HARVEY FIERSTEIN "I Am What I Am" LA CAGE B'way 2011 

Harvey is a magician. He turned his vocal-cord disorder into a Tony-award winning voice. He fought and fights for acceptance and respect, and is a LGBTQIA+ torch-bearing pioneer. What an actor, singer, performer and activist. I love you, Harvey!!

We must remember that Harvey Fierstein wrote the book to La Cage aux Folles. This man knows this character inside and out. THIS is Albin. The definitive Albin.

the point is that the version isnt perfect, its warts and all, its a representation of the character as who they are, its the literal interpretation of "i am what i am", some think its noise, but i think its pretty. emotional, beautiful, a talent and interpretation rarely seen in art. beautiful.

If anyone truly lives the message of this song, it's Harvey. He's one of a kind and he's stood up for himself and his right to be who he is, his entire life, even amidst facing some of the most horrific difficulties and prejudices. I've always admired him for that.

I like the fact that it's Harvey singing it and not someone else. His voice is not pretty, but he can carry a tune and it's a much more soul full performance. As I said, his voice isn't pretty but he's singing anyway, which is what the song is all about: being yourself.

He's a GREAT actor, he sets it up so beautifully, and the voice? It's quite easy to imagine that a drag entertainer who had overused his voice for many years would sound exactly like this.

There's something about the proud anger that fuels this song that puts it on another level.

YEARS ago... my husband and I went to see a La Cage-TYPE show in Las Vegas. We loved it! Then we realized that the older couple in front of us {who were also enjoying the show} were unaware that these were men in drag. Though the show on stage was great, it nearly lost out to watching these two as they started to question, then began to realize the reality of what they were watching ... followed by their full realization and quietly discussing if they were offended enough to get up and leave. Long story short... they stayed, but it was a cross between we are never to mention this to any of our friends back home and damn these "ladies" are TALENTED!!

Thanks Nina West for discovering me this artist

Harvey Fierstein is a genius! His interpretation is so moving, so wonderful and so true to the character. I love his man so much he just entertains with a silky ease and that voice is so iconic spoken and sung. He is breathtaking here!

Whenever I feel like crying I watch this. Harvey is so real, really himself, that's true art of performance. Even his broken voice just makes it more real, more true. This song is sung from his heart.

Oh. My god. YES. The absolute and utter emotion in this. You can feel every thing that is going through Albin’s head. This is one of the best performances and most believable performances I have ever seen. Kudos

Never sounded more powerful -- Harvey was a magnificent Albin, and I would see him do it again in a heartbeat.

This performance ripped the soul case out of me. What a tour de force by the brilliant, multi talented genius Mr Harvey Fierstein.This has never been done better and, I daresay, never will be !

I feel like there could be a book written about this performance, and it would be Harvey Fierstein's biography.

Somehow this just feels right. He wrote the book for the stage and sang it word for word. La Cage Aux Falles isn’t just your normal average Broadway production… it is a love letter to the entire LGBTQIA+ community. The lyrics are but a message for queer people like myself. An expression of one’s identity and telling the world I am what I am. A beautiful sentiment. A beautiful song with a beautiful heart of pride ❤️🌈🏳️‍⚧️⚧️!

I keep crying watching it. Im performing it myself this summer, on the clarinet, remembering my lover who died last year and this song represents his spirit. And Harvey is a true artist

I came across this today and I literally had to stop and remind myself that this was Harvey Fierstein and not my dear friend Gregg Matthews,... I miss him terribly (Gregg) every day ( he died suddenly of a heart attack three months ago) and I know he loved being thought he looked like Harvey. He would have had a huge kick out of this. In addition, Mr. Fierstein may not have the most amazing voice but sometimes you do not need to hit every note perfectly to show the world how a moment in a musical needs to be done. Bravo.

What an actor, singer, performer and activist. I love you, Harvey Fierstein!!

This song is a deeply emotional and raw song about being yourself wholly and unapologetically, the vocals not being perfect makes the performance that much stronger

I've seen every Albin that played Broadway in all three NYC productions -- and many others elsewhere. No one matches Harvey's performance -- of this glorious song, or of the entire role. But then, that's true of most every role he takes on.

He is amazing. Never saw him in La Cage but he was incredible in Torch Song Trilogy.

seen it on broadway with Harvey....it was one of the best acting i've seen on broadway...I still remember him singing this I am what I am...He showed me that voice is really not everything in musical. He was great.

Time to revive this...in Florida.

sHe's SO GOOD, She Snatches her OWN wig and EVERYONE agrees! QUEEN!!!

I saw both George H and Harvey. Both were unbelievable. Both of them were very powerful.

