Tony-winning writer and actor Harvey Fierstein is preparing to show off another side of his artistry at a special Connecticut exhibit. The Broadway favorite's handmade quilts—many centered on theatrical themes and personalities—will be on display at a special exhibition at Keller Tavern Museum and History Center in Ridgefield, Connecticut, July 24-26. Timed tickets are currently on sale.
The event will kick off at 5:30 PM July 24 with a special opening reception, featuring a meet-and-greet with Fierstein and refreshments catered by À Table.
"I am both excited and terrified to expose my work en masse but ready and raring to go!," says Fierstein in a statement.
“As a history museum with a commitment to connecting past and present,” adds KTM&HC Executive Director Hildegard Grob, “KTM&HC is excited for the opportunity to showcase Harvey’s quilting creativity and to provide audiences with perspective on quilting’s long history of artistic expression and social commentary."
Fierstein is the Tony-winning writer and star of 1982's seminal Torch Song Trilogy, also winning Tony Awards for the book to La Cage aux Folles and for his leading performance as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray. As a bookwriter and playwright, he's also been represented on Broadway with Kinky Boots, Newsies, Casa Valentina, A Catered Affair, Legs Diamond, and, most recently, a revised book for Funny Girl. He was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award at this year's honors. Watch his emotional acceptance speech here.
A longtime quilter, Fierstein has often turned to his theatrical circle for inspiration, making quilts to honor late friends Chita Rivera and Gavin Creel, as well as his career-long association with the art form of drag.
Tickets and merchandise are available at KeelerTavernMuseum.org.
Gabriel Ebert and Harvey Fierstein in Gently Down the Stream
Harvey Fierstein
Harvey Fierstein
