Editing Charles Busch

{{short description|American dramatist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox person
|name           = Charles Busch
|image          = Charles Busch.jpg
|caption        = Busch in 2015
|birth_name     = Charles Louis Busch
|birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1954|08|23}}
|birth_place    = New York City, U.S.
| education     = [[Northwestern University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| occupation    = {{hlist|Actor|playwright|screenwriter|author|director}}
| years_active  = 1978–present
| website       = {{URL|https://www.charlesbusch.com/}}
}}
'''Charles Louis Busch''' (born August 23, 1954) is an American actor, screenwriter, playwright and [[drag queen]], known for his appearances on stage in his own [[Camp (style)|camp style]] plays and in film and television. He wrote and starred in his early plays [[off-off-Broadway]] beginning in 1978, generally in drag roles, and also acted in the works of other playwrights. He also wrote for television and began to act in films and on television in the late 1990s. His best known play is ''[[The Tale of the Allergist's Wife]]'' (2000), which was a success on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
Busch was born in 1954 and grew up in [[Hartsdale, New York]].<ref name=dragqueenanthology>{{cite book|last=Niles|first=Richard|title=Drag Queen Anthology|year=2004|publisher=Haworth|pages=35–52|chapter=Wigs, Laughter, and Subversion: Charles Busch and the Strategies of Drag Performance}}</ref><ref name=Newsmakers>{{cite journal|title=Charles Busch|journal=Newsmakers|date=July 18, 1988}}</ref><!-- THIS CITATION IS INADEQUATE. WHAT IS THIS PUBLICATION? PLEASE GIVE PUBLISHER INFO AND PAGE NUMBERS AT LEAST. --> He is the Jewish son of Gertrude (née Young) and Benjamin Busch.<ref name="filmref">[http://www.filmreference.com/film/72/Charles-Busch.html "Charles Busch Biography"], Filmreference.com. Retrieved January 8, 2012</ref><ref name=alex>Witchell, Alex. [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/19/garden/shopping-with-charles-busch-after-divas-it-s-a-challenge-to-play-a-man.html?pagewanted=all "Shopping With: Charles Busch; After Divas, It's a Challenge To Play a Man" (abstract)]. ''The New York Times'', October 19, 1994, Section C; p.1</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Raymond|first=Gerard|title=Charles Busch: Interview with a Drag Artiste|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2010/09/charles-busch-interview-with-a-drag-artiste/|access-date=August 12, 2012|newspaper=Slant Magazine|date=September 9, 2010}}</ref> His father, who wanted to be an opera singer, owned a record store. His mother died when Busch was seven. He has two older sisters: Meg Busch, who used to be a producer of promotional spots for [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]], and Betsy Busch, a textile designer.<ref name=alex/> Busch's aunt, Lillian Blum, his mother's oldest sister and a former teacher, brought him to live in [[Manhattan]] after the death of his mother.<ref name=alex/><ref name=gaylesbianbio>{{cite journal|last=Tyrkus|first=Michael|author2=Michael Bronski|title=Gay and Lesbian Biography|journal=Gale Biography in Context|year=1997}}</ref><!-- THIS CITATION IS INADEQUATE. WHAT ARE THE ISSUE AND VOLUME NUMBER? PAGE NUMBER? DATE OF ISSUE? THIS REFERENCE IS USED REPEATEDLY --> Busch was intensely interested in films as a young child, especially those with female leads from the 30s and 40s.<ref name=Newsmakers/><ref name=alex/>

Busch attended [[The High School of Music and Art]] in Manhattan.<ref name=alex/> He majored in drama at [[Northwestern University]] in Evanston, Illinois<ref name=dragqueenanthology /> and received his B.A. in 1976.<ref name=Newsmakers/> While at the university, Busch had difficulty being cast in plays and began to write his own material, which succeeded in drawing interest on campus.<ref name=gaylesbianbio/>

===Early theatre years===
[[File:CharlesMarlene edit.jpg|thumb|Busch in drag]]
In his plays, Busch usually played the leading lady in [[Drag (clothing)|drag]]. He has said, "Drag is being more, more than you can be. When I first started drag I wasn't this shy young man but a powerful woman. It liberated within me a whole vocabulary of expression. It was less a political statement than an aesthetic one."<ref name=gaylesbianbio/> His [[Camp (style)|camp style]] shows simultaneously send up and celebrate classic film genres.<ref name=dragqueenanthology/>

