Harvey Fierstein literally carried a heavy metal sign through Times Square in celebration of his play, 'Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song.'
Harvey Fierstein literally carried a heavy metal sign through Times Square in celebration of his play, Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song, heading to Broadway this fall, to the same theater it premiered more than 35 years ago.
"I've been here before, and it's a little crazy," Fierstein says of seeing his show soon to be remounted at the Helen Hayes Theater in New York, which used to be called the Little Theatre back in 1982. "It's very exciting."
Weaving his way through crowds of commuters heading home on Tuesday night and theatergoers heading to an early 7 p.m. curtain; Fierstein stopped along his route to greet a fan, say hello to Disney Theatrical Group President Thomas Schumacher (who's overseeing rehearsals of Broadway's Frozen, which begins performances Thursday) and pose for a photo op under a billboard for another Broadway show he wrote, Kinky Boots.
Torch Song, which played last fall to sold-out audiences off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theater, tells the story of a gay man (Michael Urie) who is seeking happiness in New York during the 1970s and early '80s, looking for a husband, child and bunny slippers that fit. The show, which will be a limited run on Broadway, is set to open on Nov. 1.
Performing opposite Oscar-winner Mercedes Ruehl, Urie will reprise his role as Arnold Beckoff, who can be seen on stage doing drag gigs in gay bars while tip-toeing through seedy back rooms during the play's first act. "It was 1971, and he was making a living as a drag queen, and that he wanted to be a husband and a father was ahead of his time,” Urie previously told ET. “Now, we watch it and it’s beautiful and it’s very moving, but it’s not all that out of the ordinary.”
Fierstein originally performed Urie's starring role in what was then called Torch Song Trilogy, a play in three acts that have now been condensed. Not only did he win the Tony Award for Best Actor, the show also won Best Play.
36 years later, Fierstein's ready to see his name up in lights once again. But this time, he's letting Urie take the acting spotlight. “I am very grateful to sit back and watch someone else do all the hard work," he said.