Charles Busch to Debut New Comic Melodrama The Confession of Lily Dare
(© Michael Wakefield)
Charles Busch will return to Theater for the New City this spring with his new comedy The Confession of Lily Dare for a limited premiere showcase engagement. Directed by Busch’s longtime collaborator Carl Andress, performances will run April 4-29 at Theater for the New City’s Johnson Theater.
Played against the gaudy tapestry of turn-of-the-century California’s notorious Barbary Coast, The Confession of Lily Dare tells the story of one woman’s tumultuous passage from convent girl to glittering cabaret chanteuse to infamous madam of a string of brothels. Behind her every move lies her greatest secret: her undying devotion to the child she was forced to abandon. The show celebrates the gauzy "confession film" tearjerkers of early 1930s pre-code cinema, such as The Sin of Madelon Claudet, Frisco Jenny, and Madame X.
The Confession of Lily Dare is the latest comic melodrama written by and starring Busch, best known for his many theatrical parodies including Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Die Mommie Die!, and The Divine Sister. Busch and Andress's past collaborations at Theater for the New City include Cleopatra (2016), Judith of Bethulia (2012), and The Divine Sister (2010).
The creative team will feature B.T. Whitehill (scenic and graphic design), Rachel Townsend (costume design), Jessica Jahn (costume design for Busch), Kirk Bookman (lighting design), Bart Fasbender (sound design), and Katherine Carr (wig design).
Additional casting for The Confession of Lily Dare will be announced in the coming weeks.
