The Music of 'Real Women Have Curves' LIVE

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – "The Music of 'Real Women Have Curves' LIVE"

Release Date: June 6, 2025 | Host: Alison Stewart | Produced by WNYC

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Introduction to the Musical and Tony Nominations

In this engaging episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart delves into the vibrant world of Broadway with a spotlight on the new musical adaptation of Real Women Have Curves. The show, which has captured the hearts of audiences, is garnering critical acclaim, including Tony nominations for its original score. Alison introduces listeners to the creative minds behind the music: Joy Huerta, one half of the Grammy-winning Mexican pop duo Jesse and Joy, and Benjamin Velez, a seasoned composer and lyricist. Joining them are cast members Tatiana Cordoba, Eileen Mayagotilla, and Florencia Cuenca, who perform live excerpts from the musical.

Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez Celebrate Their Tony Nominations

Alison begins the conversation by celebrating the Tony nominations with Joy and Benjamin. Joy shares her emotional reaction upon hearing the news:

"[02:05] Joy Huerta: ...I just heard my name and then I heard Benjamin's name and just I was in shock for a little bit... I could not stop crying that whole day because this is my first ever musical."

Benjamin echoes the sentiment, reflecting on his long-awaited dream:

"[02:56] Benjamin Velez: ...it's really a dream come true that you hope will happen one day, but you never know."

Their shared excitement sets a heartfelt tone for the discussion, highlighting the significance of their achievements in the theater world.

Live Performance: "Flying Away" by Tatiana Cordoba

The episode features a captivating live performance of "Flying Away", performed by Tatiana Cordoba, who portrays Ana Garcia in the musical. Before the performance, Tatiana provides context for the song:

"[03:42] Tatiana Cordoba: ...this song is basically her talking about all of the things that have been laid out for her. Does she follow her dreams and go to college? Does she stay and help her family?"

The song captures Ana's internal struggle between personal aspirations and familial obligations, a central theme of the musical.

Behind the Scenes: Remote Collaboration in Music Composition

Alison and her guests delve into the unique process of composing the musical's score remotely. Joy recounts how the collaboration between her and Benjamin unfolded during the pandemic:

"[07:38] Alison Stewart: Was it something you wanted to try?

[07:40] Joy Huerta:** ...and then Benjamin Velez came into the picture, and he was just like, such an amazing collaborator... we worked most of the score through Zoom and through FaceTime."

Benjamin adds insight into the advantages of their remote collaboration:

"[09:13] Benjamin Velez: ...we would record voice memos on our phones and then text them, email them back and forth... Thanks to Zoom, we could mute each other and share ideas seamlessly."

Their ability to adapt and innovate during challenging times underscores the resilience and creativity driving the musical's success.

The Importance of Dreams: Benjamin Velez on Personal Aspirations

The conversation shifts to the theme of dreams, a pivotal element in Real Women Have Curves. Benjamin shares a personal anecdote about the influence of his high school teacher:

"[10:40] Benjamin Velez: ...I had this one teacher, Dr. Khalil... she always encouraged me to do it on the side. And when people see something is special for you and they encourage you to do it, it really helps."

He also touches on the disparities in opportunities, aiming to reflect these issues within the musical:

"[11:46] Benjamin Velez: ...not everyone has the ability to dream as big...some people can't. And we really want to try to put that into the song that Estella sings."

This segment highlights the musical's commitment to addressing real-world challenges through its narrative and music.

Live Performance: "Daydream" by Florencia Cuenca and Joy Huerta

Florencia Cuenca takes the stage to perform "Daydream", a poignant piece that delves into Estella's inner world. Before the performance, Florencia explains the song's significance:

"[12:00] Tatiana Cordoba: The world as we know stops and we go into Estella's mind and just look at her, at her heart."

The duet with Joy Huerta adds depth to the portrayal of Estella's character, emphasizing her desires and the constraints she faces.

