Casa Valentina 2014 - Articles Page 1.8
Ages: 12+
Opened: April 23, 2014Closing: June 29, 2014
Casa Valentina - 2014 - Broadway History , Info & More
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (Broadway)
261 W. 47th St. New York, NY 10036
From four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots, Newsies, La Cage aux Folles) comes CASA VALENTINA, his first play in almost thirty years and his first-ever collaboration with Manhattan Theatre Club. Two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Wicked) directs this funny, fascinating world premiere based on actual events.
Back in 1962, most men went to the Catskill Mountains to escape the summer heat, but others took the two-hour drive to escape something else entirely: being men. Nestled in the land of dirty dancing and borscht belt comedy sat an inconspicuous bungalow colony that catered to a very special clientele: heterosexual men whose favorite pastime was dressing and acting as women. It was paradise for these men - white-collar professionals with families - to spend their weekends discreetly and safely inhabiting their chosen female alter egos. But when faced with the opportunity to become an official organization, these "self-made women" had to decide whether public recognition would help them gain a place in open society or spell their own personal disaster.
Infused with Fierstein's trademark wit, this moving, insightful and delightfully entertaining new work offers a glimpse into the lives of a group of unforgettable characters as they search for acceptance and happiness in their very own Garden of Eden.
CASA VALENTINA is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award.
Casa Valentina - 2014 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Casa Valentina
Fierstein's 'Casa Valentina' more than a fun excursion
8 / 10
Fierstein's compassion for his characters never flags, and director Joe Mantello juggles the vivacious and bleak elements of the play -- its warmth and wryness, both characteristic of the playwright -- adroitly. He has the benefit of a superb ensemble cast. Patrick Page and Mare Winningham have a poignant rapport as George/Valentina and his wife, Rita...Tom McGowan is an immensely endearing Bessie, one of several characters we only meet in their feminine guises, while Gabriel Ebert brings a goofy sweetness to the role of first-timer Jonathan/Miranda. Vets John Cullum and Larry Pine are predictably supple as, respectively, mother figure Terry and The Judge/Amy, who may harbor a dangerous secret. Reed Birney is hilariously starchy as George's aforementioned friend, Charlotte, who at one point declares that in 50 years homosexuality will still be shunned, while 'cross-dressing will be as everyday as cigarette smoking.'
Casa Valentina
8 / 10
Clothes unmake the men in Casa Valentina, Harvey Fierstein's mostly effective period drama about cross-dressers in 1962. Set at a Catskills resort that caters to straight married fellows who secretly dress and act like women, the play delicately traverses a midcentury American subculture at the time represented only in dirty jokes and horror movies. But if you want to know what impels these men to externalize their feminine sides, the play has difficulty peeling away more than a layer or two-it's more about gussying up than stripping bare.
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Casa Valentina FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What productions of Casa Valentina have there been?
Casa Valentina has had 1 productions including Broadway which opened in 2014.
What Tony Awards has Casa Valentina been nominated for?
Casa Valentina has been nominated for Best Play and Best Costume Design of a Play for Rita Ryack.
What awards has Casa Valentina been nominated for?
Casa Valentina has been nominated for several awards, including the Distinguished Performance Award for Reed Birney and Gabriel Ebert at the Drama League Awards. The show was also nominated for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play at the Drama League Awards and for Outstanding New Broadway Play at the Outer Critics Circle Awards.
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