Busch has said, however, "I'm not sure what [campy] means, but I guess if my plays have elements of old movies and old fashioned plays, and I'm this bigger-than-life star lady, that's certainly campy. I guess what I rebelled against was the notion that campy means something is so tacky or bad that it's good, and that I just didn't relate to."<ref name=Picayune/> Busch toured the country in a non-drag one-man show he wrote called ''Alone With a Cast of Thousands'' from 1978 to 1984.<ref name=alex/>

By 1984, Busch's performance bookings grew slim. He held various odd jobs, such as temporary office assistant, apartment cleaner, portrait artist "at bar mitzvahs", phone salesperson, shop manager, ice cream server, sports handicapper<ref name=alex/> and artists' model.<ref name=Newsmakers/>

He thought perhaps that this last piece would be a skit put on in the Limbo Lounge, a performance space and gallery in the [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]] in Manhattan. The skit was a hit and became ''[[Vampire Lesbians of Sodom]]'' (1984).<ref>{{cite news |last=Bruckner |first=D. J. R. |title=Stage: 'Vampire Lesbians of Sodom' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/20/theater/stage-vampire-lesbians-of-sodom.html |access-date=June 30, 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=June 20, 1985 |page=C18}}</ref>

Busch and his collaborators soon created a series of shows, mostly at the Limbo Lounge, such as ''Theodora, She-Bitch of Byzantium'' (1984) and ''Times Square Angel'' (1985, Provincetown Playhouse).<ref name=dragqueenanthology/> The company called itself "Theatre in Limbo" and attracted a loyal gay following.<ref name=gaylesbianbio/> Other early plays include ''Pardon My Inquisition, or Kiss the Blood Off My Castanets'' (1986), in which Busch played both Maria Garbanza, a prostitute, and her look-alike, the elegant Marquesa del Drago;<ref>[http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsB/busch-charles.html "Charles Busch, 'Pardon My Inquisition, or Kiss the Blood Off My Castanets' Listing"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626200121/http://doollee.com/PlaywrightsB/busch-charles.html |date=June 26, 2017 }}, doollee.com. Retrieved January 8, 2012</ref><ref name=bennetts>Bennetts, Leslie. [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/13/theater/busch-writes-his-own.html Busch Writes His Own"], ''The New York Times'' (abstract), August 13, 1987, Section C, p. 21</ref> ''[[Psycho Beach Party#Play and productions|Psycho Beach Party]]'', which ran from July 1987 to May 1988; <ref>{{cite web |title=Psycho Beach Party |url=http://www.iobdb.com/Production/1645 |website=Internet Off-Broadway Database |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> ''The Lady in Question'', which ran from July to December 1989 at the Orpheum Theatre;<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lady in Question |url=http://www.iobdb.com/Production/1602 |website=Internet Off-Broadway Database |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> and ''Red Scare on Sunset'', which ran from June to September 1991 at the Lortel Theatre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Scare on Sunset |url=http://www.iobdb.com/Production/580 |website=Internet Off-Broadway Database |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref>

Busch rewrote the book for the musical ''[[Ankles Aweigh]]'' for a 1988 production staged by the [[Goodspeed Opera House]] in [[East Haddam, Connecticut]].<ref>Klein, Alvin. [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/11/nyregion/theater-ankles-aweigh-gets-godspeed-revamping.html "''Ankles Aweigh'' Gets Goodspeed Revamping"], ''The New York Times'' (abstract), September 11, 1988, Section 12CN, p. 13</ref>

His ''Charles Busch Revue'' was produced at the Ballroom Theatre in May 1993 in New York.<ref>{{cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |title=Review/Cabaret; Charles Busch on Drag and 'Dragnet' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/22/theater/review-cabaret-charles-busch-on-drag-and-dragnet.html |access-date=June 30, 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=May 22, 1993 |page=1:13}}</ref> Also in 1993, he performed in a revival of [[Jean Genet]]'s ''[[The Maids]]'' at the Off-Broadway [[Classic Stage Company]] in the role of Solange.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Maids |url=http://www.iobdb.com/Production/865 |website=Internet Off-Broadway Database |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>Brantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/30/theater/review-theater-drag-star-tries-on-a-more-serious-context.html "Review/Theater; Drag Star Tries On a More Serious Context"], ''The New York Times'' (abstract), September 30, 1993</ref>

