Seeing the original “Torch Song Trilogy” off-Broadway in 1982 remains an indelible theater-going memory — so much so that I approached the current Broadway transfer after the acclaimed revival last season at Second Stage’s off-Broadway theater, with a certain apprehension that the newly compacted version — pared down from three acts to two — would diminish the impact of the original. Subtracting some of the dialogue may have cut some laugh lines, but it has smartly brought aspects of the play into higher definition, allowing the audience more focused time to empathize with the characters.
The first challenge in mounting a successful revival of “Torch Song,” is finding an actor who can make the role his own and escape the looming shadow of Harvey Fierstein, who originated, or rather incarnated, the role both on stage and in the 1988 film version.
