When the curtain closes too soon: Why immigrant stories are essential

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” on Broadway closed the last weekend of June after a short run, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what it means. 

This past year, I’ve seen 22 Broadway musicals. Most shows ask me to escape, this one invited me to belong.

“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” on Broadway was a big deal. A bold reimagining of Josefina López’s iconic play and the beloved 2002 film, the show brought Latina immigrant women to the Broadway stage. I saw myself in the characters. I saw my community. It was vulnerable. It was joyful. It was revolutionary. 

A play like this is needed at a time when the headlines are filled with raids, detentions and nationwide protests on who belongs in this country. We’re bombarded with narratives that cast immigrants as burdens or threats, but this show reminded us we are human, we are layered and we are worthy.

And yet, it closed early.

The question isn’t, “Why did this show close?” It’s why shows like this are so rare to begin with, and why don’t they get the support they deserve when they do exist?

I knew those hard-working women. I was raised by them. These are the same women who show up to work before sunrise, who are resilient, who find joy despite the struggle. Their stories are not only real, they’re essential to understanding this country. And yet, when it comes to the arts, our stories are still treated as niche.

Latinos make up nearly 19% of the U.S. population and immigrant families are deeply woven into our national identity. But you wouldn’t know that by looking at the Broadway marquee. It’s not just an oversight, it’s a missed opportunity to connect with audiences who have been waiting to see their lives reflected on stage.

This isn’t about one show. This also isn’t about giving up on Broadway. I love theater. I believe in its power to connect, to transform, to inspire. That’s why I’m asking more of it.

We don’t need to wait for the “perfect” market conditions or the “right time” to invest in immigrant stories. The time is now. While Broadway hesitates, immigrant communities keep building, dreaming and creating with or without the spotlight.

They can try to erase us, deport our most vulnerable, silence our voices, but we’re still here.

Immigrant stories aren’t optional; they are essential.