REVIEW: ‘The Confession of Lily Dare’
Photo: The Confession of Lily Dare stars, from left, Jennifer Van Dyck, Christopher Borg and Charles Busch. Photo courtesy of Carol Rosegg / Provided by Matt Ross PR with permission.
NEW YORK — Charles Busch, one of the cleverest and wittiest of American playwrights, has developed yet another satirical love letter to old-time cinema. His latest is The Confession of Lily Dare, playing through March 5 at the Cherry Lane Theatre in the West Village. The Primary Stages production is filled to the brim with campy laughs, stellar comedic performances and — perhaps most shockingly of all — a story that stands on its own merits.
Busch, in full drag and wonderful beauty, portrays the title character, a person who goes from a convent girl to cabaret chanteuse to infamous madame, as press notes indicate. This transformative fall from grace takes place across a mad dash of scenes, winningly supported by the more-than-able acting talents of Nancy Anderson as Emmy Lou, Christopher Borg in a series of roles, Howard McGillin as Blackie Lambert, Kendal Sparks as Mickey and the incomparable Jennifer Van Dyck portraying four characters.
There’s a definite cinematic quality to Carl Andress’ direction and Busch’s carefully thought-out words. The Confession of Lily Dare is, at its heart, a sendup of early Hollywood films, many of them with similar storylines of an innocent girl turning toward sin and debauchery. It’s obvious that Busch knows each and every cinematic reference he’s parodying, and whether the audience gets the in-jokes is secondary (as Van Dyck recently told Hollywood Soapbox in an exclusive interview) because the laughs work on two levels. For starters, there is the biting commentary of feminine tropes in Tinseltown, made so much funnier by Busch in drag, and then there’s the genuine chuckles that come from Lily Dare simply being a funny play, with expert line delivery and gut-busting one-liners.
Everyone is in on the joke, whether or not they’re actually in on the joke.
Busch’s performances are memorable. This reviewer has caught him in Die Mommie Die! and The Divine Sister, and Lily Dare is right up there with the best of them. Whether it’s his eternally furrowed brows, his perfectly timed lip curls, his wide-eyed stares into the distance or his unique, Monty-Python-esque walks across the stage, Busch is in full command of the characters he portrays. He also doesn’t forget the arc of his role, and he genuinely portrays this woman through various stages in her life, trying his best to convey a sense of reality — albeit a heightened reality with a laugh always two seconds away.
Catching Busch at the Cherry Lane is particularly special because the audience is situated not far from the stage, and this allows the intricacies of his line delivery to be fully appreciated. Some of his facial expressions and exasperated frustrations might be lost on a crowd relegated to the balcony. This is a full-on performance that needs to be felt within feet, if not inches of the proscenium (which at the Cherry Lane is bedecked in a curtain that looks like it’s made from campy plastic plates and glass bottles).
To a person, the cast surrounding Busch brings their A game. Van Dyck, a frequent collaborator, is marvelous in a series of hilarious roles. She begins by playing Lily’s aunt, the original madame, and by the end, she’s playing Lily’s daughter. Each and every portrayal is spot on, original and with that unmistakably powerful voice from the talented actor.
There’s a lot to enjoy in Borg’s manic characterizations, each of which requires (and receives) an authentic accent. McGillin is smarmy villainy personified, while Anderson has some of the funniest lines in the entire two-hour show. Sparks, who plays Lily’s trusted pianist and confidante, is equal parts funny and touching, providing the senselessness of this wild production a certain grounding and human warmth.
Andress, such an expert in air-traffic control on such a tiny stage, revels in the plot points and many entrances and exits. He is clearly a master of farcical storytelling and never lets the action dip in energy.
The Confession of Lily Dare is Busch at his best, and that’s saying a lot, given that this writer-performer is frequently aces.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Confession of Lily Dare, written by and starring Charles Busch, continues through March 5 at the Cherry Lane Theatre. The Primary Stages production, directed by Carl Andress, also stars Nancy Anderson, Christopher Borg, Howard McGillin, Kendal Sparks and Jennifer Van Dyck. Running time: 2 hours. Click here for more information and tickets.
