Fierstein, Harvey 1954–

(Virginia Hamm, Kitty Litter, Bertha Venation)

PERSONAL

Surname is pronounced "Fire-steen"; full name, Harvey Forbes Fierstein; born June 6, 1954, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, NY; son of Irving (a handkerchief manufacturer) and Jacqueline Harriet (a school librarian [some sources cite a teacher]; maiden name, Gilbert) Fierstein. Education: Pratt Institute, B.F.A., 1973; trained for the stage with Barbara Bulgokova. Politics: Gay rights, human rights activism, AIDS causes, painting, gardening, cooking, shopping at auctions, flea markets, and other places.

Addresses:

Agent—Innovative Artists, 235 Park Ave. South, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10003. Contact—RF Entertainment, 29 Haines Rd., Bedford Hills, NY 10507.

Career:

Playwright, actor, producer, and singer. Gallery Players Community Theatre, Brooklyn, New York City, founder, 1965; female impersonator at nightclubs using various names, including Virginia Hamm, Kitty Litter, and Bertha Venation; also a concert performer and participated in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Member:

Dramatists Guild, Writers Guild of America, East, Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Masons.

Awards, Honors:

Four Villager awards, all 1980, for Fugue in a Nursery; Charlie Award for exceptional contribution to the art of comedy, Association of Comedy Artists, 1982; Obie Award, Village Voice, George Oppenheimer-Newsday Playwriting Award, Los Angeles Critics Circle Award, Elizabeth Hull-Kate Warriner Award, Dramatists Guild, all 1982, Antoinette Perry awards, best performance by a leading actor in a play and best play, Drama Desk awards, outstanding actor in a play and outstanding new play, and Theatre World Award, all 1983, and Laurence Olivier Award, best play, Society of West End Theatre, c. 1986, all for Torch Song Trilogy; Fund for Human Dignity Award, 1983; Antoinette Perry Award, best book of a musical, and Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding book, both 1984, for La cage aux folles; Annual CableAce awards, best actor in a dramatic or theatrical special and best writing in a dramatic or theatrical special, both 1989, for Tidy Endings; Independent Spirit Award nomination, best male lead, Independent Features Project West, 1989, for Torch Song Trilogy; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, 1992, for "Rebecca's Lover … Not," Cheers; Visibility Award, GLAAD Media awards, Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation, 1994; HUMANITAS Prize, children's animation category, 2000, for "The Sissy Duckling," Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child; Antoinette Perry Award, best performance by a leading actor in a musical, Drama Desk Award, best actor in a musical, and Drama League Award, distinguished performance, all 2003, and New York magazine award, c. 2003, all for Hairspray; grants from various organizations, including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Public Broadcasting Service; received a plaque on the Brooklyn, New York City Walk of Fame; some sources cite an American Comedy Award nomination, c. 1994, for Mrs. Doubtfire.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Amelia, Pork (also known as Andy Warhol's "Pork"), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York City, 1971.

Arnold, International Stud (one-act), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 1972, Theatre for the New City, New York City, 1976, Players Theatre, New York City, 1978, later included in Torch Song Trilogy.

Arnold, Fugue in a Nursery (one-act), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 1973, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 1979, then Orpheum Theatre, New York City, 1979-80, later included in Torch Song Trilogy.

Jay Astor, The Haunted Host, Boston, MA, c. 1975, also Actors' Playhouse, New York City.

Arnold, Widows and Children First (one-act), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 1979, later included in Torch Song Trilogy.

Arnold Beckoff, Torch Song Trilogy (contains The International Stud, Fugue in a Nursery, and Widows and Children First), Richard Allen Center Theatre, New York City, 1981, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, beginning 1982, Albery Theatre, London, 1986.

Ghee and Arthur, Safe Sex (trilogy of one-acts; contains Manny and Jake, On Tidy Endings, and Safe Sex), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, then Lyceum Theatre, New York City, both 1987.

Edna Turnblad, Hairspray (musical), Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle, WA, 2002, then Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, 2002-2004.

Tevye, The Fiddler on the Roof (musical), Minskoff Theatre, New York City, 2005-2006.

