Entertainment at Noon

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I love being entertained. I love comedians, circuses, television, dance, theatre, and tons of other forms. I love the fact that artists have the ability to mold themselves into different roles, and they all work. However, every once in a while you come across an actor in a role, and it is so memorable that every time you see him or her in the future, you can only picture that performer as a previous character.

Case in point: Cheers is on right now. And it's an episode shortly before Woody's marriage to Kelly. Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) has reconnected with her high school boyfriend, played by Harvey Fierstein. Now, for those who were old enough to stay up late enough in 1992 to watch this episode live, it's doubtful Fierstein made much of an impression, as it was relatively early in his television career (though his theatre resume is impressive). However, for those of us who were too young (or just not a fan of a show set entirely in a bar), our first major introduction to Fierstein was in Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993. If the name's not yet ringing a bell, he played Frank, the brother of Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams). At this moment, I'm once again remembering the beauty parlor scene, complete with a short rendition of Fiddler on the Roof's "Matchmaker." He's been in Independence Day, White Lies, even Elmo Saves Christmas. He voiced Yao in Disney's Mulan and its sequel. However, I see him and just cannot see past his role in that early 90s comedy. It amuses me to see him play any other character.