Charles Busch News

Thrillpeddlers announces their anticipated annual Halloween season extravaganza Shocktoberfest 12: FEAR OVER FRISCO - A Trio of Noir-Horror Plays by Eddie Muller. This 12th annual festival of Grand Guignol horror theatre and black comedies, plays Thurs., Fri., and Sat. at 8:00 pm from Sept. 23 through Nov. 19, 2011, with a special Halloween performance on Mon., Oct. 31 at 8:00 pm. Previews begin Fri., Sept 23. Opening Night (press night) - Thurs., Sept. 29, 2011. Thrillpeddlers' Hypnodrome Theatre is located at 575 10th Street, San Francisco 94103. (Bryant & Division Sts.)

Due to popular demand, and to accommodate ticket holders affected by the cancellation of performances due to Hurricane Irene this past weekend, Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has added a special performance on Sunday afternoon, September 4th at 3:00 p.m. to the World Premiere of a work commissioned by the company, the new comedy, Olive and the Bitter Herbs by Charles Busch directed by Mark Brokaw.

Abingdon Theatre Company - which has produced 63 new American plays in its 18-year history - is set to honor playwright and actor Charles Busch and actress Julie Halston during its 19th Annual Benefit Gala on Monday, October 24 at Espace (635 West 42nd Street) Manhattan.

Due to popular demand, and to accommodate ticket holders affected by the cancellation of performances due to Hurricane Irene this past weekend, Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) has added a special performance on Sunday afternoon, September 4th at 3:00 p.m. to the World Premiere of a work commissioned by the company, the new comedy, Olive and the Bitter Herbs by Charles Busch directed by Mark Brokaw.

The world premiere of I Love Lucy® Live on Stage, a musical comedy tribute to one of the most popular television shows, opens at the Greenway Court Theatre on October 1.

The John W. Engeman Theater's production of Hairspray will close on August 28, 2011.

Primary Stages will continue its 27th season with the New York premiere of the new play, Motherhood Out Loud, conceived by Susan R. Rose and Joan Stein. Directed by Lisa Peterson, the cast will feature Mary Bacon, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Randy Graff and James Lecesne. The cast met the press yesterday, August 23, and BroadwayWorld was there for the big event. Click below to check out photos from the festivities.

Primary Stages launched its 27th season last week, August 16, with the World Premiere of a work commissioned by the company, the new comedy, Olive and the Bitter Herbs by Charles Busch directed by Mark Brokaw.The five-me mber cast features Dan Butler as Trey, David Garrison as Robert, Julie Halston as Wendy, Marcia Jean Kurtz as Olive and Richard Masur as Sylvan. Performances run through Saturday, September 3, 2011 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). BroadwayBeat was there for the big opening and brings you interviews with the cast below!

The best known works of playwright/cross-dressing actor Charles Busch fall into two distinct categories. There are the plays he stars in and there are the plays populated by characters that probably regularly attend the plays he stars in.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's new feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more! For last week's biggest events: visit THIS WEEK IN PICTURES: August 6- 12 !

The unfortunate case of laryngitis inflicting Death Takes A Holiday's leading man, Julian Ovenden, divided press reservations for the new musical into 'before' and 'after.'  I was originally scheduled to see the show the week of its opening, but when understudy Kevin Earley began filling in, many of us were, understandably, put on hold to wait for his return.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) will continue its 27th season with the New York premiere of the new play, Motherhood Out Loud, conceived by Susan R. Rose and Joan Stein. Directed by Lisa Peterson, the cast will feature Mary Bacon, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Randy Graff and James Lecesne.

Abingdon Theatre Company is hosting our 19th Anniversary Gala honoring Charles Busch, Julie Halston and Timothy P. Speiss on October 24th, 2011 at Espace.

Primary Stages launched its 27th season last night, August 16, with the World Premiere of a work commissioned by the company, the new comedy, Olive and the Bitter Herbs by Charles Busch directed by Mark Brokaw.The five-me mber cast features Dan Butler as Trey, David Garrison as Robert, Julie Halston as Wendy, Marcia Jean Kurtz as Olive and Richard Masur as Sylvan. Performances run through Saturday, September 3, 2011 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). BroadwayWorld was there for the big opening and brings you photos from the event below!

Primary Stages launches its 27th season tonight, August 16, with the World Premiere of a work commissioned by the company, the new comedy, Olive and the Bitter Herbs by Charles Busch directed by Mark Brokaw.The five-me mber cast features Dan Butler as Trey, David Garrison as Robert, Julie Halston as Wendy, Marcia Jean Kurtz as Olive and Richard Masur as Sylvan. Performances run through Saturday, September 3, 2011 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues).

With a new company and a World Premiere stage adaptation of a bestselling novel, Manchester's award-nominated fringe company look set to hit new heights in 2012.

In Olive and the Bitter Herbs, the latest comedy from Tony-nominated playwright Charles Busch (The Divine Sister, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife), actress Olive Fisher sees a ghost in her mirror, but that's the least of her problems.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) launches its 27th season with the World Premiere of a work commissioned by the company, the new comedy, Olive and the Bitter Herbs by Charles Busch directed by Mark Brokaw.

When Varla Jean Merman (aka Jeffery Roberson) starred opposite Leslie Jordan this past May at the Little Shubert Theatre, the New York Times wrote 'If Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman had stood in front of the right pair of funhouse mirrors, they might have resembled Ms. Merman and Mr. Jordan in stature as well as comedic talent.'