Appeared in other productions, including The Trojan Women, Vinyl Visits an FM Station, and Xircus: The Private Life of Jesus Christ; also appeared in concerts and benefit performances.

Major Tours:

Toured in The Haunted Host, U.S. cities.

Stage Producer:

Safe Sex (trilogy of one-acts; contains Manny and Jake, On Tidy Endings, and Safe Sex), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, then Lyceum Theatre, New York City, both 1987.

Film Appearances:

Himself, Underground and Emigrants (documentary), Sender Freies Berlin, 1975.

(Scenes deleted) Annie Hall (also known as Anhedonia, It Had to Be Jew, and A Roller Coaster Named Desire), United Artists, 1977.

Bernie Whitlock, Garbo Talks (also known as Garbo Talks!), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1984.

Narrator, The Times of Harvey Milk (documentary), New Yorker Films/Cinecom International Films, 1985.

Arnold Beckhoff, Torch Song Trilogy, New Line Cinema, 1988.

Himself, Mama's Pushcart: Ellen Stewart and 25 Years of La MaMa E.T.C. (documentary), 1988.

Bob Lakin, The Harvest, Arrow Releasing, 1993.

Uncle Frank Hillard, Mrs. Doubtfire, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1993.

Judy, Conversations, 1994.

Sid Loomis, Bullets over Broadway, Miramax, 1994.

Himself, The Celluloid Closet (documentary; also known as Celluloid Closet and Gefangen in der Traumfabrik), Sony Pictures Classics, 1995.

Yves DuBois, Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde, Savoy Pictures, 1995.

Hoarder, White Lies, Buena Vista, 1996.

Marty Gilbert, Independence Day (also known as ID4), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1996.

The moyle, Everything Relative, Tara Releasing, 1996.

Juba, Kull the Conqueror, Universal, 1997.

Good Stuff Leo, Safe Men, October Films, 1998.

Voice of Yao, Mulan (animated musical; also known as China Doll and The Legend of Mulan), Buena Vista, 1998.

Dish Macense, Jump, Arrow Releasing, 1999.

Bennett, Playing Mona Lisa (also known as Two Goldsteins on Acid), Buena Vista, 2000.

Merv Green, Death to Smoochy (also known as Toetet Smoochy), Warner Bros., 2002.

Kenneth, Duplex (also known as Our House and Der Appartement-Schreck), Miramax, 2003.

Himself, Superstar in a Housedress (documentary; also known as Superstar in a Housedress: The Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis), Abramorama Entertainment, c. 2003, Films We Like, 2004.

Voice of Yao, Mulan II (animated musical), Buena Vista Home Video, 2004.

Voice of Sheila, Farce of the Penguins, ThinkFilm, 2007.

Film Work:

Coproducer, Torch Song Trilogy, New Line Cinema, 1988.

Television Appearances; Series:

Dennis Sinclair, Daddy's Girls, CBS, 1994.

Voices of Midge's mom and little mom head, Bitchy Bits (animated; later known as Bitchy Bitch), broadcast on X-Chromosome, Oxygen, beginning 2000.

Regular commentator for the series In the Life, PBS.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Himself, Broadway: The American Musical, PBS, 2004.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Voice of demon, The Demon Murder Case (also known as The Rhode Island Murders), NBC, 1983.

The derelict, Apology (also known as Apology for Murder), HBO, 1986.

Arthur, Tidy Endings, HBO, 1988.

Gary Millstein, Double Platinum, ABC, 1999.

Don, "Amos and Andy," Common Ground, Showtime, 2000.

Heat miser, The Year without a Santa Claus, NBC, 2006.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The National AIDS Awareness Test: What Do You Know about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome?, syndicated, 1987.

The American Film Institute Presents "TV or Not TV?" (also known as AFI Presents "TV or Not TV?"), NBC, 1990.

The Best of Nightline with Ted Koppel, 1980-90, ABC, 1990.

Andrew, "In the Shadow of Love: A Teen AIDS Story," ABC Afterschool Specials, ABC and PBS, 1991.

State of the Union Undressed '94, Comedy Central, 1994.