In 1993, he wrote a novel, ''Whores of Lost Atlantis'', a fictionalized re-telling of the creation of ''Vampire Lesbians of Sodom''.<ref>Busch, Charles. ''Whores of Lost Atlantis'', Hyperion (1993)<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed, page(s) needed --></ref> ''The Green Heart'' was adapted by Busch from a short story by [[Jack Ritchie]] into a musical which was produced by the [[Manhattan Theater Club]] at the Variety Arts Theatre in New York City, opening in April 1997.<ref>Brantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/11/theater/how-cold-villainy-adds-warmth.html?scp=1&sq=%22The+Green+Heart+%22&st=nyt "Theater Review.How Cold Villainy Adds Warmth"], ''The New York Times'', April 11, 1997.</ref>

He took the male lead in his comedy, ''You Should Be So Lucky'' which opened at Primary Stages Company, New York City, in November 1994.<ref>Brantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/03/theater/theater-review-charles-busch-takes-on-a-trouser-role.html?scp=1&sq=%22You+Should+Be+So+Lucky%22&st=nyt "Theater Review.Charles Busch Takes On a Trouser Role"], ''The New York Times'', November 3, 1994.</ref>

Other works of the 1990s include ''Swingtime Canteen'', produced at the Blue Angel, New York City, in August 1995.<ref>Van Gelder, Lawrence. [https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/25/theater/theater-review-charles-busch-replaces-female-lead.html?scp=1&sq=%22Swingtime+Canteen%22&st=nyt "Theater Review; Charles Busch Replaces Female Lead"], ''The New York Times'', August 25, 1995</ref> His one-man show, ''Flipping My Wig'' ran at the WPA Theater, New York City, starting in December 1996.<ref>Brantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/20/theater/between-a-female-image-and-fantasy.html?scp=1&sq=%27%27Flipping+My+Wig%27%27+&st=nyt "Theater Review.Between a Female Image and Fantasy"], ''The New York Times'', December 20, 1996.</ref>

He wrote ''Queen Amarantha'', which played at the WPA Theatre, starting in October 1997.<ref>Brantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/24/movies/theater-review-charles-busch-plays-it-straight-so-to-speak.html?scp=2&sq=%22Queen+Amarantha%22&st=nyt "Theater Review.Charles Busch Plays It Straight, So to Speak"], ''The New York Times'', October 24, 1997.</ref> His play ''[[Die, Mommie, Die!#Stage version|Die, Mommie, Die!]]'' was first performed in Los Angeles, opening in July 1999 at the Coast Playhouse.<ref name="Variety 1999">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1999/legit/reviews/die-mommy-die-1117749997|title=Review: ''Die! Mommy! Die!''|first=Robert|last=Hofler|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=July 22, 1999|access-date=March 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-19-ca-57363-story.html|title=Half a Hoot Is Better Than None in the Campy ''Die! Mommy! Die!''|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=Michael|last=Phillips|date=July 19, 1999|access-date=March 30, 2016}}</ref>

===Film and television===
Busch's early film appearances include Ms. Ellen, a fortune teller in drag in ''[[Trouble on the Corner]]'' (1997).<ref>{{cite web |title=Trouble on the Corner (1997) |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/160028/Trouble-on-the-Corner/overview |website=The New York Times |access-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223062544/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/160028/Trouble-on-the-Corner/overview |archive-date=December 23, 2007}}</ref> Busch has twice appeared in film versions of his own plays: ''[[Die, Mommie, Die!]]'' (1999) and the [[comedy horror]] ''[[Psycho Beach Party]]'' (2000). He co-wrote, starred in and directed the film ''[[A Very Serious Person]]'' (2006), which starred [[Polly Bergen]] and received an honorable mention at the [[Tribeca Film Festival]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20120719181013/http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v347402 ''A Very Serious Person''] allrovi.com. Retrieved January 8, 2012</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Kenneth |title=Broadway's Ivey, Bergen, Halston Punctuate Charles Busch Movie, 'A Very Serious Person' |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/broadways-ivey-bergen-halston-punctuate-charles-busch-movie-a-very-serious-person-com-127961 |website=Playbill |access-date=June 30, 2022 |date=September 12, 2005}}</ref> In 2020, Busch co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the film, ''The Sixth Reel'' (2021).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Julie-Halston-Tim-Daly-Andr-De-Shields-and-More-Star-in-Charles-Busch-and-Carl-Andress-New-Film-THE-SIXTH-REEL-20201022 |title=Julie Halston, Tim Daly, André De Shields and More Star in Charles Busch and Carl Andress' New Film The Sixth Reel |last=Rabinowitz |first=Chloe |date=October 22, 2020 |website=[[BroadwayWorld]] |access-date=June 18, 2022}}</ref>

