On my last full day in New York, I ended my theatergoing splurge with another new musical, Real Women Have Curves, based on the 2002 movie that introduced America Ferrera to the world.
The musical tells of an East L.A. dress factory peopled mainly by undocumented Latina immigrants, in constant threat of deportation. And like in the movie, they get an order for 200 dresses to be made on an impossibly short deadline, typical of the way they are exploited.
Still, it is an ultimately upbeat show, with a lively salsa-flavored score and messages of female empowerment and body positivity. There’s nothing innovative about the show, but it is well-written and performed. See this show and you will care about these women and their plight.