Easter Bunny, Elmo Saves Christmas, PBS, 1996.

Himself, The Making of "Independence Day," 1996.

(In archive footage) Marty Gilbert, The Sci-Fi Channel's Invasion of Independence Day, Sci-Fi Channel, 1996.

X-Chromosome's Animating Women, Oxygen, 2000.

Himself, Broadway's Best, Bravo, 2002.

Himself, 100 Years of Hope and Humor, NBC, 2003.

Narrator, "It's Okay to Be Different," Happy to Be Nappy and Other Stories of Me (animated), HBO, 2004.

Host, "Broadway's Lost Treasures II: The Best of the Tony Awards," Great Performances, PBS, 2005.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Presenter, The Eighth Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1994.

The 50th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1996.

Presenter, The 45th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 2003.

The 57th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2003.

Host, 49th Annual Drama Desk Awards, HBO, 2004.

Presenter, The 58th Annual Tony Awards (also known as The 2004 Tony Awards), CBS, 2004.

Host, 50th Annual Drama Desk Awards, WNET (PBS affiliate), 2005.

Presenter, The 59th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2005.

Presenter, The 60th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2006.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Benedict, "The Fix," Miami Vice (also known as Gold Coast and Miami Unworthiness), NBC, 1986.

Himself, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1989.

Voice of Karl, "Simpson and Delilah," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1990.

Mark Newberger, "Rebecca's Lover … Not," Cheers, NBC, 1992.

Stan Hatter, "The Dead File," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1992.

Himself, The Arsenio Hall Show, syndicated, 1994.

Dr. Lang, Loving, ABC, c. 1994.

Voice of Mrs. Leaperman, "Thumbelina," Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (animated), HBO, 1995.

Himself, "Independence Day," HBO First Look, HBO, 1996.

Himself, Late Show with David Letterman (also known as The Late Show and Late Show Backstage), CBS, 1996, 2005.

Himself, "The Matchmaker," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1997.

Jeremy Pinter, "Do or Die," Fame L.A., syndicated, 1997.

Voice, "Alice and the Mystery of the Third Planet," Stories from My Childhood (animated; also known as Mikhail Baryshnikov's "Stories from My Childhood"), PBS, 1997.

Himself, "It's a Gay, Gay, Gay, Gay World!," Ellen (also known as These Friends of Mine), ABC, 1998.

Voice of Elmer, "The Sissy Duckling," Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (animated), HBO, 1999.

Himself, "1977," Behind the Music (also known as Behind the Music: 1977, BtM, and VH1's "Behind the Music"), VH1, 2000.

Himself, "1984," Behind the Music (also known as Behind the Music: 1984, BtM, and VH1's "Behind the Music"), VH1, 2000.

Himself, "Matthew Broderick," Biography (also known as A&E Biography: Matthew Broderick), Arts and Entertainment, 2001.

Himself, Intimate Portrait: Estelle Getty, Lifetime, 2001.

Himself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 2002.

Himself, "John Waters," Biography (also known as A&E Biography: John Waters), Arts and Entertainment, 2004.

Himself, Live with Regis & Kelly, syndicated, 2005.

(In archive footage) La mandragora, Television Espanola (TVE, Spain), 2005.

Appeared in other programs, including Hercules (animated; also known as Disney's "Hercules"), ABC and syndicated.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Norman, Those Two, CBS, 1993.

Dennis Sinclair, Daddy's Girls, CBS, 1994.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

This Is Not Going to Be Pretty: Live at the Bottom Line, Plump Records, 1995.

Videos:

(In archive footage) Marty Gilbert, Independence Day: The ID4 Invasion, 1996.

(In archive footage) Himself, One on One with Vito Russo (short), Columbia/TriStar Home Video, 2001.

Himself, Rescued from the Closet, Columbia/TriStar Home Video, 2001.

Video Games:

Voice of Yao, Mulan Story Studio, Disney Interactive, 1998.

Voice of Yao, Kingdom Hearts II (also known as Kingudamu hatsu II), Square Enix, 2005.

WRITINGS

Writings for the Stage:

The International Stud (one-act), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 1972, Theatre for the New City, New York City, 1976, Players Theatre, New York City, 1978, later included in Torch Song Trilogy.

