Nancy Anderson and More to Join Charles Busch's THE CONFESSION OF LILY DARE

Complete casting has been announced for Charles Busch's return to Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director) in his uproarious new comedy The Confession of Lily Dare, directed by Busch's longtime collaborator Carl Andress (The Tribute Artist, Judith of Bethulia, The Divine Sister).

Joining Charles Busch as Lily Dare will be a comedic ensemble featuring longtime Busch collaborators and friends of Theater for the New City, including Nancy Anderson (Sunset Boulevard),Christopher Borg (Judith of Bethulia), Kendal Sparks (Judith of Bethulia), Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera), and, in her eighth Busch/Andress production, Jennifer Van Dyck(Cleopatra, Judith of Bethulia, The Divine Sister, The Third Story).

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 Confession of Lily Dare is the latest comic melodrama written by and starring Mr. Busch, the legendary master of theatrical parodies such as Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Die Mommie Die!, and The Divine Sister. Here, Mr. Busch and Mr. Andress celebrate the gauzy "confession film" tearjerkers of early 1930s pre-code cinema, such as The Sin of Madelon Claudet, Frisco Jenny, and Madame X.

Busch returns to Theater for the New City, where he created comedy gold with Cleopatra (2016), Judith of Bethulia (2012), and The Divine Sister (2010), which producer Daryl Roth transferred for a record-breaking and highly acclaimed Off-Broadway run. All three productions, directed by Mr. Andress, became immediate sold-out hits for the landmark downtown theater.

The creative team for The Confession of Lily Dare includes , Greg Santos (Associate Director), Jeffry George (Production Stage Manager), Tom Judson (Original Song and Musical Arrangements),B.T. Whitehill (Scenic and Graphic Design), Rachel Townsend (Costume Design), Jessica Jahn (Costume Design for Mr. Busch), Kirk Bookman (Lighting Design), Bart Fasbender (Sound Design), and Katherine Carr (Wig Design).

The Confession of Lily Dare will rehearse at Theater for the New City prior to starting performances at the venue's Johnson Theater on Wednesday, April 4.

Tickets for The Confession of Lily Dare are on sale now via SmartTix.com. All tickets are $25 and seating is general admission.

BIOGRAPHIES

Charles Busch (Playwright, Lily Dare) is the author and star of such plays as The Divine Sister, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, The Tribute Artist, and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, which ran for nearly two years on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. He wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays, Psycho Beach Party and Die Mommie Die!, the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2003, Mr. Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright. He is also the subject of the acclaimed documentary film The Lady in Question is Charles Busch. He is a two-time MAC award winner and has performed his cabaret act in many cities including San Francisco, Provincetown, New Orleans, Atlanta, Philadelphia, London, Paris, and in New York at the Ballroom, Birdland, and 54 Below. His website is charlesbusch.com.

Carl Andress (Director). Mr. Andress' directing credits include the world premieres of Charles Busch's critically acclaimed plays The Divine Sister, The Tribute Artist, The Third Story, Judith of Bethulia,Cleopatra, Bunnicula, Queen Amarantha, and Shanghai Moon, as well as the New York production of Die! Mommie Die! and the annual Times Square Angel at Theater for the New City. Other credits include Matthew Lombardo's Who's Holiday!, Carmen Pelaez's Rum & Coke, Douglas Carter Beane's The Cartells, Joe Godfrey's Romance Language, and regional productions of Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, My Fair Lady and Crush the Infamous Thing - The Adventures of the Hollywood Four. Mr. Andress staged the New York concert premieres of The Visit, A Wonderful Life, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, and Valley of the Dolls, all to benefit The Actors Fund. He has also directed such productions as Tenderloin, Harold & Maude, I Love My Wife, and The Mad Show for the York Theatre's "Musicals in Mufti" series, as well as Here's to the Girls! and Being Comden & Green for the 92Y's "Lyrics and Lyricists" series. His website is carlandress.com.

Nancy Anderson (Emmy Lou) is thrilled to share the stage with Charles Busch again! Most recently Nancy understudied Glenn Close in the Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard. Other Broadway shows include A Class Act and Wonderful Town. She starred as "Lois/Bianca" in the National Tour and West End premiere of Kiss Me, Kate (Helen Hayes and Olivier Award nominations). Last season, Ms. Anderson received her third Drama Desk nomination for best solo performance in the Off-Broadway premiere of The Pen and her third Helen Hayes Award nomination for her portrayal of "Gladys" in The Pajama Game at Arena Stage. Last year, Nancy appeared on "Madam Secretary."She has also been featured on PBS/Great Performances broadcasts of Kiss Me, Kate and South Pacificstarring Reba McEntire and has appeared twice at Carnegie Hall with Michael Feinstein. Her album of 20s and 30s jazz, Ten Cents a Dance, is available on iTunes and cdbaby.com.www.nancyanderson.name.

