With ‘Real Women Have Curves,’ Florencia Cuenca is making Broadway history

Florencia Cuenca has been entertaining the masses since she was 3 — singing, acting and dancing onstage, in telenovelas and in variety shows. Born and raised in Mexico City, her father, Enrique Cuenca, one half of the legendary Mexican comedy duo Los Polivoces, introduced her to musical theater, showing her legendary movie musicals such as “The Sound of Music” and “My Fair Lady.”

Since then, the 32-year-old has performed Mexified versions of classic Broadway tunes on some of the biggest stages in New York City, released an accompanying album and even produced her own musical. This month, she makes history as the first Mexican immigrant to originate a co-leading role on Broadway before obtaining U.S. citizenship, portraying Estela Garcia in the musical adaptation of “Real Women Have Curves,” which is currently in previews and opens April 27.

We set down with Cuenca to talk about her trajectory, her upbringing and what this role means to her.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you become a musical theater kid?

I started performing literally when I was 3 years old with my dad, who was a famous Mexican comedian. I remember the first musical I ever saw was “Singin’ in the Rain” in Spanish. Seeing the rain on the stage, the tap dancing, the acting, and I thought, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” After my dad passed away when I was 9, I did some telenovelas, but I realized TV wasn’t for me. Even then when I’d go audition they’d say, “Oh, es muy gordita.” In musical theater, it just felt like I was more seen.

The actor, born in Mexico, has been performing since she was 3.

(Florencia Cuenca)

Did you always have ambitions to come to New York City?

Oh, yes, of course. I graduated from high school and to study at NYU or AMDA (the American Musical and Dramatic Academy) was my dream. But my mom was a widow, taking care of four kids. It was impossible, and I felt like I couldn’t be so selfish and ask. So I made peace with that. I stayed in Mexico and was like, “This is my life, doing musical theater in Mexico City” … but always dreaming of coming to New York.

The tension between family and ambition is such a Latino thing. What a strange parallel to “Real Women Have Curves,” which is about a young Latina caught between what she feels is her familial duty and her dream.

Right. I thought to dare to dream that far is kind of like being a brat. It’s like, right, be grateful, do what you have to do. Also, this was never something my mom mentioned to me. It was just my own thoughts. My mom would say, “翱h, well let’s see,” and I’d be like, “No, Mom, it’s OK.”

Did you feel happy and content in the Mexico City musical scene?

No. I was just like this is the life God gave me, and I’m going to do what I have to do.

You met your husband, composer Jaime Lozano, while you were working in Mexico City. He studied at NYU and he was the one who first brought you to NYC, right?

That’s actually when he proposed to me. I was 22 and I told him my dream was to be in New York City in December like in the movies. He proposed in front of the Richard Rodgers Theatre. He was like, “I feel like our destiny is here.” He was really laying the groundwork for the future.

Well, yeah, because you came back a year later for your honeymoon that never ended!

It wasn’t like a proper or fancy honeymoon. We came with no money, we were eating at Subway, Popeyes, things like that. While we were here Jaime would throw out, “Can you imagine a life here?” I’d be like, “Yeah, but I don’t know,” not serious or anything. Then two days before we were supposed to leave he was like, “I think we need to stay.” He said we needed to try because we were never going to be ready, never going to have enough money. That’s the perfect balance of Jaime and me. He’s a dreamer and I’m very rooted.

I imagine that time was both very exciting but also very nerve-racking.

Well, one month later I realized I was pregnant. It was a big shock, and Jaime even asked me if I wanted to go back to Mexico. I was a ni?a de casa, and this was the first time I was away, a newlywed, now pregnant, and he thought maybe I needed my family for support. But I said no, let’s do it, we already made the decision to be here, might as well stick to it. Those first years were so difficult. I think now, like, how did I survive? I learned English in school as a kid, but it’s not the same as being here, with my accent. I was so insecure. The food, the people. I thought everyone was so rude here! Plus navigating the entertainment business, which was a huge wake-up call. You think you’re going to come and it’s going to be so easy, but it’s not.

