Justina Machado & Tatianna Córdoba to Star in ‘Real Women Have Curves: The Musical’

Big things are coming for Latinas in theatre. This week it was announced that the leading roles for the musical adaptation of the Josefina Lopez play Real Women Have Curves have been cast. Broadway newcomer Tatianna Córdoba, who is Latina and Filipina, and Puerto Rican actress Justina Machado are set to star as mother and daughter, Ana and Carmen Garcia respectively, according to a press release. Córdoba is making her debut in the same role Honduran American actress America Ferrera made her acting debut in the play’s 2002 film adaptation. Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is set to begin performances on April 1 at the James Earl Jones Theatre in New York, ahead of an opening night on April 27. The musical is Broadway’s first Latinx show in ten years since On Your Feet! in 2015, a jukebox musical telling the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. The show originally had its acclaimed world premiere in 2023 at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T) at Harvard University.

“This is so validating and it means so much,” Córdoba said in a video she shared after she received the news she had been cast in the role of Ana.

Set in summer of 1987, the ambitious and rebellious 18-year-old Ana dreams of leaving East Los Angeles. When her family receives a make-or-break order for 200 dresses, she faces the struggles of juggling her desires and her mother’s expectations while trying to help the other women in the shop.The story also focuses on the relationship between mother and daughter as Ana’s desire for freedom and independence clashes with mother’s hopes for a traditional life for her daughter. 

Machado is known for her starring roles in shows including One Day at a Time, The Horror of Dolores Roach, and Jane the Virgin. She’s also set to star in the upcoming Netflix medical drama Pulse. The 52-year-old previously starred as Carmen in the musical’s American Repertory Theatre run. This, however, was not the first time Machado took on a role in this story. Early in her career, she starred as Ana in the Latino Chicago Theatre Company’s production of Real Women Have Curves. For Córdoba, this is her first role in a Broadway production. The newcomer received her B.F.A in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and is originally from the Bay Area in California.

The creative team behind the Broadway production also features strong Latinx talent. Real Women Have Curves: The Musical will feature direction & choreography by Tony and Olivier Award winner Sergio Trujillo who is of Colombian heritage in addition to music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning artist Joy Huerta—from the Mexican pop duo Jesse and Joy.

Tickets are on sale now and available for purchase at Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

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