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A Chat with Harvey Fierstein
The Actor Talks at 92d Street Y
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There are many chances to see Harvey Fierstein run through a scripted dialogue. The man has played many roles on stage, some of which he’s written himself. 92nd Street Y is offering a change of pace. Fierstein is the latest guest in Jordan Roth’s interview series, Broadway Talks with Jordan Roth. The dialogue will take place at Buttenweiser Hall, granting fans a live glimpse at the actor and scribe’s thoughts.
Fierstein’s appearance on Broadway Talks aligns with the revival of award-winning La Cage Aux Folles, an opera Fierstein wrote the libretto for. His writing credits also extend to the sleeper hit Torch Song Trilogy. The trio of plays earned Fierstein well-deserved Tony Awards not only for his scripting duties, but playing the lead role. The concept behind Arnold Beckoff, a musical love-weary drag queen, takes more than a little personality to pull off. Especially when one considers the tense point in gay politics that the work reacted to. A decade after the Stonewall Riot, Fierstein forced audiences to glimpse the world through the eyes of a gay man attempting to build a family in the face of hate and fear. Fierstein reprised the role in a 1988 film adaptation.
Fierstein had over thirty years of stage acting experience to work from, beginning with his appearance in Andy Warhol’s Pork in 1971. Alongside over sixty off-Broadway performances, Fierstein has lit up the stage as Edna in Hairspray and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. His trophy shelf is rounded out with Drama Desk, OBIE, and Dramatist’s Guild awards.
Fierstein is the latest in a long streak of high-profile guests. Jordan Roth’s prior guests on Broadway Talks include Daniel Raidcliffe, Liev Schreiber, and recently, Bono. His latest interviewee is certainly multi-faceted. Harvey Fierstein’s work for the gay community has extended past the themes of his stage work. Advocacy through columns and his own early trailblazing as an open homosexual in the media have earned Fierstein his footnote in the push for LGBT rights.