Charles Busch
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Biography
Following in the footsteps of the late Charles Ludlum, founder of New York's Ridiculous Theatre Company, which honed camp and cross-dressing into a comic art in the 1960s and 70s, self-described "gender illusionist" Charles Busch drew inspiration from movie and stage divas of yore and created complex female characterizations, not just a cabaret drag persona, to place at the center of his trashy spectacles. In 1984, he formed Theatre-in-Limbo with a group of friends and began performing his wonderfully-titled plays like "Theodora, She-Bitch of Byzantium" and "Kiss the Blood Off My Castanets" at NYC's Limbo Lounge. "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" became such a hit there that it moved in 1985 to the historic Provincetown Playhouse, where it played for five years, becoming one of the longest-running non-musicals in Off-Broadway history. A 2000-year-old lesbian in that one, he also scored as Chicklet, a teenager with a multiple personality disorder, in "Psycho Beach Party" (1987), which he would retool for his first screenwriting credit in 2000.
Busch's adaptation of Guy Bolton and Eddie Davis' book for a new production of the 1955 musical "Ankles Aweigh" at the Goodspeed Opera House in 1988 was the first thing he had written but not performed in. He was, however, onstage that year fully quaffed in red Rita Hayworth hair and gowned a la Norma Shearer in his latest celebration of Hollywood kitsch, "The Lady in Question," a well-paced parody of MGM's wartime potboilers of the 40s. He began diversifying his talents after his subversively hilarious 1991 play, "Red Scare on Sunset," in which he portrayed a well-meaning Pollyanna of a Hollywood star who names names at the McCarthy hearings of the 50s. Following his appearance as Countess Aphasia du Barry in "Addams Family Values" (1993), Busch uncharacteristically took a man's role in Andrew Bergman's feature "It Could Happen to You" (1994). Further surprising his following, he not only essayed a gay man in "You Should Be So Lucky" (1995) but also injected Jewish humor, as well as gay humor, into the play.
Busch continued expanding artistically, co-authoring and appearing in the Off-Broadway musical "Swingtime Canteen" (1996) and collaborating with composer-lyricist Rusty McGee on the Off-Broadway musical "The Green Heart" (1997), in which he did not act. Having performed one-man shows in the 70s ("Charles Busch Alone with a Cast of Thousands," "Hollywood Confidential"), he once again soloed in "Flipping My Wig" (subtitled "An Evening with Charles Busch) and played the resident, fortune-telling drag queen in the feature "Trouble on the Corner" (both 1997). The busy year also saw him conceive "Queen Amarantha" as part homage to his lifelong idol Sarah Bernhardt and part spoof of Garbo movies. Rejecting his usual camp style, he successfully addressed a serious subject ending in tragedy while portraying a drag actor playing a gender-confused woman who dresses as a man. The sustained sleight of hand recalled the moment in "The Lady in Question" when Gertrude appeared in Dietrichesque blazer and pants ready to go riding.
Busch scripted his most accessible play yet, "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" (2000), for Linda Lavin to star as an anguished middle-aged Jewish wife and mother whose spirits temporarily lift when the glamorous Michele Lee, a past acquaintance, materializes on her doorstep. The show's move to Broadway marked Busch's debut on the Great White Way, and though he was not performing any of the parts, one can only imagine him substituting for either Lavin or Lee and giving such a nuanced and believable performance that the audience would soon forget they were watching a man play a woman. Too old to reprise the starring role of Chicklet in the film version of "Psycho Beach Party," Busch contented himself with the adult femme roles of Captain Monica Stark and Mrs. Forrest. For the small screen, he has enjoyed a recurring part (since 1999) as the inmate who suffocated Italian mob boss Antonio Nappa on HBO's "Oz," and he also published a novel, "Whores of Lost Atlantis," inspired by his early days in NYC's East Village.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Cast (Special)
Writer (Special)
Special Thanks (Special)
Life Events
1978
Wrote and performed one-man show "Hollywood Confidential" in Greenwich Village
1984
Formed Theatre-in-Limbo with a group of friends (including Kenneth Elliott) and began performing plays at the Limbo Lounge, where the hit "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" originated
1985
Off-Broadway debut, "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom"; ran five years, becoming one of the longest-running non-musicals in Off-Broadway history
1985
Wrote and performed in "Times Square Angel", a touching Christmas tale of a tough cookie with a tender heart, starring Busch as Irish O'Flanagan
1987
Played the lead in his own "Psycho Beach Party"
1988
Provided the voice of Gemnen, a two-headed monster, in the animated sci-fi feature "Light Years"
1988
Wrote and performed in "The Lady in Question", playing an American concert pianist and Nazi hunter in World War II Europe; moved from Limbo Lounge to WPA Theatre and finally to the Orpheum Theatre in 1989
1988
Adapted Guy Bolton and Eddie Davis' book for a new production of the 1955 musical "Ankles Aweigh" at Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut; first thing he had written that he did not perform in
1991
Portrayed Mary Dale, a well-meaning Pollyanna of a Hollywood star who names names at the McCarthy hearings, in his "Red Scare on Sunset"
1993
Appeared as Countess Aphasia du Barry in "Addams Family Values"
1994
Uncharacteristically played a male role (Timothy) in Andrew Bergman's "It Could Happen to You"
1995
Played a gay man in his "You Should Be So Lucky", his first play featuring Jewish humor, as well as gay humor
1996
Co-authored and appeared in the Off-Broadway musical "Swingtime Canteen"
1997
Portrayed Ms. Ellen, the resident, fortune-telling drag queen in "Trouble on the Corner"
1997
With composor-lyricist Rusty McGee concocted the Off-Broadway musical "The Green Heart", based on the same Jack Ritchie story that inspired Elaine May's "A New Leaf" (1971), did not act in it
1997
Performed his one-man show "Flipping My Wig", subtitled "An Evening with Charles Busch"; directed by Elliott
1997
Conceived "Queen Amarantha" as his (Sarah) Bernhardt vehicle; portrayed a drag actor playing a woman (Amarantha) who's conflicted about her gender and dresses as a man; rejecting his usual "camp" style, he successfully addressed a serious subject ending in tragedy
1999
Had recurring role as an inmate on HBO's "Oz"; his character suffocated Italian mob boss Antonio Nappa
2000
Wrote "The Tale of the Alergist's Wife" (his most accessible play yet) for Linda Lavin; did not act in it; opened to successful Off-Broadway run in the spring; transferred to Broadway in fall; earned Best Play Tony nomination
2000
First screenwriting credit, adapting "Psycho Beach Party"; too old for the lead role of Chicklet, he portrayed adult femmes Captain Monica Stark and Mrs. Forrest
2001
Joined the cast of the ABC daytime serial "One Life to Live" playing Peg Barlow
Family
Companions
