Harvey Fierstein is one of the ‘Bros’ and kinkier than ever
I Was Better Last Night, which quickly became a New York Times best-seller. This summer, his hit musical Kinky Boots (featuring music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper) returns to New York City, proving Fierstein still has soles with soul.Fierstein’s book spans decades, tracing his personal and professional life from the Theatre of the Ridiculous and a role in Andy Warhol’s only play to the early years of the LGBTQ rights movement, the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, and triumphs on both stage and screen.
His first Broadway appearance and writing credit, Torch Song Trilogy (recently streamlined into a two-act play and revived on Broadway starring Michael Urie), was a watershed moment for queer representation in the commercial theater.It would be nearly two decades before Fierstein returned to the Broadway stage as Edna Turnblad in the musical adaptation of Hairspray, currently on tour starring Andrew Levitt (aka Nina West) in the role Fierstein created.The relevancy and timelessness of Fierstein’s works fortify his staying power as one of the great theatrical storytellers of our generation.
Kinky Boots, which won six Tony Awards including Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for its original star Billy Porter, delivers a message of healing and community-building as relevant today as when the show opened in 2013.“Beyond the laughs and applause, what I’ve missed most is seeing the audience shed tears of happiness at every performance,” said Fierstein. “Kinky Boots is more than a musical.
It’s a life experience.”Based on true events and the 2005 film of the same name, the musical follows the unexpected partnership between, Charlie, a factory owner struggling to keep the family business afloat, and Lola, a drag.