Closing Remarks and Upcoming Highlights

As the episode draws to a close, Alison Stewart wraps up the discussion by celebrating the collaborative efforts behind Real Women Have Curves and reiterates the significance of the Tony nominations. She also previews upcoming content for listeners:

"[15:13] Alison Stewart: Enjoy the Tonys this weekend. We will be recapping them on Monday with Michael Shulman of the New Yorker. Plus, Riz Ahmed will join us to discuss his new movie relay."

The episode concludes on a high note, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating future discussions and performances.

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Key Takeaways:

• Real Women Have Curves is a groundbreaking musical earning Tony nominations for its original score, composed by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez.
• The creative process embraced remote collaboration, leveraging technology to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.
• Themes of personal dreams versus family obligations are central to the musical's narrative, reflecting broader societal issues.
• Live performances of songs like "Flying Away" and "Daydream" offer profound insights into the characters' inner conflicts and aspirations.
• The episode underscores the importance of encouragement and support in pursuing one's passions.

Notable Quotes:

• Joy Huerta ([02:05]): "I could not stop crying that whole day because this is my first ever musical."
• Benjamin Velez ([02:56]): "It's really a dream come true that you hope will happen one day, but you never know."
• Benjamin Velez ([10:40]): "When people see something is special for you and they encourage you to do it, it really helps."

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This episode of All Of It offers a deep dive into the making of Real Women Have Curves, celebrating its artistic achievements and exploring the heartfelt stories that fuel its songs. Whether you're a theater enthusiast or someone interested in the creative process, this conversation provides valuable insights into the intersection of culture, music, and personal ambition.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

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[Joy Huerta]

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[Alison Stewart]

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[Alison Stewart]

You could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Let's end with some music if you're looking for some Joy on Broadway, look no further than the new musical Real Women have Curves. And I'm talking about both the exuberance of the show and about one of the Tony nominated composers. Joy Huerta is one half of the Grammy winning Mexican pop duo Jesse and Joy. She paired up with composer and lyricist Benjamin Velez to tackle the music for this project which is based on the 1990 play and the beloved 2002 film. Now she and Benjamin are Tony nominated for best Original Score. The musical is set in LA in the late 1980s and follows the Garcia family. Ana Garcia is the only documented citizen in her family. She's an aspiring journalist and her dream is to head off to Columbia for college in the fall. But her family has other ideas. Her mother, Carmen insists that she needs to stay home to help protect the family and her older sister Estella needs help at the dress factory she runs. Can Ana help her family and still realize her dreams? Earlier this year I was joined by Tony nominated composers Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, fresh off the news of their nomination along with some cast members for the show, Tatiana Cordoba, Eileen Mayagotilla and Florencia Cuenca who performed for us live in studio. I began the conversation by asking Joy where she had gotten the news that she and Benjamin had had been nominated for a Tony.

[Joy Huerta]

I was at the hotel. I was at the hotel with my family and my wife told me it was like the nominations are coming out 8:30am we have two little kids so of course we were up very early and I mean I just heard my name and then I heard Benjamin's name and just I was in shock for a little bit and then we spoke briefly after that and after receiving so many phone calls I just, I could not stop crying that whole day because this is my first ever musical. I live in the pop world with my band like you said, Jesse and Joy. And I know it's music but it's entirely different from the theater and the musical theater especially. And it's just been amazing. Like I've become obsessed with this community and the theater World and the wonderful people that I've met here. So I just feel like. It feels like a warm welcome.

[Alison Stewart]

What does the nomination mean for you, Benjamin?

[Benjamin Velez]

I mean, I come from the theater world, so I've been working towards this for 15 years. And it's really a dream come true that you hope will happen one day, but you never know. And working with Joy has been the best gift. And we called each other right after, and that's when I feel like I had so much pent up emotion from this whole five years of writing this show. When it finally came out on that phone call and it was. It was beautiful.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, when I went to see the show, I walked. I said, oh, yeah, that's gonna get Tony nomination right away. As soon as I listened to the whole show and I thought about the whole thing, it made so much sense to me that you were nominated. So congratulations to all of you. Let's hear a song. We're gonna hear Flying Away, the big. I want the first act. Tatianna is at the microphone. Tatiana, tell us what's going on with Anna when she sings this number.

