Charles Busch News

The Broadway community mourns the loss of celebrated theatrical publicist Shirley Herz, who passed away on Sunday at age 87. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in her memory on Wednesday, August 14th, at exactly 8:00 p.m. for one minute.

Shirley Herz, a legendary theatrical press agent, died on Sunday, August 11, 2013 at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The cause was complications from a stroke suffered on July 18, said Sam Altman, a longtime friend.

On the heels of its successful first season in 2012/13, the Broadway @ NOCCA concert series has already updated the lineup for its second season. Five of New York theater's leading ladies (one of whom is famously a man in disguise) will perform in New Orleans in 2013/14 as the popular series leaps again to NOCCA's Lupin Hall from its original summer home at The Art House in Provincetown, MA. The series is hosted again by Sirius/XM radio star Seth Rudetsky at piano. The 2013 - 2014 Broadway @ NOCCA Season is made possible by the generous support of The New Orleans Hotel Collection and Gambit.

Fresh from the success of Night of a Thousand Judys, The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - the acclaimed comedy/variety show hailed as 'rambunctious, uproarious and unpredictable' by The Wall Street Journal, 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post, and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice - has moved to 54 BELOW for a six month run. The next show will be on Wednesday, August 28 at 9:30 PM. Known for its signature blend of outrageous comedy, politics, culture and everything in between, The Meeting* moves uptown after four seasons of packed houses in the West Village. Justin Sayre and The Meeting* were named one of the Top 10 nightclub shows of 2011 by Time Out New York, received the 2012 Bistro Award for 'Comedy Artistry' and a 2011 MAC Award nomination for Best Male Comedy Performance.

Marilu Henner, Marsha Mason, David Garrison, and Lynn Cohen lead Charles Busch's The Allergists' Wife at Bucks County Playhouse, the final production of the 2013 Playhouse Productions Summer Season, beginning August 15. Four-time Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines will direct the production, which runs through September 1. Check out a first look at the cast in action below!

Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA), the company's professional training school, is pleased to announce a rare collection of Master Classes featuring Tony Award-winning director Pam MacKinnon (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), and Tony Award-winning actress Alice Ripley (Next to Normal).

Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA), the company's professional training school, is pleased to announce a rare collection of Master Classes featuring Tony Award-winning director Pam MacKinnon (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), and Tony Award-winning actress Alice Ripley (Next to Normal).

Westport Country Playhouse will stage the World Premiere of 'Oblivion,' a provocative new play about parents and teenagers, and the gulf that often exists between them, by Carly Mensch, writer for Showtime's 'Nurse Jackie' and 'Weeds,' and directed by Mark Brokaw, currently represented on Broadway with 'Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella.' The coming-of-age comedy-drama runs from August 20 through September 8.

Sand. Sun. Surfboards. Boys. Bikinis. Beaches. It's a party! A 'Psycho Beach Party!' Theatre In The Park is proud to open its new Second Series, productions and events not included with Mainstage Membership, with the Charles Busch camp classic, Psycho Beach Party, today, July 26-August 4, 2013.

The Happy Medium Theatre Company and Heart & Dagger Productions are thrilled to announce the conclusion of their 4th and 3rd Seasons with PSYCHO BEACH PARTY by Charles Busch. The production previews tonight, July 25th and opens July 26th at the Factory Theatre, 791 Tremont Street, Boston, MA.

This fall, 54 BELOW, the performance venue in the grand tradition of New York City nightlife, presents an exciting lineup stars from Broadway' and beyond. Some of the stars featured at 54 Below this fall include:

Fresh from the success of Night of a Thousand Judys, The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre will move to 54 BELOW for a six-month run starting tonight, July 24 at 9:30 PM. Known for its signature blend of outrageous comedy, politics, culture and everything in between, The Meeting* is moving uptown after four seasons of packed houses in the West Village. Justin Sayre and The Meeting* were named one of the Top 10 nightclub shows of 2011 by Time Out New York, received the 2012 Bistro Award for 'Comedy Artistry' and a 2011 MAC Award nomination for Best Male Comedy Performance.

Primary Stages launches their 29th season with the New York premiere of Harbor by Tony-nominated writer Chad Beguelin (Elf, The Wedding Singer). Directed by Tony-nominated director Mark Lamos (Seascape, The Rivals, The Deep Blue Sea), the production features Erin Cummings (Starz's 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand', CBS' 'Made In Jersey'), Randy Harrison (Showtime's 'Queer As Folk', Broadway's Wicked), Alexis Molnar (world premiere of Harbor at Westport Playhouse), and Paul Anthony Stewart (Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof, The People in the Picture). Harbor runs tonight, July 23 - September 8 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters. Opening night is August 6.

Our favourite childhood vampire rabbit is back, and ready to sing. BUNNICULA opened Off-Broadway, with Music and Lyrics by Sam Davis and Mark Waldrop and a book by Charles Busch. This creative team brought the childhood book by Deoborah and James Howe, Bunnicula, and it's accompanied family fun to the stage to mostly positive reviews. The original cast recording, produced by Yellow Sound Label, is just as quirky and hysterical as one would expect of the adaption of the beloved children's novel.

The Boy Sonata, written and performed by Justin Sayre recieves its New York debut at this Year's HOT! Festival hosted by Dixon Place tonight, July 22nd at 7:30.

Jonathan Larson Award-winning composer Sam Davis makes his 54 Below debut with a concert of new songs celebrating the release of the original cast album of his hit Off-Broadway musical comedy Bunnicula tonight, July 21st at 7 PM.

Sand. Sun. Surfboards. Boys. Bikinis. Beaches. It's a party! A 'Psycho Beach Party!' Theatre In The Park is proud to open its new Second Series, productions and events not included with Mainstage Membership, with the Charles Busch camp classic, Psycho Beach Party, July 26-August 4, 2013.

Heart & Dagger Productions and Happy Medium Theatre are thrilled to announce the conclusion of their respective 3rd and 4th seasons with PSYCHO BEACH PARTY by Charles Busch. The production previews July 25th and opens July 26th at the Factory Theatre, 791 Tremont Street, Boston, MA. PSYCHO BEACH PARTY gives "Gidget", Frankie and Annette beach party epics, and Hitchcock psychological suspense thrillers such as "Spellbound" and "Marnie" are given a shotgun marriage.

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) Artistic Director James C. Nicola has announced that Fetch Clay, Make Man, written by Will Power and directed by Des McAnuff, will begin performances Friday, August 23 at NYTW, 79 East 4 Street, between Bowery and Second Avenue. Opening night is set for Thursday, September 12 at 7pm. Fetch Clay, Make Man is scheduled to run through Sunday, October 13; tickets are on sale now.

Fresh from the success of Night of a Thousand Judys, The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre will move to 54 BELOW for a six-month run starting on Wednesday, July 24 at 9:30 PM. Known for its signature blend of outrageous comedy, politics, culture and everything in between, The Meeting* is moving uptown after four seasons of packed houses in the West Village. Justin Sayre and The Meeting* were named one of the Top 10 nightclub shows of 2011 by Time Out New York, received the 2012 Bistro Award for "Comedy Artistry" and a 2011 MAC Award nomination for Best Male Comedy Performance.