Harvey Fierstein talks about his new picture book

June 12, 2002

ON FIRE

WITH

HARVEY

Harvey Fierstein talks about his new picture book, his concern for homeless gay teens, and his turn as Edna Turnblad in the new musical version of Hairspray

By Tony Peregrin
Harvey Fierstein isn't sure he believes all the hype surrounding his new picture book, The Sissy Duckling. Nevertheless, the story, centered around a creative and courageous young duck named Elmer who uses his "sissiness" to prove himself to the world, has been featured in USA Today and the Today show, and is in its third printing after only two weeks on bookstore shelves. Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy, Mrs. DoubtFire, Death to Smoochy) acknowledges the attention his book has received with a good-natured, gravel-voiced sigh.
"I don't know if I believe all the stuff I read in the papers," he says, pretending to sound squeamish. "What I believe and what I enjoy are the comments I read by regular peoples (yes, 'peoples'!) on Amazon.com. It's very satisfying and thrilling to be able to do that," he says, calling from the set of the new movie he is filming with Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore called The Duplex. "All of my work, in general, seems to touch people on a very personal level. And every comment, every response [to the book] helps make it become its own sort of reality. It's wonderful." The Sissy Duckling, which is illustrated by Henry Cole, was originally a part of the now-defunct HBO series, Happily Ever After, in which Fierstein offered a 39-minute reinterpretation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling, starring the voices of Fierstein, Sharon Stone, Kathy Najimy, Melissa Etheridge and Ed Asner. In the story, Elmer's father tries to force the duckling to play baseball but he refuses. Instead, he struts off to do the activities he enjoys, such as baking cakes, building sandcastles and putting on puppet shows. His teammates call him a "sissy" and his father agrees. But in his heart, Elmer knows that he is special...and while it scares him...it also gives him strength to eventually run away. Later, when his father is wounded by a hunter's shot, Elmer is the only duck brave enough to come to his rescue. The other ducks then see themselves...and Elmer...in a new light and finally accept Elmer as he proudly accepts himself...as both a sissy AND a hero.
"There is something about watching a story unfold on screen that is very public, even when you are alone in your own room ... it's still dialogue that is spoken out loud," says the 47-year-old actor/writer. "But with a book [the experience] is incredibly intimate. With a book, a kid can turn the pages at this own pace and study the pictures at his own pace. That is why it's incredibly special and powerful. You know, I wrote this especially for kids like me and YOU," he coos, jokingly acknowledging that he has easily clocked me as a queer. He also wrote it for "kids" like film director John Waters. "I sent a copy of the book to John Waters...who I am working with right now...and he sent me back a note saying, 'Did we ALL make puppets?!'"
"You see, for most of us, nobody told us that it was OK that we weren't chasing sports when we were kids. Of course, I have a lot of gay friends that play basketball and football, yeah, yeah. But a lot of us don't. I was lucky enough to have parents that did tell me it was OK to be different. But all you have to do is take a trip to Grammercy House, to realize that a lot of parents don't think like my parents did. Who would bring a child into this world, anyway, only to just desert them?! These parents are idiots, who think, 'God wants this and God wants that!' What do they know?" Fierstein says that the kids who live at New York City's Grammercy House, a group home created to shelter children who have been abandoned by their families because they are homosexual, were the inspiration behind The Sissy Duckling.
As a child, Fierstein says he had dyslexia and therefore was unable to read very quickly, although he loved books...especially Dr. Suess. As he grew into adult hood, he started reading plays, primarily because "they didn't have all that description shit," and because he was enamoured by the "pure dialogue" of the play format.
Of course, Fierstein's love of plays led to his lifelong fascination with musicals: "Right now I'm in final rehearsals for the first previews of Hairspray, a musical based on the John Waters film. I play Edna Turnblad, the role originated by the late Divine. We're launching the show off-Broadway. WAY Off-Broadway, honey, in Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre. But we're headed to the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City in mid-July for previews and then for an open run starting Aug. 15."
During a preview for the media, John Waters, whose title on the project is "Creative Consultant," joyfully compared the experience to being in the Twilight Zone. And no wonder: Hairspray boasts some pretty out-of-this-world talent, including director Jack O' Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell of The Full Monty; Marc Shaiman, who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut; and Thomas Meehan, who won the 2001 Tony Award for co-writing the book for The Producers. [Marissa Jaret Winokur (American Beauty, Scary Movie) plays the heroine of the musical, Tracy Turnblad.]
Fierstein says that one of his favorite numbers in the musical is "Timeless to Me" in which Wilbur Turnblad, Edna's husband, compares his wife to "ripe, old cheese" and a "fatal disease." It's said to be a departure from the early '60s rock music that dominates the rest of the show's numbers, complete with choreography that trumps up the comic height difference between "Edna" who towers over her husband "Wilbur."
"I've signed on to the musical for a year, so there's no WAY I can tour behind The Sissy Duckling," says Fierstein, sounding genuinely disappointed.
"I feel like I have this child out there that's not going to get any attention from me. But, I think that doing Hairspray will help my 'child,' will help [bring attention to] my poor little book."
Our conversation is interrupted by a disembodied voice summoning Fierstein back to the set of The Duplex, where he plays a real-estate broker who has been described as "a big guy in a bigger sweater." Before I ask him to clarify that descriptive, Fierstein apologizes for the intrusion and explains that he has to film his close-up. How glamorous, I say, sounding faintly star-struck. "Oh YES. Making a movie is THE most glamorous thing," his voice glowing with sarcasm. "I think you need to re-read The Sissy Duckling, Cookie. You seriously need to locate your inner-Elmer!"

