We can all use a little more Harvey Fierstein in our lives. The multi-Tony (and more) award-winning actor and playwright who many of us recognize from recent local productions of “La Cage Aux Folles,” “Kinky Boots,” and “Newsies,” and from his film work in everything from “Hairspray” and “Mrs. Doubtfire” to the Emmy Award-winning documentary, “The Times of Harvey Milk,” first made his name with “Torch Song Trilogy,” a three-act play that runs over four hours. Nonetheless, this underground hit about the life, loves, and woes of a Jewish drag queen living in New York City transferred to Broadway in 1982 where it achieved landmark status for the LGBTQ community by winning two Tony Awards – for Best Play and Best Actor – the latter also going to the playwright, who starred in the lead role.
The guy sitting next to me at The Foundry blackbox theater said he couldn’t believe over 40 years had passed since an actor he’d been dating invited him to an early, exclusive-to-the-industry workshop of “Trilogy” in downtown Manhattan. When they were asked for comments after the show, he’d suggested Fierstein wouldn’t make it as an actor because of his raspy voice. “Boy was I wrong!” he laughed. And proving, yet again, that if you have a burning passion, and something new to contribute, there’s no telling how far you’ll go if you can only ignore all the naysayers and personal insecurities. We all have them, but we can push through and take a lesson from the life of great playwright, actor, and socially conscientious “mensch,” Harvey Fierstein.
Despite all his accomplishments, given how gay rights and acceptance were being threatened yet again in 2017 (and sadly, nowadays, with even greater ferocity), Fierstein must have felt the world could use a vivid reminder of queer folks’ humanity and struggles. And so he returned to “Torch Song Trilogy,” his semi-autobiographical play. Then he realistically and brutally cut off some of what we writers refer to as “our darlings” by devising a faster-paced script of “only” two-and-a-half hours.
(The play actually runs two hours and 45 minutes due to one 15-minute intermission between the three acts but trust me, you won’t believe it’s over ALREADY – even too soon, because you’ll be hanging onto every word! Of course, what Fierstein refers to as his “renewed” version went on to become another award-winning hit on Broadway.)
The atmosphere at the intimate and friendly Foundry (welcoming us from outdoor heat with chilled water, wine and cookies) may be off-off Broadway, but the quality of the work is Broadway all the way! Celebrity actor/producer/director/playwright and POW! (Plays of Wilton) founder & artistic director Ronnie Larsen serves as director of Fierstein’s renewed play, who’d even cut the title to TORCH SONG. It likely takes one to know one and our local dedicated, passionate, multitalented burst of creative energy, a.k.a. Ronnie Larsen, proved to be the ideal director and producer of Fierstein’s latest version of his iconic work. (Larsen’s POW! was recently honored by Miami New Times with the 2025 Best Theater Company award, only the latest in a lengthy list of awards and commendations.)
First thing you notice upon entering the once-again-updated Foundry, is the plush rows of comfy, stadium-high seats that boast easy access and plenty of leg room. Smooth classical jazz tunes surround you in a pleasant club atmosphere before the show. For a play that’s not a musical, “Torch Song,” like its name, is absolutely brimming with music, while carefully curated torch-style songs briefly introduce the many scenes. The word “torch song” comes from the phrase “to carry a torch for someone” and these songs typically express unrequited love – a major theme of the play. Fierstein’s sole instruction was to lean toward a “blues” style when choosing the numbers. Many popular hits from the late 1970s to early ‘80s, reflecting the play’s time frame, are featured as well.
For all these great blast-from-the-past songs, lovely music arrangements and piano tracks, we can thank another local favorite: the great musical composer and musician who now makes his home in South Florida, Bobby Peaco. And giving each song the star-power treatment is fantastic vocalist Pam Hankerson who I still see as the “Lady Blues” character Fierstein listed in his original play.
Hankerson first appears in striking evening gowns – each more glamorous than the one before – while singing a few stanzas as she struts along the front of the stage, occasionally winking and flirting with the audience. She switches to more playful, casual, or even country-style outfits for later acts. No matter her attire, she remains a vision of beauty and serves as a delightful break (especially when scenes get real heavy). Kudos to costume designer Tim Bowman for appropriately clothing the actors in all their stages of dress and undress … but especially for providing an ongoing fashion show before the red velvet curtain, illuminated by Preston Bircher lighting design, and lighting and sound tech Panos Mitos.