Christopher Borg (Louis, The Baron, Mr. Carlton, Maestro Guardi, The Priest) is thrilled to work with Charles again, having originated the role of Urdamini the Eunuch in Judith of Bethulia, and appeared as Barker in the recent staged reading of Red Scare on Sunset. Off-Broadway: Penny Pennyworth, The Play About the Naked Guy. As a writer/performer with the New York Neo-Futurists:The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Vol. 2 (Drama Desk nomination), Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind (2007-2015), Locker #4173b (IT Award, Outstanding Performance Art, and (NOT) Just A Day Like Any Other. Other New York: And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little; Doric Wilson's Street Theatre; That's Miss Fits, to You!; Off the King's Road; A Perfect Relationship; The Death of Griffin Hunter. Regional: Shakespeare's R&J (Folger), Gross Indecency (Studio Theatre), Raised in Captivity (Woolly Mammoth), Bent (WSC), Pterodactyls (Source) and Kate (in Act 1) The Taming of the Shrew at The Shakespeare Theatre.

Howard McGillin (Blackie Lambert) is best known for his record-setting performance in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, and has appeared extensively in leading roles on Broadway and London's West End. Other leading roles on Broadway include Gigi, The Kiss of the Spider-Woman, She Loves Me, The Secret Garden, Anything Goes (for which he earned a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Tony and Drama Desk nominations, Theatre World Award), and Sunday in the Park with George. On London's West End, Mr. McGillin starred in Mack and Mabel and Anything Goes. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his New York theatrical debut in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of La Bohème. He starred in the Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman musical Bounce, directed by Harold Prince, at The Goodman Theatre in Chicago and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (Helen Hayes Award nomination). Other credits include Grey Gardens and My Fair Lady at The Bay Street Theater. Mr. McGillin has sung on concert stages around the world from Carnegie Hall to the Israel Philharmonic Hall in Tel Aviv to Tokyo, New York's Café Carlyle, 54 Below, Feinstein's/Regency, and the Algonquin Oak Room. Appearances on "The Good Wife" and "Elementary," and narrated episodes of "Nature" for PBS, and voices for the animated feature films South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut and The Swan Princess. Solo CD Howard McGillin: Where Time Stands Still available atcdbaby.com.

Kendal Sparks (Mickey) is delighted to be part of another Charles Busch romp, having appeared previously as a beardless youth in Judith of Bethulia (Theater for the New City) and a dog in drag inBunnicula (Theatreworks USA). Other New York credits include: Where's Charley? (Encores!); Tenderloin (Musicals in Mufti); and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (Actors Fund). Regional credits include:A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Hartford Stage, The Old Globe); ...Spelling Bee (Pioneer Theatre Company); The Producers; Hello, Dolly!; Les Misérables; and Mame (The MUNY). Proud graduate of the Musical Theatre program at University of Michigan. Kendal-Sparks.com.

Jennifer Van Dyck (Aunt Rosalie, The Baroness, Mrs. Carlton, Louise) is delighted to be working again with Charles and Carl, having created roles in Cleopatra, Judith of Bethulia, The Divine Sister,and The Third Story. This marks her eighth Busch/Andress production. Recent collaborations: workshops of Tanya Kalmanovitch's Tar Sands at the New School; new plays by Topher Payne, Deborah Zoe Laufer, Sarah Schulman, Sinan Unel; directors Michael Barakiva, Melia Bensussen, Melinda Lopez. Broadway: Hedda Gabler, Dancing at Lughnasa, Two Shakespearean Actors, The Secret Rapture. Off-Broadway: Perfect Arrangement, Orson's Shadow, The Castle, The Picture Box, The Breadwinner. Film and television: "Bull," "The Good Wife," "The Blacklist," "Royal Pains," "Elementary," "Person of Interest," many episodes of "Law & Order," "Too Big to Fail," Michael Clayton, Across the Universe. Regional: Bucks County, Westport Playhouse, Old Globe, Huntington, Trinity Rep, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival. Ms.Van Dyck's narration work encompasses hundreds of audiobooks in a wide range of genres.

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