BRIEFLY
Chicago Humanities Festival presents Hello Jerry!, a celebration of Jerry Herman's music and lyrics, featuring Herman showcasing his songs from Mame, Hello Dolly!, and other musicals, June 13, $60-$150, 7:30 p.m. DePaul University Theatre, 60 E. Balbo, (312) 661-1028, ext. 20.
Ellen Rosner and Dylan Rice perform in a fundraiser for the National Organization for Women, June 13 at Hideout, 8 p.m..
The Rolling Thunder Down Home Democracy Tour June 15 celebrates grassroots political activism and features appearances by author Michael Moore, singer Erykah Badu, Studs Terkel, columnist Jim Hightower, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Patch Adams, Kuumba Lynx and more. It's 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m., $10-$25, Union Park, Ashland at Lake, www.rollingthundertour.org.
Brigid Murphy is taking "Milly" on the road, to Three Oaks, Mich., for a show Sat., July 6 at Dewey Cannon Park. Milly's Orchid Show's Mostly Music Hootenancy, info: www.schubas.com; (616) 756-3533.

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June 12, 2002

ON FIRE WITH HARVEY Harvey Fierstein talks about his new picture book, his concern for homeless gay teens, and his turn as Edna Turnblad in the new musical version of Hairspray
By Tony Peregrin Harvey Fierstein isn't sure he believes all the hype surrounding his new picture book, The Sissy Duckling. Nevertheless, the story, centered around a creative and courageous young duck named Elmer who uses his "sissiness" to prove himself to the world, has been featured in USA Today and the Today show, and is in its third printing after only two weeks on bookstore shelves. Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy, Mrs. DoubtFire, Death to Smoochy) acknowledges the attention his book has received with a good-natured, gravel-voiced sigh. "I don't know if I believe all the stuff I read in the papers," he says, pretending to sound squeamish. "What I believe and what I enjoy are the comments I read by regular peoples (yes, 'peoples'!) on Amazon.com. It's very satisfying and thrilling to be able to do that," he says, calling from the set of the new movie he is filming with Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore called The Duplex. "All of my work, in general, seems to touch people on a very personal level. And every comment, every response [to the book] helps make it become its own sort of reality. It's wonderful." The Sissy Duckling, which is illustrated by Henry Cole, was originally a part of the now-defunct HBO series, Happily Ever After, in which Fierstein offered a 39-minute reinterpretation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling, starring the voices of Fierstein, Sharon Stone, Kathy Najimy, Melissa Etheridge and Ed Asner. In the story, Elmer's father tries to force the duckling to play baseball but he refuses. Instead, he struts off to do the activities he enjoys, such as baking cakes, building sandcastles and putting on puppet shows. His teammates call him a "sissy" and his father agrees. But in his heart, Elmer knows that he is special...and while it scares him...it also gives him strength to eventually run away. Later, when his father is wounded by a hunter's shot, Elmer is the only duck brave enough to come to his rescue. The other ducks then see themselves...and Elmer...in a new light and finally accept Elmer as he proudly accepts himself...as both a sissy AND a hero. "There is something about watching a story unfold on screen that is very public, even when you are alone in your own room ... it's still dialogue that is spoken out loud," says the 47-year-old actor/writer. "But with a book [the experience] is incredibly intimate. With a book, a kid can turn the pages at this own pace and study the pictures at his own pace. That is why it's incredibly special and powerful. You know, I wrote this especially for kids like me and YOU," he coos, jokingly acknowledging that he has easily clocked me as a queer. He also wrote it for "kids" like film director John Waters. "I sent a copy of the book to John Waters...who I am working with right now...and he sent me back a note saying, 'Did we ALL make puppets?!'" "You see, for most of us, nobody told us that it was OK that we weren't chasing sports when we were kids. Of course, I have a lot of gay friends that play basketball and football, yeah, yeah. But a lot of us don't. I was lucky