Busch had a recurring role in the [[HBO]] series [[Oz (TV series)|''Oz'']] from 1999 to 2000 (the third and fourth seasons) as [[Nat Ginzburg]], an "effeminate but makeup-free inmate on death row, certainly a departure from his usual glamour girl roles."<ref name="advocate">{{cite magazine|last1=Che|first1=Cathay|title=Charles in Charge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oWMEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Charles+Busch&pg=PA81|magazine=The Advocate|date=March 28, 2000|pages=81–82}}</ref> He wrote television sitcom pilots and movie treatments as a source of extra income while he was a cult performer. He sold three pilots to [[CBS]] that were not produced.<ref name="advocate"/> In 2001, he guest starred on the American soap opera, ''[[One Life to Live]]'', playing Peg Barlow, a woman who owns a modeling agency. Nowhere in the show was it referenced that a male actor was portraying a woman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/entertainment-news/2001/11/14/charles-busch-play-woman-ltigtone-life-liveltigt |title=Charles Busch to play a woman on One Life to Live |date=November 14, 2001 |website=The Advocate |access-date=May 25, 2024}}</ref>

===Stage work, 2000–present===
Busch's work debuted on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in October 2000, when ''[[The Tale of the Allergist's Wife]]'' opened, following an Off-Broadway run in February through April 2000.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Tale of the Allergist's Wife |url=http://www.iobdb.com/Production/129 |website=Internet Off-Broadway Database |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> The play, his first in which he did not star, and the first created for a mainstream audience, was written for actress [[Linda Lavin]],<ref>Shewey, Don. [http://donshewey.com/theater_articles/charles_busch.htm "The Tale of Charles Busch: From Drag Diva to Broadway Farceur"], ''The New York Times'' (reprinted at donshewey.com), October 29, 2000</ref> who played opposite [[Michele Lee]] and [[Tony Roberts (actor)|Tony Roberts]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Brantley |first=Ben |title=THEATER REVIEW; A Woman On the Verge Of Another Breakdown |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/01/theater/theater-review-a-woman-on-the-verge-of-another-breakdown.html |access-date=June 30, 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=March 1, 2000 |page=E5}}</ref> ''Allergist's Wife'' received a 2001 nomination for [[Tony Award for Best Play]] and ran for 777 performances.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Tale of the Allergist's Wife – Broadway Play – Original |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-tale-of-the-allergists-wife-12550 |website=Internet Broadway Database |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> His other Broadway work was rewriting the book for [[Boy George]]'s short-lived autobiographical musical ''[[Taboo (musical)|Taboo]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Simonson |first1=Robert |last2=Gans |first2=Andrew |author1-link=Robert Simonson |title=Charles Busch Working on Book of Musical ''Taboo''; Due in Fall |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/charles-busch-working-on-book-of-musical-taboo-due-in-fall-com-110824 |website=Playbill |access-date=June 30, 2022 |date=January 2, 2003}}</ref> Since 2000, Busch has performed an annual one-night staged reading of his 1984 Christmas play ''Times Square Angel''.<ref>Bacalzo, Dan. [http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city/news/09-2010/charles-busch-to-star-in-times-square-angel-staged_30909.html Charles Busch to Star in ''Times Square Angel'' Staged Reading December 13"], Theatermania.com, September 29, 2010</ref> In January 2003, he headlined a revival of his 1999 play ''Shanghai Moon'', costarring [[BD Wong]], at the Drama Dept, Greenwich House Theatre, New York City.<ref>Somer, Elyse. [http://www.curtainup.com/shanghaimoon.html "A CurtainUp Review. ''Shanghai Moon''"], Curtainup.com, January 17, 2003. Retrieved January 8, 2012</ref>

