I Was Better Last Night: Harvey Fierstein's memoir sings out I am what I am

Mar 3 2022.

by Drew Rowsome -

Years ago, friends of mine, a married gay couple, were taking the mother who lived with them to see Fiddler on the Roof. The mother was disappointed because Topol, of whom she was a huge fan, was ill and had been replaced by "someone else." They were thinking of not going. I offered instantly to take the tickets off their hands as that "someone else" was Harvey Fierstein. I was undoubtedly a bigger fan of Fierstein than the mother was of Topol. Alas, they decided to risk it and called afterwards to say that the "someone else" had been astounding despite a "really raspy voice." They had no idea who Fierstein was and instead of reprimanding them for being clueless philistines, I told them to watch the film version of Torch Song Trilogy. They did. And then called to apologize for their ignorance. It and Fierstein had moved them the same way that my world was rocked when I saw the touring production of Torch Song Trilogy and was first introduced to the genius of Harvey Fierstein.

Fierstein is a theatrical legend with shelves of Tonys. He is also a gay icon. And now he has written a memoir, I Was Better Last Night. Fierstein is not only a charismatic performer, he has also penned many hit and/or critically lauded plays. He has won Tonys not only for his acting but also for polishing and rewriting many plays for revivals. He even adapted The Wiz into The Wiz Live! for television, despite protesting that it should be done by a black writer. They insisted and he couldn't resist correcting the one dramatic flaw in The Wizard of Oz. With that pedigree, and the nerve to mess with Judy, it is no surprise that I Was Better Last Night is a dramatic, hilarious, touching and artfully plotted autobiography. "Plotted" may be an unusual word to use for a memoir, but in this case it is an accurate one. Fierstein knows how drama works. Despite being a deceptively chronological stroll through memory lane (and some back alleys), there is one crucial and powerful exception.

Theatre fans will find I Was Better Last Night not only entertaining but also full of practical advice. Fierstein worked with some big names and even bigger talents and he learned from all of them. Sometimes through emulation, often through contradiction. At 17 he was part of the cast of the infamous Andy Warhol's Pork and was deeply involved in the world of the queer and camp Theater of the Ridiculous movement. Fierstein's deadpan descriptons of Pork are priceless. After the wildly successful Torch Song Trilogy moved from off-Broadway to Broadway, Fierstein found himself in the big leagues (it is important to note that Fierstein claims never to have pursued fame, he just never said "no" to any opportunities). He works with Jerry Herman who has a rivalry with Stephen Sondheim who Fierstein also approaches about collaborating. He gleans wisdom from them all and passes it on, sprinkling in little bits of gossip which is all the more delightful for being written in delicately arch gayspeak.

There is a lot of namedropping but in a casual way, these people are Fierstein's peers and friends. A lunch with Joan Rivers is hilarious and heartbreaking. A meeting with Madonna about a project where the pop queen would play Holly Woodlawn results in a showstopping one-liner. How many people can say they shocked Madonna into silence? Torch Song Trilogy gives Estelle Gettleman her big break and she becomes Estelle Getty who became a legend with The Golden Girls. Fierstein casually mentions that he hadn't performed at Broadway Bares in awhile and then tells a triumphant story. What were his previous involvements? Chita Rivera, Patti Lupone, Arsenio Hall, Richard Chamberlain and a galaxy of other stars make brief appearances. This is the one downfall of I Was Better Last Night: it should be twice as long. 

What was it like working with Jeremy Jordan on Newsies? Where is Angela Lansbury who Fierstein starred with on an episode of Murder She Wrote, and who was on his arm for the opening night of La Cage aux Folles? Kevin Sorbo, from Kull the Conquerer (which Fierstein stole out from under the lead) is given a one word description of "lovely." A simple word that, in gayspeak, could speak volumes. And when my review of Kull the Conquerer ("Kull the Conqueror: Harvey Fierstein elevates peplum") first appeared, Fierstein, ever the promoter quipped that he had lots of stories about Sorbo (who turned into a right wing nutcase) that would be revealed in the memoir that Fierstein was at that point still writing. Where is the dirt?

There is no doubt that Fierstein has a thousand stories beyond the ones he tells. That is where the "plotting" comes in. I Was Better Last Night is not only a personal memoir but it also encompasses, like Brad Fraser's memoir steeped in theatre All the Rage, a robust history of gay life at a particular moment. Fierstein doesn't name names or dwell on particular sexual acts, but he also calmly and uproariously reminsces about nights in the back rooms and trucks. And how that inspired the first act of Torch Song Trilogy, "The International Stud." Fierstein traces his journey from being a boy who assumed that his future meant love, marriage and children, to realizing that that was supposedly denied to non-heterosexuals. He travels through promiscuity and AIDS and activism but it is all as reflected in his work. La Cage Aux Folles is a prime example as Fierstein struggles and fights to present the central gay couple as they should be seen. It takes decades and several productions. 

So it makes sense that Sorbo is less than a footnote. At the time of filming Fierstein was coping admirably with a reluctant Hollywood, alcoholism and a failing relationship. Gossip is less important. (Though he does manage to slide in an anecdote about doing his own stunts). This is where the "plotting" comes in. Fierstein skilfully creates a timeline from gay shame to almost acceptance. The evolution of bit parts and failed sitcoms to the starring role in Hairspray Live!, is a history of the gay world. Fierstein drives it home by breaking the chronology and inserting his coming out story near the end of the book. It is a doozy, emotionally shattering and used to set up a pointed observation. Fierstein attends a performance of the revival of Torch Song Trilogy and observes the audience. And then has lots to offer on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go. It is masterful, subtle and just as emotionally satisfying as one of Fierstein's plays or performances. 

Hopefully I Was Better Last Night is only a first memoir from Fierstein. Or there will be lots of supplementary interviews. I read it, utterly immersed, in three sittings. Part of that length of time was because I was savouring the experience, but considerable time was also spent googling. Fierstein not only writes about familiar characters but also about some who were new to me. Or inspirations that were new to me, or that I wanted to be reacquainted with. Or ideas that intersect with my own concerns. While working with Cynid Lauper on Kinky Boots is a hoot to read about, Fierstein's musing on why the role of Lola should, despite being originated by Billy Porter, be played as a heterosexual transvestite, is important. As someone who has lived gay history and strode across all sorts of gender lines both artistically and personally, Fierstein is as puzzled and dazzled as all of us. But his conclusion, which is filled with the great gay grace that fills the pages of I Was Better Last Night, is that it doesn't really matter, we should all be able to sing out "I Am What I Am," no matter what or who that is. Even a married gay couple.