Harvey Fierstein News

It's time once again to "get ready to match the stars" with a new edition of Dennis Hensley's THE MISMATCH GAME. The side-splitting parody of the 70s game show returns to the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre for two hilarious nights on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at 8pm. 

When Jean Poiret's French play of the same name came out in 1973, and when Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein premiered their Tony Award winning musical in 1983, society was fundamentally different.

Producers Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig and David Mirvish announced today that original Broadway cast member Kyle Taylor Parker will join the Toronto company as 'Lola' in the Tony Award-winning musical KINKY BOOTS at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Parker, who played 'Lola' on Broadway and on tour, will take over the role in Toronto, beginning March 15, 2016.

Producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig announced today that Alan Mingo Jr. will play 'Lola' in the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street), beginning March 29, 2016. Mingo, who comes to Broadway straight from the Toronto production of Kinky Boots, succeeds Emmy Award-winner Wayne Brady in the role. Brady, who took over the coveted part of 'Lola' from Tony Award-winner (and original star) Billy Porter in November 2015, plays his final performance on March 27, 2016.

Due to unprecedented demand, the critically acclaimed production of Funny Girl, which is fast selling out its run, extends booking for a further 4 weeks until 8 October 2016. Tickets for the extension of Michael Mayer's "exhilarating embrace of a production - Independent" starring Olivier and BAFTA award-winning actress and "phenomenal talent - Independent" Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice go on sale from 10am on 8 February.

FUNNY GIRL, starring Sheridan Smith, is now running Menier Chocolate Factory through March 5 before transferring to the West End's Savoy Theatre from April 9. According to the Daily Mail, the smash hit production, marking the musical's 50th anniversary year and helmed by Michael Mayer, has just extended its run at the Savoy by four weeks through October 8, 2016.

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is proud to announce the ninth annual series of Kravis On Broadway, which will present a record number of seven smash hits from the Great White Way, including several multiple Tony Award® winners.

Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford ('Sylvia,' 'You Can't Take It With You,' 'Masters of Sex') has been cast as COLUMBIA, the castle's feisty live-in groupie, in the two-hour television event THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, airing this fall on FOX.

Disney's NEWSIES will play an exclusive two-week premiere engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts with performances May 17 - 29, 2016 in Segerstrom Hall. Individual tickets for NEWSIES start at $25 and may be purchased online at SCFTA.org, the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group tickets for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, May 28, 2016 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.

Celebrating his 60th year on the New York stage in 2016, Cullum certainly has many tales to tell.

Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford ('Sylvia,' 'You Can't Take It With You,' 'Masters of Sex') has been cast as COLUMBIA, the castle's feisty live-in groupie, in the two-hour television event THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, airing this fall on FOX.

Kinky Boots, Broadway's huge-hearted, high-heeled hit, today announces the opening of a new booking period, with tickets now available until Saturday 24 September 2016. Tickets for this extended period will go on sale from Monday 1 February 2016.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) have just announced complete casting for Manhattan Theatre Club's upcoming American premiere of The Father, the new play by Moliere Award winner Florian Zeller, in a translation by two-time Tony Award winner Christopher Hampton (Sunset Boulevard, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, God of Carnage), in a new production directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes (Doubt, Outside Mullingar, City of Conversation) atMTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).

Multi-talented performer Wayne Brady stopped by today's GMA to discuss his run as a drag queen in the Tony-winning musical KINKY BOOTS.

Since its founding in 1974 by Paul Zimet and Ellen Maddow -- former members of Joseph Chaikin's seminal Open Theater -- the Talking Band has remained a cornerstone of New York City's avant-garde theater community. La MaMa in association with Talking Band presents the world premiere of its latest work, BURNISHED BY GRIEF, a sinister, music infused romantic comedy, at La MaMa's first floor theater, opening tonight, January 27, and running through February 7, 2016.

It's not unusual for movies to be adapted for the stage these days, in fact, it's become rather commonplace. But typically, musicals written for the screen that flop (even though they might have a rather substantial cult following), are usually avoided for obvious reasons. Although, that didn't stop the producers of XANADU from plowing forward, go figure. The Disney film NEWSIES actually seems likes a logical choice to revamp and produce on the stage, and it wound up winning Tony Awards for best score and choreography back in 2012, and becoming quite the hit. So why am I so surprised? I guess because the current touring production, while occasionally dazzling, comes off slightly uninspired and flat. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some really fine performances, an eye catching scenic design, cool effects, and energetic choreography that certainly lives up to expectations. And, like the film, an awful lot of people, both young and old, are guaranteed to truly love this show, as evidenced by the very enthusiastic response from the audience at the performance I attended.

Toronto audiences refuse to let KINKY BOOTS end at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The show, which had its Canadian debut on June 16, 2015, was originally booked for a 12-week run. The demand from audiences was so strong, it has already been extended three times. In fact, GASLIGHT, which was supposed to play at the Royal Alex was moved to a reconfigured Ed Mirvish Theatre, so that KINKY BOOTS could be extended.

Since its founding in 1974 by Paul Zimet and Ellen Maddow -- former members of Joseph Chaikin's seminal Open Theater -- the Talking Band has remained a cornerstone of New York City's avant-garde theater community. La MaMa in association with Talking Band will present the world premiere of its latest work, BURNISHED BY GRIEF, a sinister, music infused romantic comedy, at La MaMa's first floor theater from tonight, January 22, through February 7.

Company of Fools (COF) and The Sun Valley Center for the Arts will present an evening reading of the play CASA VALENTINA, from four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots, Newsies, La Cage aux Folles). The reading takes place tonight, January 16, 2016, at 6:30pm at The Liberty Theatre in Hailey and is part of The Center's BIG IDEA multidisciplinary project, Role Play: Changing Ideas about Gender.

Social Media has been abuzz with casting ideas once Harirspray Live was announced.