enough to have parents that did tell me it was OK to be different. But all you have to do is take a trip to Grammercy House, to realize that a lot of parents don't think like my parents did. Who would bring a child into this world, anyway, only to just desert them?! These parents are idiots, who think, 'God wants this and God wants that!' What do they know?" Fierstein says that the kids who live at New York City's Grammercy House, a group home created to shelter children who have been abandoned by their families because they are homosexual, were the inspiration behind The Sissy Duckling. As a child, Fierstein says he had dyslexia and therefore was unable to read very quickly, although he loved books...especially Dr. Suess. As he grew into adult hood, he started reading plays, primarily because "they didn't have all that description shit," and because he was enamoured by the "pure dialogue" of the play format. Of course, Fierstein's love of plays led to his lifelong fascination with musicals: "Right now I'm in final rehearsals for the first previews of Hairspray, a musical based on the John Waters film. I play Edna Turnblad, the role originated by the late Divine. We're launching the show off-Broadway. WAY Off-Broadway, honey, in Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre. But we're headed to the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City in mid-July for previews and then for an open run starting Aug. 15." During a preview for the media, John Waters, whose title on the project is "Creative Consultant," joyfully compared the experience to being in the Twilight Zone. And no wonder: Hairspray boasts some pretty out-of-this-world talent, including director Jack O' Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell of The Full Monty; Marc Shaiman, who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut; and Thomas Meehan, who won the 2001 Tony Award for co-writing the book for The Producers. [Marissa Jaret Winokur (American Beauty, Scary Movie) plays the heroine of the musical, Tracy Turnblad.] Fierstein says that one of his favorite numbers in the musical is "Timeless to Me" in which Wilbur Turnblad, Edna's husband, compares his wife to "ripe, old cheese" and a "fatal disease." It's said to be a departure from the early '60s rock music that dominates the rest of the show's numbers, complete with choreography that trumps up the comic height difference between "Edna" who towers over her husband "Wilbur." "I've signed on to the musical for a year, so there's no WAY I can tour behind The Sissy Duckling," says Fierstein, sounding genuinely disappointed. "I feel like I have this child out there that's not going to get any attention from me. But, I think that doing Hairspray will help my 'child,' will help [bring attention to] my poor little book." Our conversation is interrupted by a disembodied voice summoning Fierstein back to the set of The Duplex, where he plays a real-estate broker who has been described as "a big guy in a bigger sweater." Before I ask him to clarify that descriptive, Fierstein apologizes for the intrusion and explains that he has to film his close-up. How glamorous, I say, sounding faintly star-struck. "Oh YES. Making a movie is THE most glamorous thing," his voice glowing with sarcasm. "I think you need to re-read The Sissy Duckling, Cookie. You seriously need to locate your inner-Elmer!" BRIEFLY Chicago Humanities Festival presents Hello Jerry!, a celebration of Jerry Herman's music and lyrics, featuring Herman showcasing his songs from Mame, Hello Dolly!, and other musicals, June 13, $60-$150, 7:30 p.m. DePaul University Theatre, 60 E. Balbo, (312) 661-1028, ext. 20. Ellen Rosner and Dylan Rice perform in a fundraiser for the National Organization for Women, June 13 at Hideout, 8 p.m.. The Rolling Thunder Down Home Democracy Tour June 15 celebrates grassroots political activism and features appearances by author Michael Moore, singer Erykah Badu, Studs Terkel, columnist Jim Hightower, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Patch Adams, Kuumba Lynx and more. It's 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m., $10-$25, Union Park, Ashland at Lake, www.rollingthundertour.org. Brigid Murphy is taking "Milly" on the road, to Three Oaks, Mich., for a show Sat., July 6 at Dewey Cannon Park. Milly's Orchid Show's Mostly Music Hootenancy, info: www.schubas.com; (616) 756-3533.