#88: Torch Song Trilogy, understudies and awards, with Keegan Ferrell

Chasing Phantom

"Torch Song Trilogy" was a ground-breaking production and opened many doors for openly gay artists. It launched the career of Harvey Fierstein who would go on to write and perform in some additionally landmark shows on Broadway. In my hometown, it also was a landmark of sorts for one local actor, Keegan Ferrell. The recent college graduate was slated to be the understudy of the lead role, Arnold Beckoff, but ended up performing the opening weekend of the show due to an illness in the cast.

In our fun conversation, Keegan talks about that experience as well as providing some sense of what the "youths" these days might know about this seminal play in theater history. And man, what a load of interesting theater history this show captures - incubating at La MaMa first as three separate plays before being combined, launching Matthew Broderick as well as Fierstein, gaining the support of the Glines who heroically raised money for the move to Broadway, becoming a sensation just as the AIDS crisis was emerging -- there's just so much!
That's one of many reasons you should pick up the book "In the Long Run" by Jordan Schildcrout that has a chapter all about "TST" and go to my website, ChasingPhantom.net, to see clips and find out more fun facts about the show!