[Tatiana Cordoba]

Hi. Yeah. So this is Ana's first number in the show. This is sort of your introduction into her and her world and the journey that you're about to go on. And this song is basically her talking about all of the things that have been laid out for her. You know, does she follow her dreams and go to college? Does she stay and help her family? And is there a way she can do both? So that's sort of. This song sort of is her and starting to figure out how she can maybe do those things.

[Alison Stewart]

This is Flying Away.

[Tatiana Cordoba]

Should have told them then and there Now I've made myself a mess and really, what the hell is wrong with me? Why do I always second guess? They gave up so much so I could have more and if I don't go what was all of it for? Flying away the wind on my side Taking a chance on me Looking ahead for the first time but could I fly away without her on my side? Summer heat and summer sweat Dragging me down what's the point of having wings at all if I never leave the ground? Why settle for less? I'll impress them and show I belong Skyward bound Flying away doing it all if I can prove her all maybe my dreams wouldn't have to be small I'll find a way to get them on my side Fly to the edge of it all and rewrite my story show that I'm so much more than a face in the crowd and the fact that I reach is the reason they're proud. Maybe then she would give me her blessing. If I can be brave Brave enough to show I can fly Flying away I'll make her see that I'm gonna change the world and still be the daughter she wants me to be I fly away with the wind on my side I hope that I'll fly with them on my side Yay.

[Alison Stewart]

We'll clap. Let's clap. Let's clap. Yes. That was Tatiana Cordoba performing Flying Away from the new musical Real Women have Curves. She stars as Ana Garcia. The song was written by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, who were both Tony nominated for Best original Score. So you've never written for the stage before?

[Joy Huerta]

No, never for this stage.

[Tatiana Cordoba]

Why?

[Alison Stewart]

Was it something you wanted to try?

[Joy Huerta]

I was approached by the director and one of the producers in Mexico City early 2020, and I had the other producers, Barry Weisler, on FaceTime, and they were just so passionate about the project. When they were. When they were telling me a little bit about the play and about the movie and what it could mean, I was just like, I love challenges, and it just sounded so much fun. And the next day came the pandemic, and it was locked down. And I was like, okay, I have time. You know, I'll read the play. I'll watch the movie. And I panicked. I was like, what did I get myself into? Like, what do you do when the material is solid and it's like, it was a different version of it? Because the play and the movie are so much, so much more different than our show. I was like, how can you. What? Like, what are we gonna do with this? And they were walking me through the process of how, you know, we were going to use that as inspiration to tell our story through the lens of today, basically. And I was like, look, I've done music for more than half my life, but I've never done it for theater. Could you please get me some help? And then Benjamin Veles came into the picture, and he was just like, such a. Such an amazing collaborator. We worked most of the score through Zoom and through FaceTime. Like, we were not in the same place. And it was just like, okay. He was very patient.

[Alison Stewart]

You guys didn't meet each other for the longest time?

[Benjamin Velez]

No, over a year and a half before we actually got to hug.

[Joy Huerta]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

So what was the process like when you were working remotely?

[Benjamin Velez]

Well, we've joked that it was actually. There were a lot of pros because we both write music and lyrics. We Each want to be constantly humming melodic ideas. And that's not the easiest if you're in the same room.

[Joy Huerta]

Exactly.

[Benjamin Velez]

And I play piano and Joy plays guitar. And what we would do is we would record voice memos on our phones and then text them, email them back and forth, and then we would both be fooling around. And thanks to Zoom, we could mute each other, and we could both. And when one of us had an idea, we could be like, ah, I have something. Can I show you?

[Joy Huerta]

But we would literally sometimes just keep each other company because he couldn't hear me, I couldn't hear him. And that allowed us to really develop certain ideas on our own to bring together. Because I don't know if you've ever been involved in any musical thing, but if you start hearing someone humming a melody, you feel like you can jam to it, and you can maybe start vibing with that, and that turns into something. It's a great thing. But in this case, what it. What it allowed us to do is, like, develop each. Each sound that we were working on and then be like, oh, I love this, but maybe this could work better with that other song that we were writing for this other moment. And so it was. It was something that we loved. And then whenever we were in the same room a couple of years after that, we'd be like, I'm gonna go outside. I'm gonna step outside for a second and be right back.