Harvey is a genius of performance --I saw him once in a sports stadium at the Gay Games in Amsterdam --the next act was delayed en route...Harvey just strolled around and ad-libbed to that huge crowd for about 20 minutes and kept us in stitches. Unforgettable.

I love this song; it speaks to anyone transforming themselves into their "own special creation"; I've loved Harvey for decades!

I've been fortunate to see Harvey Fierstein in several shows. When he first appeared in "Hairspray" you could feel the star energy vibrating off him. He was wonderful. However, when I saw him in "La Cage"--so incredibly powerful, devastating, and joyous! Being in the theater when he sang this song was one of the most magical moments I have ever had seeing a Broadway show! Even now, it can still bring me to tears!! Thanks for sharing this video.

I am what I am! I will never change myself to make someone else comfortable!

Love it. You don't just hear the beautiful song, but you really feel the character and emotions, and to me it seems like he's acting it out a lot more than others do, with gestures and body language. He's extremely expressive and relatable, my favorite version for sure.

let the master perform & an amazing performance it is. Harvey, I will ever be in your debt each time you present your skill of grasping my attention & reducing me to a gibbering wreck when I hear & see you. I cannot thank who posted this enough. in my world, you would be a great friend. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

I can't hear this song and not think of Harvey. An amazing soul 💜

Last part of the song❤️❤️❤️ Harvey Fierstein’s voice /passion makes me overwhelmed with tears !

Introduced to this song at an aerobics class in ‘83, I’ve loved it ever since. I love Harvey Fierstein, too. He was guest of honor at the “girls’ night” party the night before a dear friend’s wedding. At the wedding, we danced up a storm: he was Harvey, I was very pregnant!

Brilliant performance and I LOVE Harvey's voice! It's his and his ALONE!! Thanks for posting.:)

I saw this - closing performance. I had never see La Cage before, and I remember being a little disappointed I wasn't going to hear a "good" singer sing this song. I was so wrong. It was one of the greatest theater moments of my life. His rendition was unbelievable.

The BEST and definitive version by a MILE!!!!!

God I LOVE the Great Harvey Fierstein. Trailblazer and maverick! He is a gift.

Nobody has a voice like Harvey.

I fell in love with Harvey when the movie 'A Torch Song Trilogy' came out. He's one hell of a hoot!!

Raw power … and infinite vulnerability. It’s how he wrote it. And just like all those who’ve played it well before - he did it perfectly. But here, there is an extra something. It’s not Harvey’s voice - although that voice is so distinctive and is part of that makes him a national treasure. Is it because he’s the auteur? I think it’s more in the way he knows it … by heart. Albin *is* a wounded heart here - a deeply wounded heart reclaiming its power - and I’ve never seen anyone capture that aspect better. My own heart breaks for him. Thank you, Harvey, for this show, for this magnificent performance, and for all you do. We love you.

Wow, so depressed and this happy-sad song brought me back. Thank you.

No one could’ve done it better. Bravo!!!

Amazing vocals and emotion. The ending of the song gets me every time. Tears of joy.

💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧STUNNING AMAZING PERFECT the best and greatest performance of this ever.

This is heart-stopping; so full of genuine emotion, just wonderful. Thank you, so much.

I CANNOT stop watching this video. His acting is something to behold.

Harvey is the ultimate dame! We’ve been together for over 36 years, loved you from the first moment in torch song. Funnily enough I became a foster cater for 26 years and have been with my partner 33 years. Love ❤️ love ❤️ love ❤️ to you achi

He reminds me of Divine, I don't know why. I think it's the audacity and the hutspa to be what he truly is.

Love you, Harvey. Just as you are. ♥️♥️♥️

Brilliant understanding of the this song. Wonderful honest and heartbreaking interpretation

This is astonishingly and loved he chorus being there at the beginning... the author knows what the song is all about... excellent!!!!!!

Oh sweety. Thanks fot this gift. I love you Harvey. You are a mega star.

Wow!!!!!!…Bravo to a real pioneer!…🎉❤

Very true, but his voice (gravelly as it is) is perfect for the role. So just sit back and enjoy a truly great piece of theater

Harvey you are a true inspiration :) i remember watching torch song trilogy when it 1st came out and how happy and sad and then happy again the story made me feel :) would love to see you perform in the uk :) Thank you for being true to yourself and open with us :) Huge Hugs xxx

I Love Harvey Fierstein With All My Heart And Always Will

I absolutely love his voice!!! Seriously. I just love it and him!!!

I actually got to see Harvey do this live and it's wonderful to revisit it

who else could have expressed better than Harvey......#Bravo

so glad i saw he and chris on broadway. he is one of the finest and he is the one who sings this song from the true core of his being.

