Harvey's Broadway Blog: Standing Ovations For Everyone!

Harvey Returns! Welcome to The Return of special new series on BroadwayWorld.com - four time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein's personal MySpace blog of bringing his brand new musical, A Catered Affair to Broadway. We'll be exclusively picking up Harvey Fierstein's blog as he shares his first hand reports from rehearsals to Opening Night (and beyond). Check back for updates as rehearsals get underway!

Click Here To Watch BroadwayWorld.com's Video Preview Of A Catered Affair!

A WONDERFUL WEEK!

This was our first full week of shows since our opening and it was a marvelous one!

Business was absolutely wonderful with our audiences and advance building every day. And the people have been demonstrating their appreciation for the show with STANDING OVATIONS at every performance. And the fans outside...? Well, they've been wonderful to greet and sign autographs for. Here are two photos so you can see for yourself. I think their smiling faces tell the tale. And that's Matt Cavenaugh posing in the crowd just in case you didn't recognize him.

AWARD SEASON

Well, award season has indeed begun and the nominations have started being announced. So far we've been nominated for BEST MUSICAL OF THE YEAR by THE DRAMA LEAGUE and THE OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE. Besides those, Faith Prince was nominated BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for both of those awards, and Tom Wopat and I were nominated for the DRAMA LEAGUE as well. Tomorrow they announce the DRAMA DESK nominations so I'll let you know how we fare there next week.

THE DAILY GRIND

Legendary actress MARION SELDES is famous for announcing on matinee days, "Aren't we lucky? Today we get to do it twice." And that's kind of the way I feel. There are many actors who love the rehearsal process best. I'm one who enjoys the day to day playing of the show. I seem to like the routine of going to work and facing a new audience each day to see what else I can learn. I guess that is why I enjoy doing long runs. I did TORCH SONG TRILOGY on and off for nearly 10 years. And I stayed in HAIRSPRAY for 2 years, and even did FIDDLER ON THE ROOF for more than a year until I had to leave due to a prior commitment in Las Vegas. Too early to tell what kind of run A Catered Affair will have, but I'd love to do it for a good long time SO TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO COME SEE US!

Meanwhile, the day to day playing of the show gets us playing backstage. Here are a few shots of life in my dressing room.

Stage Manager, HEATHER WEISS, shows off her hot footwear.

Stage Manager CLAUDIA LYNCH shows off her new spring coat.

And Sound Tech STEPHANIE just shows off!

Speaking of showing off....? Oh, that ZBORNIK!

And CAVENAUGH drops in for a visit...

...as does his understudy MATT SCOTT.

POKER

By the way... I finally got to play in two of the Broadway poker games this week. I think I'm a little rusty since I haven't played in many months, but who can regret losing to the beautiful young men and ladies who play? Not me! Still, I think I'll have to stop looking at them and start concentrating on my cards instead.

Well, that's the week in the world of HARVEY & A Catered Affair. I'm sure next week will bring more news of award season and such so...

...STAY TUNED!!!!