Real Women Have Curves is Ending Its Broadway Run — Here’s Why
Real Women Have Curves
Real Women Have Curves is leaving Broadway. The musical, which began preview performances on April 1 at the James Earl Jones Theatre in New York, ahead of an opening night on April 27, is set to close on June 29 after 31 previews and 73 regular performances.
There has been no official announcement as to why the musical is closing so soon, though reports indicate the box office has not been what it was originally expected. The New York Times reported that the music was capitalized for up to $16.5 million. That money was used to finance the show’s development. And unfortunately due to “soft sales” they didn’t recoup it.
Real Women Have Curves also failed to receive a Best Musical nomination at this year’s Tony Awards, though it did receive two other nominations: Best Original Score for Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Justina Machado. They lost in both categories.
Real Women Have Curves follows Ana Garcia, who dreams of escaping East Los Angeles. When her family receives a make-or-break order for 200 dresses, she finds herself juggling her ambitions, her mother’s expectations, and a community of women who are just trying to make it. The musical is based on the play by Josefina López that inspired the hit film Real Women Have Curves.
“We have been working on developing this show for the last five years and could have never predicted that when it made its way to Broadway it would be timelier than ever,” said producers Barry Weissler and Jack Noseworthy in a statement. “Bringing this joyful immigrant story that explores the American Dream to the stage has been an honor and a responsibility that we don’t take lightly, especially in today’s political climate. We are grateful to our company and audiences who made it all possible, and especially applaud our cast’s courage, vulnerability, and authenticity in telling this story each night. Though our run on Broadway is coming to an end, we are very much looking forward to the future life of Real Women Have Curves and continuing to bring this important story to new audiences.”
If you want to listen to the music from Real Women Have Curves, an original Broadway cast recording was released June 6 and is available to stream on all platforms. Until then, make sure to visit the official Real Women Have Curves on Broadway website to purchase tickets.