Casa Valentina
Ages: 12+
Closing: June 29, 2014Casa 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
Casa Valentina: Theater Review
8 / 10
Joe Mantello's impeccable production and a cast of outstanding actors make this an engrossing portrait of a marginalized group, but the strong set-up isn't matched by focused follow-through...A beloved Broadway fixture as well as a vocal LGBT rights activist, Fierstein is so perennially busy that it's surprising to realize how long it's been since his last new play...But just as out-of-town tryouts tend to be crucial in fine-tuning a musical, plays need thorough development too, and this one seems a workshop or two away from being fully realized. Which is disappointing, because there's no shortage of snappy comedy, tenderness, highly individualized character studies and thematic ambition here...Under Mantello's sensitive direction, the actors keep us invested in their characters, and there's certainly an inherent fascination in watching this unobserved pre-Stonewall subculture. But the play ends by freezing on a melodramatic gesture. Like a soap opera, it suggests that the story continues, without actually resolving anything.
First Nighter: Harvey Fierstein's Highly Accomplished 'Casa Valentina'
8 / 10
It's possible to leave Casa Valentina believing that drag for straight men -- as is drag for homosexual men and women in Hedwig and the Angry Inch -- is an ultimately imprisoning mental state. Yet, I have a psychotherapist acquaintance who maintains that some men who dress as women do so because they're so smitten with women, so enamored of their wives in many instances, that they want to find out what it feels like to be women. They're turned on by it -- as Albert/Bessie declares he is here. Fierstein might have made a point of getting around to that and to other psychological insights. That he hasn't hardly detracts from an amazing accomplishment and one that, as the Tony season ends, will be a strong contender for the coveted prize.
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Casa Valentina History
Other Productions of Casa Valentina
| 2014 | Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club Production Broadway |
Casa Valentina - 2014 Broadway Awards and Nominations
Note: Award winners will appear on a background
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Reed Birney |
| 2014 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Reed Birney |
| 2014 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Gabriel Ebert |
| 2014 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Casa Valentina |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Mare Winningham |
| 2014 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Casa Valentina |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Rita Ryack |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Reed Birney |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Mare Winningham |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Harvey Fierstein |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Manhattan Theatre Club |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Lynne Meadow |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Barry Grove |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Colin Callender |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Robert Cole |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Frederick Zollo |
| 2014 | Tony Awards | Best Play | The Shubert Organization |
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