Hearing the thunderous applause as Justina Machado walks onto the Broadway stage during the May 1 performance of Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, it's difficult to know whether the uproar is a result of her Tony nomination earlier that day — or simply the reception the accomplished actress receives every show.
When Good Housekeeping interviewed the star ahead of the show's opening at the James Earl Jones Theatre, she called her casting as Carmen "a dream come true." The 52-year-old explained: "This is exactly what I wanted to do when I left Chicago in the nineties and moved to New York. I wanted to originate a role on Broadway; I wanted it to be a musical. I wanted to do all of that. It's exciting, and it's scary, but mostly exciting."
The cast that spotlights Latinx performers of all ages, backgrounds and body types is just one of the many unique aspects of the Broadway show. "I didn't really see a lot of representation growing up, and when I did, it stood out. So I gravitated to anything that reminded me of me and of the things that I was going through," Justina shared.
The original play, written by Josefina López, is set in a sewing factory in Los Angeles in 1987. It explores aspects of the immigrant experience through the group of Latina women who work there, and is told from the point of view of Ana, the youngest. The play was also adapted into a 2002 movie starring America Ferrera as Ana.
What audiences may not be aware of, though, is just how much history Justina has with Real Women Have Curves. "I've always been drawn to the play," the One Day at a Time alum said. "I did the world premiere of the play in 1993 in Chicago at Victory Gardens Theatre, and I played Ana, so it's kind of full circle. Now I'm the mom, 30+ years later."
Justina shines as Carmen, imbuing the character of the matriarch with humor, pain and all the emotional nuance the role demands. In "Adios Andres," a lament to her period upon realizing she's in menopause, she and the rest of the women inspire rollicking laughter from the crowd. But while the ode is a comedic one, the lyrics are also poignant in how they address the older women's changing relationships to their womanhood.
Josefina López's play inspired the new musical adaptation, but "it's not the same play," Justina pointed out. With a book written by Nell Benjamin and Lisa Loomer, Joy Huerta (of the Grammy-winning pop duo Jesse & Joy) wrote the music with Benjamin Velez. In addition to Justina's Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Joy and Benjamin received a nomination for Best Original Score.
"The music is just beautiful. It's really all these different worlds coming into Broadway. It's pop, it's musical theater. It's really youthful and fun, and the songs stick with you."
At its core, Real Women Have Curves is about the strength of women, and the power we have when working together. Body image, feminism and sex are certainly explored through a more modern lens in this version, but the political themes of the original play ring just as true — if not more so — today.
Bringing Real Women Have Curves to Broadway in 2025 "feels like almost an act of courage, even though it's so bizarre to say that," Justina said. "Because everything is so upside down right now and so many people are being vilified — so many of my people — that it feels on time, in the right time of history. It's just unfortunately incredibly relevant, as much as it was when Josefina wrote it in the '80s."
But Justina assures audiences that "they are going to see something really beautiful, something joyous. All of these incredible women on stage just bringing all their talents to you. The story is poignant. It's a powerful story, but it's quite a ride, so I think you feel all kinds of emotions — and that's the kind of theater I like to see."
Jamie (she/her) is the news and SEO editor at Good Housekeeping. She oversees GH's digital news strategy, assigning and editing celebrity and entertainment news content. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she was the digital editor at Woman's Day. She has over 7 years of professional experience writing and editing lifestyle content for the Rachael Ray Show, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, Insider, Elite Daily and more. She holds a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and lives in Brooklyn with her cats Lumos, Linus and Milo.