Harvey Fierstein's CASA VALENTINA Opens on Broadway Tonight!

CASA VALENTINA, the new play by four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello, began performances on April 1 at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) and officially opens on Broadway tonight, April 23, 2014.

The cast for Casa Valentina features Drama Desk Award winner Reed Birney (Taking Care of Baby at MTC, Blasted), Tony Award winner John Cullum (The Scottsboro Boys, "ER"), Tony Award winner Gabriel Ebert (Matilda, 4000 Miles), Obie Award winner Lisa Emery (Lonely, I'm Not; Iron at MTC), Tony Award nominee Tom McGowan(Wicked, "Everybody Loves Raymond"), Drama Desk Award nominee Patrick Page (Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Cyrano de Bergerac), Larry Pine (The Royal Family, "House of Cards"), Drama Desk Award winner Nick Westrate (Loot, Tribes), and Emmy Award winner and Oscar nominee Mare Winningham (Picnic, "Hatfields & McCoys").

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 winnerJoe 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 they got the opportunity to share their secret lives with the world, these "self-made women" had to decide whether the freedom they would gain by emerging from hiding was worth the risk of personal ruin.

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.

The creative team for Casa Valentina includes Scott Pask (scenic design), Rita Ryack (costume design), Justin Townsend (lighting design), Fitz Patton (original music & sound design), Jason P. Hayes (hair, wig & makeup design), andThomas Schall (fight direction).

CASA VALENTINA is produced by Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer), by special arrangement with Colin Callender, Robert Cole, Frederick Zollo and The Shubert Organization.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy