Jennifer Lopez in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ Sheds Light on Latinas on Broadway

Jennifer Lopez continues to prove she’s a multitalented entertainer in her latest film, Kiss of the Spider Woman. In her role as the characters Ingrid Luna and Aurora, she’s not just acting but singing and dancing her heart out to bring this project to life. The movie delivers musical theater magic on the big screen and has sparked the question whether J.Lo has any plans to hit Broadway next. Having grown up in New York and trained from an early age in the performing arts, it would seem her whole career has been leading up to the Broadway stage. If she does decide to take this step, she’d be joining the ranks of other talented Latinas who have graced Broadway over the decades. Latine presence in musical theater is an area that needs more attention, so we’re putting a spotlight on the topic. Kiss of the Spider Woman gives us a Latina in the lead role and is making us reflect on how Latine artists have contributed to musicals and the stage. 

This may come as a surprise, but there was no dancing or singing involved in the original story of Kiss of the Spider Woman. It was actually a Spanish-language novel published in 1976 by Argentine author Manuel Puig. The narrative takes place in Argentina and centers on two inmates, Luis Molina and Valentin Arregui, who are serving time for very different crimes. Arregui is a revolutionary and is imprisoned for his radical political actions, while Molina is a gay man imprisoned for “corrupting” a young male. To pass the time, Molina shares his favorite films with his cellmate. The pair gradually open up to each other and form a bond. The first film adaptation came in 1985, and it was initially turned into a Broadway musical in 1993. The 2025 movie starring Jennifer Lopez is the latest reimagining of Puig’s tale.

In the 2025 remake, Luis (Tonatiuh) tells Valentin (Diego Luna) about the plot of his favorite Hollywood musical called Kiss of the Spider Woman. Lopez plays Ingrid Luna, an actress who Luis idolizes and who’s cast as both Aurora and the mysterious Spider Woman in this musical. As Luis recounts the storyline, he inserts himself and Valentin into the narrative and imagines it all unfolding in his mind. While the essence of the original story is present, this new version brings the Latina character to the forefront and really shows J.Lo in all her glory as a multifaceted entertainer. 

“Spider Woman was like coming back to something that I had always done. It took time, but I was so excited. I had that vocabulary in my body already. So, it was dusting it off of the shelf and making it shiny and new again,” Lopez told Entertainment Weekly. 

Her impressive transformations, from blonde bombshell in some scenes to raven-haired seductress in others, and vivacious performances exemplify her dedication to the project. She put in the hard work but made it all look so seamless on screen.

However, J.Lo is not the first Latina to reprise this role. Chita Rivera, who was born to a Puerto Rican father and a mother of Scottish, Irish, and African-American ancestry, starred as Aurora in the 1993 Broadway adaptation. Rivera was one of the first Latinas to break into Broadway and was featured in Guys and Dolls (1950), West Side Story (1957), Chicago (1975), and many others. She won several awards over the span of her career, including two Tony Awards, which is highly coveted recognition in Broadway theater. Plus, in 2002, she became the first Latina to receive a Kennedy Center Honor, which recognizes gifted artists in the performing arts.

Perhaps the most well-recognized Latina in Broadway musicals to date is the inimitable Rita Moreno. Many people know that she played Anita in the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story, but she has other musical projects under her belt, such as Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969) and The Ritz (1975). The Ritz earned her a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

We also can’t overlook the Latinas who work behind the scenes on Broadway to help create these amazing stories. Graciela Daniele from Buenos Aires, Argentina, has directed and choreographed a range of productions over the decades. She began dance training in Argentina as a child and went on to study the performing arts in Paris and New York City. She performed in a few Broadway musicals herself, but her first time wearing the hat of choreographer happened when she worked on The Most Happy Fella in 1979. Since then, she has directed and choreographed a variety of musicals, such as The Rink, which starred Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli, Annie Get Your Gun, and Once on this Island, just to name a few. Her work has garnered her 10 Tony Award nominations and she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2005.

Today, Latinas are still showing up strong on Broadway. Most notable is this year’s musical production of Real Women Have Curves based on the 1990 original play of the same name by Josefina Lopez and the 2002 film starring America Ferrera. Not only is this a Broadway production starring Latinas, but it’s also about Latinas. It’s set in 1987 in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles which historically has had a large Latine population. The narrative centers on 18-year-old Ana Garcia (Tatianna Córdoba) who wants to pursue her dreams of going to college but also feels a duty to help her family financially and in the sweatshop where her family works. The plot confronts issues that affect the Latine community, from immigration to body image to Latina womanhood.

Real Women Have Curves officially opened on Broadway in April 2025 and ran through June 29. It was highly praised and the score received a Tony Award nomination. All the more significant is that Florencia Cuenca, who was cast as Ana’s sister Estela, is the first Mexican immigrant to originate a role in a Broadway musical. It’s a major milestone that can serve as inspiration to other Latinas who aspire to perform on the stage.     

The list of Latinas who are taking Broadway by storm doesn’t end there. Back in 2021, Mexican actress Bianca Marroquín and Cuban and Salvadoran-American performer Ana Villafañe were featured in the 25th anniversary edition of Chicago. Villafañe also played Gloria Estefan in the musical On Your Feet! in 2015, which is a biographical musical about Gloria and Emilio Estafan’s rise to fame in show business with the Miami Sound Machine. In 2023, Dominicana Linedy Genao became the first Latina to be cast as the lead in an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical when she played Cinderella in Bad Cinderella. Finally, Natalie Venetia Belcon, who’s of Venezuelan, Spanish, and Trinidadian descent, delivered a stellar performance as Omara in this year’s Buena Vista Social Club. It shares the story of the creators behind the album and brings the music to life.

It will be exciting to see what the future of Broadway holds for Latina performing artists. Throughout the decades, Latinas have brought an undeniably powerful presence to the stage and delivered spirited performances. Jennifer Lopez’s role in Kiss of the Spider Woman sheds light and revives conversation about Latine representation in musical theater. While it’s still in the air if we’ll see J.Lo become part of Broadway history, as of now, it’s a possibility, according to what Lopez told EW:

“These shows like Kiss of the Spider Woman, they come up to the surface when they need to be seen….At the right time with the right people and the right person, who knows? We’ll see what comes to fruition when that time comes. But I do think Broadway is in my future.”