the production, which is now set to open on Broadway.
Set in 1987 Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, the musical follows a group of Latina women working in a garment factory, focusing on an 18-year-old torn between supporting her undocumented family and pursuing a scholarship to Columbia University in New York. The show previously had a run at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Shortly after the Broadway debut, Huerta, Velez, and book writer Lisa Loomer shared insights into their creative process and inspirations. Additionally, lead actress Tatianna Córdoba reflected on her Broadway debut portraying Ana García, a character she deeply connects with. Here are five essential details about the musical.
Before becoming a celebrated film in 2002, "Real Women Have Curves" originated from Josefina López’s diary entries chronicling her experiences as an undocumented Chicana teenager working in a Los Angeles sewing factory.
At 18, López expanded these entries into a play that premiered in San Francisco in 1990 and has been produced numerous times since. López also co-wrote the screenplay for the film, which marked America Ferrera’s feature debut.
Loomer, who grew up near Boyle Heights in the 1980s, drew from López’s original works while introducing new characters. She noted, "The film differs from the play, and the musical diverges from both, but they all share the same core essence."
Addressing the story’s early embrace of body positivity posed a challenge, given the concept’s relative novelty. For example, Ana’s mother, Carmen, delivers blunt remarks about her daughter’s weight in the film.
Loomer decided to keep Carmen’s character firmly set in 1987 to provide context for her critical attitude.
In the musical, Carmen’s harshness is softened and enriched with backstory, allowing audiences to understand the cultural and generational influences behind her behavior. Justina Machado portrays Carmen on Broadway, succeeding Lupe Ontiveros, who played the role in the film.
"You might want to dislike her for her words, but she doesn’t intend to harm Ana," Huerta explained. "Her remarks stem from her upbringing and perspective."
Maintaining authenticity while making the story accessible was a delicate balance. Loomer emphasized that although the characters wouldn’t speak English with each other at home or in the factory, the musical needed to convey the rhythm and feel of Spanish in a way that English-speaking audiences could follow.
Among the 19 cast members, 16 are of Latino or Hispanic heritage, with most making their Broadway debuts. Huerta expressed pride in seeing performers who reflect the community, saying, "When the curtain rises, it feels like those onstage could be anyone’s family member."
During its Cambridge staging, the creative team experimented with the amount of Spanish in the songs to maintain immersion without alienating the audience.
The story takes place during the summer of 1987, under a Reagan-era amnesty program for long-term undocumented immigrants—a program through which the playwright herself gained citizenship. Unlike previous versions, Ana is depicted as the sole U.S. citizen in her family and workplace, intensifying her internal conflict between familial duty and personal ambition.
"This change heightens Ana’s sense of responsibility and guilt as she contemplates leaving," Loomer said.
Loomer also expanded the representation of undocumented characters, adding Guatemalan and Salvadoran women, including Itzel, a vulnerable 17-year-old Indigenous Guatemalan refugee who performs the inspiring song "If I Were a Bird."
"Setting the play in the past highlights enduring struggles," Loomer reflected. "It makes the present challenges even more poignant."
For lead actress Tatianna Córdoba, Ana’s family dynamics struck a personal chord.
"Many of the mother-daughter interactions reminded me of my abuelita," Córdoba said. "There’s judgment mixed with deep love."
Córdoba also related to the musical’s candid exploration of body image, recalling how puberty brought changes that set her apart from her ballet peers.
One thing she wishes she had as a teenager is the confidence embodied by Ana.
"Ana is the person I aspired to be at 18," Córdoba shared. "She embraces her body with certainty and focuses on her intellect, hopes, and dreams."
Córdoba particularly cherishes a scene in Act II where the women shed their work clothes in the sweltering factory, celebrating their bodies—a moment that has earned standing ovations.
"Watching people express joy and bravery is contagious," she said. "It’s that empowerment that moves the audience to their feet."