Love Harvey.... A real person in this world...

this is truly magnificent, there are very little people who compare to harvey :)

Im so glad he got to play this part.. Its his too own.. IM in tears.. Love it.

by far the best interpretation of the song because Harvey sang it from the heart. So much better than the original which was a casting gimmick. This is the real thing.

His facial expressions are unbelievable!

Fabulous as always! He is just awesome!

sublime. i cry. i cry. i cry ever single time.

Wow. Impressive performance. That brought tears to my eyes.

I saw the original Broadway production with George Hearn playing Albin. This song ended with a brilliant piece of staging. The entire time that George Hearn sang the song, the stage was slowly drifting to the right, so we saw a few of the people backstage, notable Gene Barry as George, who stood staring in horror as how he had wounded his lover sinks into him. Albin whipped of his wig as he takes his bow, stalked to George to threw it in his face, then existed the stage through the auditorium, running up the side aisle as the audience exploded.

One word FANTASTIC XXX

Torch Song Trilogy is a heart breaking masterpiece.

Tear jerker 😢😢 I'm not crying you are

Just being yourself and telling the world to get over itself....

FINALLY, an actor who did this great song justice, ..!!!

Harvey is simply THE BEST 👍👌👏👏👏👏👏

This is sheer beauty ! Bravo!

The best Albin. The true emotion.......wow

Best and only version, I have only seen this in video, I envy anyone who saw this live.

One of our greatest. Genius performance.

Brilliant in everything he's done!

Absolutely took me away with Harvey's performance!

this gives me chills every time

Not the prettiest of singers but he captures the soul and emotion of this character like no other! On the other hand, George Hearn makes up in his singing what he doesn’t quite “feel” for the role. My two favorites by far.

Magistral Bravoooo ❤

I first became aware of Harvey Fierstein back in the late 80s when HBO aired their movie version of his stage play Tidy Endings starring him and Stockard Channing. I fell in 🥰 😍 ❤️ with him immediately.

I adore Harvey Fierstein. The most beautiful performance of this song I think is Shirley Bassey's.

Love Harvey, love the sound track, love you for posting this Ms. Spiderwoman!!!! Wish I had been able to see it when I lived in NJ, but it was sold out for the entire run. Thanks again!

Thank you for posting this, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

utter brilliance

as horrible as Harvey's voice is from all of the smoking, etc. he very well understands what his strengths and weakness' of it are, and how to use them to his best advantage both voally and emotionally. I saw the original with George and was overwhelm with a flood of emotions that a boy of 14 has a tough time during the greed is good conservative 1980s to comprehend. George was amazing as Albin, but while watching Harvey, I did not click the you tube button to see something else, and found myself feeling the emotional depth of what Harvey was trying to communicate in painful and beautiful way he did.

It is hauntingly beautiful.

I was about the type why aren't there more comments .. but right where I start typing it says there are 219 (lol about to be 220) .. but I only see 2 comments :( I was eager to read everyone's comments about this legend. But from the like & views I can see he is loved & beloved by plenty. Thanks for popping up this footage .. fabulous to the point of clichè, but as I'm sure Harvey would say "Life's a cliche darling!" I just love you Harvey & all the work you do & have done. I got here after watching Ginger Minj's tribute to you .. that was FAAABULOUS. But to see Harvey do it I cried tears of joy & togetherness if that makes any sense hahaha. I know my comment is looooong ., but I am what I am .. one of those people that writes long laborious comments!! 😝☺️🙋💗

PLEASE HARVEY, love weight, ur so huge now...thx

Just incredible xxxx ❤❤❤❤❤

killed that perfomance

A masterclass

Torch Song Trilogy. Please watch if you haven't. It's sad and beautiful and it will break your heart and make you smile in the same scene. Brilliant.

I discovered Harvey Fierstein because of Hairspray and Mrs. Doubtfire, and I became an instant fan for almost 20 years now, so I knew he took over the role of Albin. I love the Logo tribute with Ginger Minj and the other queens from all stars, and I thought I had seen this once or twice before as the video that automatically starts playing next. However, I have just realized that I made up that memory because if I had watched this, I definitely would have remembered it. We all know the voice, so as the video was starting, I was a little suspicious (don't know if that's the right word but oh well) as to how he would pull this off. I think this song is the male equivalent of Defying Gravity, and I honestly did not think he could give it the beautiful bravado that's necessary. But as soon as he started singing, I became mesmerized by his vocal performance. It just felt so perfectly raw; I'm a hetero, cis woman so I've never really struggled with my identity, but I felt it as I watched. Thank you for sharing