Casa Valentina 2014
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
STAGE REVIEW Casa Valentina (2014)
8 / 10
A quasi-witchhunt follows, setting a violent and sobering climax in motion. In a play full of proud fakeries, the story hits the loudest false note. Fierstein's explosive resolution feels rushed and less authentic to the characters than the Donna Reed wigs on their heads. Still, the most lasting impressions of Casa Valentina are good ones: Fierstein's meticulous dialogue, Joe Mantello's smooth and confident direction, the cast's flawless performances. And if the characters teach us anything, it's that confidence and charm can cover a multitude of imperfections. B+
A Place to Slip Into Something Comfortable
9 / 10
Directed with unexpected ripples of beauty by Joe Mantello, 'Casa Valentina,' which opened on Wednesday night at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater, conveys the blessed consummation that occurs for ordinary people when they're transformed externally into what they think they are inside...This being a work by Mr. Fierstein -- who, no matter how daring his subjects, is an old-fashioned playwright at heart...paradise will be lost through a series of carefully laid-out confrontations...The terms of the arguments here are intelligent, and sometimes even provocative. But the air often feels filled with the dry dust of chalk erasers being batted together by a painstakingly instructive schoolteacher. This is a shame. For its first half-hour or so, when 'Casa Valentina' is more show than tell, it promises to be Mr. Fierstein's most engagingly insightful play to date.
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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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