The curtain opens to a stark, rather bare, black-walled set (per the playwright’s instructions) featuring three self-standing mirrors. (Easily movable, on-point set design by Melqui Dominguez with props by Edgar Maldonado.)
Here we meet the play’s star, Alex Martinez, in the iconic Harvey Fierstein role of Arnold Beckoff, the Jewish drag queen who performs in a dive gay bar in New York City. It’s post-show, and while removing his makeup and costume, he also bares his soul to the audience. Arnold admits that despite his countless lovers (more than named or numbered in the Bible!), what he really yearns for is a “normal” family life, even a child, but with a gay man as his loving, devoted partner.
As for his options? He goes on to provide quite the sardonic list of male types to avoid, and why, and adamantly rebuffs becoming gist for any therapist’s couch. Arnold’s original, no-holds-barred observations are laced with gallows humor that cut deep, but ultimately reek of despair. As for his looks? “I guess a drag queen’s like being an oil painting,” he says. “You gotta stand back from it to get the full effect.”
Even his queer friends don’t appear to support Arnold’s normative aspirations while his gayness is stubbornly ignored, when not abhorred, by his close-minded, set-in-her-ways Jewish mother. We could view Arnold as an anxious, obnoxious, self-deprecating Woody Allen-type but, thankfully, despite being abnormally aware and self-involved, he’s also far less selfish – blessed with kindness, better looks, and the gift of chutzpah. Martinez quickly makes the role of Arnold his own.
Casting director Harry Redlich’s decision to cast Alex Martinez as Arnold was particularly inspired, as were his excellent choices for supporting cast. Christian Cooper gives a sensitive, realistic portrayal of conflicted “bisexual” Ed who likely leans gay but won’t give up on the “normal” life of a wife and family, nor risk being outed and losing his Brooklyn high school teacher’s job. Despite Ed’s hesitations, Arnold falls quickly and hard. Then is hurt when Ed doesn’t return his calls, or his feelings, until it’s almost too late.
You see Ed also “loves” his wife Laurel – but more like a friend, which can’t fully satisfy either party. He had a fantasy of “having it all” when Arnold is invited to join him and Laurel at the family’s country house, upstate. (Laurel’s many moods, hopes and frustrations are perfectly enacted by our torch-song singer, Pam Hankerson, along with quick wardrobe changes! Hankerson also performs as Inner Voice, and we hear her on the Radio). But Arnold ruins Ed’s fantasy of a threesome by arriving with his current, young and hunky boyfriend, Alan. (Whichever way you lean, ya gotta love gorgeous, fit Gianni Palermo in the role.) Laurel’s suspicious of Ed’s feelings for Arnold (as they say, “The wife always knows”) and Ed doesn’t win anyone over by making a play for Alan.
Remember the 1969 movie “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice?” This may be the queer edition, with two couples – one supposedly hetero, the other gay – all on an enormous bed (pretty sure Melqui custom-built that one) in various states of undress, joined by plenty of pillows and stuffed animals. More like a children’s sleepover set for adults. And in case you’re wondering, I’ll say right here this play would likely be rated PG-13 for some exposed underwear but no full nudity. There’s sex talk for sure, some nasty arguments, and one horrific description of violence – but you’ll see only a few, brief, sexual-act simulations that leave much to the imagination.
Clean enough for a ninth grader. It must be, because a real ninth grader in the form of professional young actor Jackson Goddard is on set much of the time. The precocious high-school freshman plays a precocious high-school freshman called David who is 15 (almost 16), gay, had a bumpy foster-care past but is a survivor who’s finally getting the stability and love he deserves. David enjoys a real bond with Arnold and is on his way to becoming his adopted son.
The kid is also wise beyond his years, and his presence adds wrong-assumptions hilarity at the front end of an excruciatingly emotional closing scene with Arnold’s mom. Lourelene Snedeker as Mrs. Beckoff, or Ma, gives a highly charged and unfortunately all-too-believable performance of a grieving widow and overbearing, unfulfilled mother who will likely never accept her son’s sexual identity and goes so far as to say if she knew how he’d turn out, she would never have had him.
We root for Arnold and his stand-in, Harvey Fierstein, and realize he’s on his way (and, in hindsight, Wow! did he make it and thrive!) when he’s finally able to tell his Ma: “There’s nothing I need from you except for love and respect. Anyone who can’t give me those things has no place in my life.”
incorrigibly repressed Ma who covers her ears and closes her heart to son Arnold’s
(Alex Martinez) pleas to accept his true identity. Photo by Dennis Dean.