[Alison Stewart]

We're gonna end things on Daydream. But we should talk about dreams. That's a big part of this story. People's dreams. What are your dreams? Can you achieve your dreams? Who is somebody who helped you achieve your dreams? Benjamin?

[Benjamin Velez]

Oh, man, that's a great. That's a great question. I actually. So I did music my whole life, but I went to a math and science school for high school, and I had teachers there that. Because I would still play piano during, like, school assemblies. And they really. They gave me time away from class to work on those things. And I had this one teacher, Dr. Khalil. She taught a solar energy class, but she loved that I played music, and she always encouraged me to do it on the side. And if I didn't have that kind of encouragement, of course, also from my family and my mother. But when people see something is special for you and they encourage you to do it, it really helps. But speaking of the Daydream song, I mean, not everyone has the ability to dream as big. And I went to a school where there were kids that were undocumented, and I Didn't know until it was time to apply for college that they couldn't have the same opportunities. And that was just heartbreaking because you spend your whole life thinking, well, we can all dream of the same things and some people can't. And we really want to try to put that into the song that Estella sings.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, we've got Florencia Cuenca at the microphone. You play Anna's older sister, Estella. She's running the factory. Joy is going to go over and sing with you in a minute. What's going on with Estella? When we hear this song, she's literally daydreaming.

[Tatiana Cordoba]

The world as we know stops and we go into Estella's mind and just look at her, at her heart.

[Alison Stewart]

This is Daydream with Florencia Cuenca. Enjoy Huertas.

[Joy Huerta]

Was I ever a child? I don't know Never had a chance.

[Tatiana Cordoba]

Not to worry Other kids they could take it slow But I had to grow up in a hurry One mistake.

[Joy Huerta]

Now life's on hold but my mind runs on and I think of all the things that I could be Possibilities.

[Tatiana Cordoba]

Far as the eye can see I.

[Joy Huerta]

Can see Freedom in the California sun Imagining I could be anyone anyone Watch.

[Tatiana Cordoba]

Me board a plane drive a car finally face a cop without words Charge a credit card show it Plan a future that isn't so blurry in my head I am free so my mind runs up and I think of all the things that I could feel Possibilities far as the I can see I can see passion we could Paris in the streets Just imagine it I could be anything anything Cinnamon silk and balor painting undiscovered wonderland One that I know I met so I think of all the things that I could be Possibilities far I see I can see I can see Freedom in the California sun Imagining could be anyone anyone not being chased by the past Letting my fears melt away Making my daydreams.

[Alison Stewart]

That was a conversation and special performance from the cast and creative team behind the new Broadway musical Real Women have Curves. Composers Joy Huerta and Benjamin Vales are Tony nominated for best original score. And that is all of it for this week. Enjoy the Tonys this weekend. We will be recapping them on Monday with Michael Shulman of the New Yorker. Plus, Riz Ahmed will join us to discuss his new movie relay. Until then, have a great weekend and I will meet you back here next time. And now, a next level moment from AT&T business. Say you've sent out a gigantic shipment of pillows and they need to be there in time for International Sleep Day. You've got at and T5G so you're fully confident, but the vendor isn't responding and International Sleep Day is tomorrow. Luckily, AT&T5G lets you deal with any issues with ease, so the pillows will get delivered and everyone can sleep soundly, especially you. AT&T5G requires a compatible plan and device coverage not available everywhere. Learn [e-mail] 5G Network how many discounts.

[Joy Huerta]

Does USAA Auto Insurance offer?

[Benjamin Velez]

Too many to say here. Multi vehicle discount Safe driver discount New vehicle discount Storage discount How many discounts.

[Tatiana Cordoba]

Will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit usaa.com autodiscounts restrictions apply.