Celebrity Travel: Go away with Florencia Cuenca

After starring as Estela Garcia in “Real Women Have Curves” at the American Repertory Theater in 2023, Florencia Cuenca made her Broadway debut in April. “I feel so honored to play this role that has been played by many outstanding Latina actresses,” Cuenca said in an interview from New York City, where she currently resides. “In this particular iteration of the material, you will get to know Estela more by learning about her dreams and goals. I feel connected and related with this character, being a curvy Mexican immigrant with an accent, pursuing my dreams.”

The actress, who was born and raised in Mexico City, stays in touch with fans on social media under the username: @flowcuenca.

Q: What does it mean to you getting to star in a Broadway show?

A: I feel beyond grateful and honored to represent the Mexican, immigrant and curvy community on this stage. Growing up, I never saw someone like myself on Broadway. The first time I felt actually represented was with Sara Ramírez in “Spamalot.” I remember watching their videos on YouTube and saying: “They are Mexican. They look like me.” They inspired me a lot but even then the dream felt impossible. My family didn’t have the money for me to come to New York City. It took me some time, but I am grateful that my journey finally brought me here. I hope the younger generation feels inspired to pursue their dreams when they watch me perform on Broadway and they see themselves on stage. It’s definitely a big responsibility. But it was about time this happened. I hope this can open the door to many more immigrants to have the opportunity to originate roles on Broadway. Representation matters.

Q: Which Broadway shows have you attended as a theatergoer?

A: Since I was a kid, I wanted to come to New York City and see a Broadway show. But because of my financial situation, I wasn’t able to come until I was 22. My husband, Jaime Lozano, invited me in December of 2014. It was one of my biggest dreams to visit during the holidays. That trip was so beautiful. I got to explore all the New York landmarks with the love of my life. The first Broadway show we saw together was “Honeymoon In Vegas” and I loved it. The musical was written by Jason Robert Brown, one of our favorite musical theater composers. Actually, fun fact – Jaime proposed to me that same trip at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, after seeing a performance of “If/Then.” One of the things he said to me as he was proposing was, “I promise you will be soon on one of these stages.” And 10 years later, here I am!

Q: What was it like when you worked in Mexico?

A: To be honest, there’s not really a big musical theater industry. When I was living in Mexico, there were one or two big productions a year. There’s a lot of talent, but not a lot of opportunities. There also aren’t strong unions set up in Mexico for musical theater actors, or an official musical theater program. I felt lucky having the opportunity to work on some of those few, big productions, because we had the chance to work with and learn from creative teams from New York.

Q: Have you visited places for work that were so nice that you traveled back there later for a personal trip?

A: I’ve been able to travel to amazing cities such as Buenos Aires and Paris. They are definitely on my list to visit again.

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?

A: It is always Mexico. I feel my country has everything you could ask for. And my personal favorite vacation includes a beach. There’s nothing like the motherland. I’m always longing to visit my family and friends, and eat delicious food. Because of my Broadway commitment right now, I don’t think we are going to be able to make that trip anytime soon. I am crossing my fingers that we’ll have a long and fun run!

Q: How do you separate work from vacation trips?

A: I feel the only time I’ve been able to fully disconnect from work is every time we take a family trip to Disney. My husband and I love seeing our little one’s face light up throughout our trips there. It’s truly magical. It reminds us to find that inner child, keep dreaming and use our imagination. Disney has become a family tradition for us.

Q: What untapped destination should people know about?

A: Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos. They are called that because of the magic in the food, rich history and legends. Some beautiful and magical little towns such as Santiago, Nuevo León or Sayulita (Nayarit).

Q: What was a trip you took as a child that stands out?

A: My last trip with my dad before he passed away. I was only eight years old, but I still remember it vividly. We went to Cancun and we had the most amazing time there. We stayed at one of those big resorts that has everything on the property. We didn’t know that would be our farewell trip with him, and I’m so glad to now have that memory.

Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, would you prefer a food truck or fine dining?

A: Food truck all the way. Especially if it’s a food truck that has a long line. [Then] you know the food is going to be great.

Q: What languages do you speak?

A: I’m bilingual in Spanish and English. I feel as an actor, it's easier to pick up new languages because we are used to working with sounds and accents.

Q: What are your favorite cities?

A: Definitely the top two are New York City and Mexico City. I am divided between those two as my favorites. After that, I really love getting to know new cities. I love Buenos Aires, Paris, Los Angeles and Miami as well.

Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A: There are many places on my bucket list. Definitely London and Madrid are on my list.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. You can reach her at www.jaehakim.com, follow her on Instagram and X @goawaywithjae, or read more from her on Substack (jaehakim.substack.com).)