In Search of Cobra Jewels, New York City, 1973.

Fugue in a Nursery (one-act), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 1973 and 1979, and Orpheum Theatre, New York City, 1979-80, later included in Torch Song Trilogy.

Flatbush Tosca (based on the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini), New York Theatre Ensemble, New York City, 1975.

Freaky Pussy, New York City, 1975.

Cannibals Just Don't Know Better, New York City, 1978.

Widows and Children First (one-act), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 1979, later included in Torch Song Trilogy.

Torch Song Trilogy (contains The International Stud, Fugue in a Nursery, and Widows and Children First), Richard Allen Center Theatre, New York City, 1981, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, beginning 1982, Albery Theatre, London, 1986, also produced at the Little Theatre, New York City, published by Gay Presses of New York, 1981, then Random House, 1983.

Spookhouse (two-act), Playhouse 91, New York City, 1983, then Hampstead Theatre Club, London, 1987.

La cage aux folles (musical; based on a play by Jean Poiret; music and lyrics by Jerry Herman), Colonial Theatre, Boston, MA, then Palace Theatre, New York City, 1983-87, produced in other productions, including one at the Marquis Theatre, New York City, 2004.

Safe Sex (trilogy of one-acts; contains Manny and Jake, On Tidy Endings, and Safe Sex), La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, then Lyceum Theatre, New York City, both 1987, published by Atheneum, 1987.

Forget Him (one-act), St. Clement's Theatre, New York City, 1988.

(Author of book with Charles Suppon) Legs Diamond (musical; music and lyrics by Peter Allen), Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1988-89.

Screenplays:

Torch Song Trilogy (based on his stage works), New Line Cinema, 1988.

Author of Plucked.

Teleplays; Movies:

Tidy Endings (based on his one-act play produced with others under the title Safe Sex), HBO, 1988.

"Amos and Andy," Common Ground, Showtime, 2000.

Teleplays; Episodic:

"The Sissy Duckling," Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (animated), HBO, 1999.

Teleplays; Other:

Kaddish and Old Men, c. 1987.

Albums:

(With others) This Is Not Going to Be Pretty: Live at the Bottom Line, Plump Records, 1995.

Writings for Children:

The Sissy Duckling (based on his teleplay), illustrated by Henry Cole, Simon & Schuster, 2002.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Dramatists, sixth edition, St. James Press, 1999.

Contemporary Literary Criticism, Volume 33, Gale, 1985.

Contemporary Popular Writers, St. James Press, 1997.

International Dictionary of Theatre, Volume 2: Playwrights, St. James Press, 1993.

Newsmakers, issue 2, Gale, 2004.

Writers Directory, 22nd edition, St. James Press, 2006.

Periodicals:

Chicago Tribune, August 23, 1983.

Detroit Free Press, December 28, 1988.

Entertainment Weekly, September 30, 1994, p. 45.

Film Comment, January/February, 1989, p. 5.

Los Angeles Times, June 26, 1983; November 20, 1983; July 17, 1988; December 14, 1988.

National Review, March 24, 1989.

New Statesman and Society, May 26, 1989, p. 46.

Newsweek, June 20, 1983; August 29, 1983; January 2, 1989, p. 58.

New Yorker, April 20, 1987, p. 75; January 9, 1989.

New York Post, July 15, 1982.

New York Times, May 23, 1978; November 1, 1981; July 14, 1982, p. C17; June 26, 1983; August 22, 1983; August 28, 1983; July 14, 1984; April 5, 1987; April 6, 1987; August 24, 1988; December 27, 1988.

People Weekly, August 15, 1988, p. 7; February 23, 1998, p. 45.

Premiere, January, 1989, p. 88.

Sun (Baltimore), August 11, 2002, p. 3E; June 9, 2003, p. 1A.

Theater, spring, 1983.

Time, January 9, 1989, p. 67.

USA Today, September 5, 2002, p. 2D.

Washington Post, September 19, 1984; December 13, 1988; December 24, 1988.

Women's Wear Daily, August 22, 1983.