Character guide

Valentin

from Kiss of the Spider Woman

Valentin is a political prisoner and one of the two central characters of Kiss of the Spider Woman, the 1993 musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Show
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Broadway premiere
1993
Role
Lead
Music by
John Kander

Valentin on stage vs screen

Broadway compared with the 1985 film and 2025 movie musical

Raul Julia played Valentin in the 1985 film, set during Brazil's military dictatorship, and Diego Luna plays Valentín Arregui Paz in Bill Condon's 2025 film of the musical, which is set in 1983 Argentina during the last months of the Dirty War. In the 2025 film, Molina is secretly spying on Valentín for the warden while falling in love with him.

Anthony Crivello created the role on Broadway in 1993 and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. In each version Valentin begins impatient with Molina's movie fantasies and is changed by Molina's loyalty.

Who is Valentin?

Valentin is a committed political revolutionary jailed for his activism, sharing a cell with Molina, a window dresser imprisoned for his sexuality. At first Valentin has little patience for Molina's escapist movie storytelling, focused instead on his cause and on Marta, the woman he loves outside the prison walls.

As the two men endure torture and isolation together, Valentin's guarded exterior slowly gives way to real trust and affection for Molina, complicating his sense of duty to his political cause with a growing personal bond he did not expect.

Valentin's role in Kiss of the Spider Woman

Valentin is a lead role in Kiss of the Spider Woman, requiring an intense, physically demanding performance alongside strong vocal ability for the character's more introspective numbers. The role balances hardened political conviction with real vulnerability as Valentin's relationship with Molina develops.

Anthony Crivello originated the role on Broadway and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance. Audiences remember Valentin for his gradual transformation, a man who begins the show closed off and ends it profoundly changed by Molina's loyalty.

Valentin: frequently asked questions

What show is Valentin from?

Valentin is a lead character in Kiss of the Spider Woman, which opened on Broadway in 1993.

Is Valentin a lead or supporting role?

Valentin is a lead role and one of the two central characters of the show.

Who wrote the music for Kiss of the Spider Woman?

John Kander composed the music, with lyrics by Fred Ebb.

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Kiss of the Spider Woman show guideMusical theatre characters A to Z