Talk to me about “Broadway en Spanglish.” That kind of gave you the first taste of a little bit of fame and success online. How did that come together?

It came from a place where Jaime and I were like, “翱K, there’s no place for us here in the industry.” Or the things that were being written were very cliche and by white people. I didn’t fit into this box. Even if I wanted to, my skin color, my accent, how I look, how I sound … it was impossible.

So one of my day jobs right before the pandemic was to be a Spanish music teacher for pre-K kids. It was nice but hard. I’d be in the Bronx at 9 a.m. and then Brooklyn by noon, Long Island at 4; it was crazy. I would be crying all day. We were working because we needed money to get our green card, just working, working, working. I remember I was listening to “Hamilton” on my way home and “Burn” came on, and I was like, “Whoa, this is so good!” And then I thought wait, this is heartbreak. I can imagine it, this is a ranchera, this is a mariachi song like Lucha Villa or Alicia Villarreal. I could imagine it.

I got home and I told Jaime that I had this crazy idea, and he loved it. As for the Spanglish, that’s what our son speaks, it’s just part of our life, so it made sense. He started doing the arrangement, and he’d ask people from all over the place to record the different parts, and when we released it in 2020, Lin-Manuel Miranda loved it and he was like yes, keep going, it’s amazing, which was so cool. We also realized there’s a lot of people who feel like us. At the beginning, it was just a passion project, it was just my dream, and turns out it resonated with a ton of people. Like, yes, there are Latinos who love both traditional Mexican music and musicals.

Your husband has talked about how the musical “In the Heights” was a big inspiration point for him. Did you have a similar moment?

I remember in high school I learned about “In the Heights” from watching videos online, it was the only access to Broadway I had. I would download videos and put them on my iPod, and if you played me one of those videos, I swear, I’d know them word for word because I would watch them so much. There’s a PBS documentary about “In the Heights,” and Lin says “every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life.” I memorized all of those lines.

I would talk to all my friends and say, “翱ne day I’m going to call you and I’m going to be on an album with Lin-Manuel.” It’s crazy when things started to happen in the past few years. Sometimes you forget you said those things, but my friends are like remember you said that? You manifested it!

So many people saw “In the Heights” and were like, “翱h wow, it’s possible to see stories of people like us onstage.” Is it crazy to think what “Real Women Have Curves” is going to do for other people and what you are going to do for other people? This movie did a lot for people.

I mean, just the fact that I’m a curvy, brown, Mexican, immigrant, originating the role of a curvy, brown, Mexican immigrant is wild. For me, it’s crazy that there’s a role that embodies everything that I am. I can be my full self. Even with “In the Heights,” I heard Spanish, but I didn’t see someone like myself. And now just to think, maybe there are girls in Latin America that are going to watch this and be like, “翱h, she did it, I can do it.”

So many immigrants are confused and scared right now and yet here you are on the biggest stage, so proudly yourself. It feels like this show really is meeting this moment. How are you feeling?

I feel so proud to be able to tell this story right now in this body I have. I get to tell our story how immigrants are hardworking people. We’re so loving and so joyful and even in the worst moments keep working and also find a way to have fun. I love that about our culture. No matter how f— up our world is, we find a way to have fun and care for each other. To portray that on a big stage is a political act.

What does the future look like for you?

My mission doesn’t end here. This is just the beginning. I’m happy I’m having this platform now on Broadway and people can see me, but it’s like, you guys are coming with me! Me being here, that just means I’m going to make more things for mi gente, my community.

Luis G. Rendon is a Tejano journalist who lives in New York City and writes about South Texas food and culture. He’s been published in Texas Monthly, Texas Highways and the Daily Beast. You can find him on Bluesky @louiegrendon and Instagram @lrendon.