In a theatre industry with an overabundance of talent, it’s rare to find a voice that can stop you in your tracks. Florencia Cuenca is one of those performers. When she steps up to the mic, your first thought is, “Why isn’t this woman a HUGE star?” Her powerful voice, combined with the gorgeous emotional resonance that she brings to every song, make for an unforgettable experience.
Which is why it was thrilling to find out that she would be starring on Broadway in “Real Women Have Curves,” a heart-warming new musical inspired by the hit movie. Based on the play by Josefina López, with music by Grammy Award-winning composer Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, and directed by Tony Award® winner Sergio Trujillo (“Ain’t Too Proud”), the show features the story of Ana Garcia, a teenager navigating life in Los Angeles, torn between her family’s business and a future that includes college on the East Coast.
Florencia stars in the pivotal role of Estela, Ana’s sister, an aspiring businesswoman—and immigrant—trying to make her way in the competitive world of fashion. What is unique about her are the parallels she shares with her character. Like Estela, Florencia is resilient, hard-working, and trail-blazing. Ten years after arriving in NYC—and after a decade spent navigating the immigration system and honing her craft on smaller stages—she is finally making her Broadway debut. Together with her husband, Jaime Lozano, the acclaimed composer of the upcoming Broadway musical about Frida Khalo, Florencia has often performed in shows at Joe’s Pub, 54 Below, and many more but she is now ready for her proverbial close-up – in a starring role on one of the theatre’s largest stages.
Florencia generously took some time during the show’s preview period to chat with us.
Congratulations on your Broadway debut! Can you tell us how you are feeling right now?
I’m having all the feelings right now. I am so blessed and grateful to have this beautiful moment in my career. I have worked so hard for it and to see it finally happening is very overwhelming in the best way possible. I am still a little bit in disbelief.
“Real Women Have Curves” was a beloved movie and now it is a heart-warming new musical. What do you think the musical genre add to the source material?
Everything is better with music. As Latinos, we know how important music is to our daily lives. Musical theatre is a new way of telling this timely story, which will help it resonate even more. It is also an opportunity for this beautiful story to reach new audiences. And there is nothing as powerful as musical theatre, putting together music and lyrics to serve a story. There were moments in the original story that were just begging to be sung. I think it is a beautiful adaptation of the original play.
You’ve been with the show since the first production in Boston – how did audiences react to the show there? And has the reaction been any different in NYC?
I have actually been with the show since way before the A.R.T. production. I had been part of readings and workshops since 2022. I started as an ensemble member for one of the first readings, and eventually I got the opportunity to audition for the role of Estela. It is an honor to be part of the journey of this musical. The audience in New York City is more diverse than in Boston. There are more laughs with the Spanish jokes. But the most beautiful thing about telling this story in this very specific way, from a Mexican-American family point of view, is that its specificity makes the story very universal. It doesn’t matter where are you from—you are going to be able to relate to a character or a moment in this story, whether it be your own story or the story of your parents or grandparents.
Originating a role in a new musical is a unique and wonderful experience. Tell us about your character Estela and how you developed this role – did you do any research? Is there anything in your background that helped you prepare for this part?
Originating a role on Broadway has been one of my biggest dreams. When people used to ask me what my dream role was, I would always answer: “Originating a new role on Broadway”. I am very passionate about new stories and about Latine stories. Nuestras historias. Our stories. So this is definitely a dream come true. And playing a role like Estela that is so close to my own lived experience. Estela is an immigrant. English is not her first language. She has an accent. She is the eldest sister and a hard-working woman with a big heart and big dreams. She loves her family. She supports her family in all possible ways. At the beginning of the musical she faces a huge challenge that she decides to take and she successfully overcomes it. Being an immigrant in this country, we have to work way harder to find opportunities and to make things happen. It is a challenging journey. I feel very connected to Estela in so many ways. I love Estela. My Estelita.
This show centers the female immigrant experience in such a beautiful way. Watching the show, you get a real sense of the love between these women – and the sense of family. Have you and your fellow cast members also become friends off stage?
We have definitely become a family, a familia. We help each other on and off stage. This is many of our Broadway debuts, which has brought us more together. We are so similar but so different at the same time, which has enriched our experience and our process. We can trust each other and we take care of each other. It is a beautiful company that I feel so blessed to be part of it. You know, the process of putting together a Broadway show is not easy. The time commitment, the stress, all the work and effort we have to put into rehearsals, and then tech and previews. Being a Broadway actor is being a high-performance athlete. It’s very demanding. And I feel so blessed to be in this journey with this very specific company—I am sure we have made it this far because we are together and support each other.
Your husband is also doing some of the dance arrangements for this show – what’s it been like for you to work on the same project?
This is not new for us. We are always working together. We have plenty of projects together. We have written shows together as songwriters. He has shows that I have directed for him. Other times, I only act in his shows or sing on his albums and as part of his concerts. And when we are not working, we are very involved anyway because we really love and trust each other. We can ask each other about feedback, ideas, some advice. Sometimes, it is like we are working together 24/7. But we have learnt to deal with this as husband and wife and collaborators. For this very specific project, he helped with some dance arrangements, but we were never together in the same room. We worked mostly during pre-production with the creative team and dancers. But something we are very happy and proud of is that we are together in the main credit page of a Broadway Playbill. We consider this a sign that we are on the right path. We love our community. Our Broadway community. Our Latine community. And seeing our names together on that page is a beautiful thing. Maybe the first Mexican immigrant couple to be together on that Playbill page. I don’t know. But we are so grateful. Cheers for more projects together writing and telling our stories.
What do you hope audiences will take away from seeing this show?
I can’t stop thinking of that little girl in Mexico watching Broadway videos on YouTube. Dreaming of Broadway. I hope girls and boys, those that feel that they don’t belong, those that look different, those who have an accent, are able to see themselves in me. That is my wish. We belong.
“Real Woman Have Curves” plays at the Longacre Theatre. For tickets, click here.
Follow Florencia on Instagram. Check out a video of Florencia performing “Burn” from the musical “Hamilton,” part of a Spanglish on Broadway series. Arrangement and orchestration by her husband Jaime Lozano and Jesús Altamira.