He has taken the eponymous lead in three productions of ''[[Auntie Mame]]'': a staged reading in 1998; a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in 2003;<ref>{{cite web |last=Gans |first=Andrew |title=All-Star ''Auntie Mame'' Benefit a Sellout |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/all-star-auntie-mame-benefit-a-sellout-com-116338 |website=Playbill |access-date=June 30, 2022 |date=November 14, 2003}}</ref> and a small-scale summer touring production in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |last=Simonson |first=Robert |title=Charles Busch Begins Summer Life as ''Auntie Mame'' on June 28 |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/charles-busch-begins-summer-life-as-auntie-mame-on-june-28-com-120548 |website=Playbill |access-date=June 30, 2022 |date=June 28, 2004}}</ref>

''Our Leading Lady'', Busch's play about [[Laura Keene]], was produced by the [[Manhattan Theater Club]] at the City Center Stage II Theatre, in 2007, and starred [[Kate Mulgrew]].<ref>Cote, David. [http://newyork.timeout.com/arts-culture/theater/3512/our-leading-lady "Review. ''Our Leading Lady'' "], ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] Magazine'' (New York), March 21, 2007</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Our Leading Lady |url=http://www.iobdb.com/Production/4299 |website=Internet Off-Broadway Database |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> His play, ''The Third Story'', premiered at the [[La Jolla Playhouse]] in September 2008 with [[Mary Beth Peil]] as Peg,<ref>McNulty, Charles. [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-third24-2008sep24,0,5636232.story Charles Busch's 'The Third Story' at LaJolla Playhouse"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', September 24, 2008.</ref> and was then produced in New York by MCC Theater at the [[Lucille Lortel Theatre]], starring Busch and [[Kathleen Turner]] (Peg), opening in February 2009.<ref>[[Ben Brantley|Brantley, Ben]]. [http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/theater/reviews/03Brantley.html "Theater Review. For Some Mothers, Letting Go Is So Hard to Do"], ''The New York Times'', February 3, 2009</ref> Busch wrote and starred in a play, ''The Divine Sister'', a satirical take on Hollywood films about religion, including ''[[Doubt (2008 film)|Doubt]]'' and the [[Sound of Music (film)|''Sound of Music'']]. It ran at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City, opening in September 2010.<ref>Brantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/theater/reviews/23divine.html "Theater Review. No Doubt, Not a Typical Singing Nun"], ''The New York Times'', September 22, 2010</ref> In 2013, Busch wrote and starred as Jimmy in the [[Primary Stages]] production of ''The Tribute Artist''.<ref>[https://variety.com/2014/legit/reviews/off-broadway-review-the-tribute-artist-1201094951/ Stasio, Marilyn. "Off Broadway Review: 'The Tribute Artist'".] ''Variety''. February 9, 2014</ref> In March 2019, Busch starred as [[Lucille Ball]] in ''I Loved Lucy'' by playwright Lee Tannen at the Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, New York.

==Performance style and influences==
Busch's style is based on movie star acting rather than naturalistic femininity.<ref name=dragqueenanthology /> Busch later said that he was described as "too thin, too light, which is the euphemism for gay. I was never cast at Northwestern for basically these reasons, and finally, I thought maybe what's most disturbing about me is what is most unique: my theatrical sense, my androgyny, even identifying with old movie actresses".<ref name=gaylesbianbio/> He specializes in [[femmes fatales]]. "I'm an actor playing a role, but it's drag. A lot of drag can be very offensive, but I like to think that in some crazy way the women I play are feminist heroines."<ref name=Picayune>{{cite news|last=Dodds| first=Richard |title= 'Psycho Beach Party' goes from a Joke to a Play|newspaper=Times-Picayune|date=November 16, 1990}}</ref>

Busch said, "I've always played a duality. I guess I've always felt a duality in myself: elegance and vulgarity. There's humor in that. I've always found that fun on stage, as well. It's not enough for me to be the whore. I have to be the whore with pretensions or the great lady with a vulgar streak. It's the duality that I find interesting."<ref name=dragqueenanthology /> Busch generally writes without a political agenda, and he predominantly portrays characters who are white, middle class, gay, and between 20 and 40 years old. Even though Busch worked in a time when gay individuals were viewed and treated differently than straight individuals, straight audiences still enjoyed his work because of his "ability to entertain without creating a members-only atmosphere" (42).<ref name=dragqueenanthology /> <!-- There are some reviews above that give more analysis of Busch's performance style. We should consider consolidating the information here. -->

Busch was inspired by [[Charles Ludlam]], an avant-garde performer and playwright who founded [[Theatre of the Ridiculous|The Ridiculous Theatrical Company]] in 1967 and wrote, directed, and acted in the company's exaggerated, absurdist camp productions. Busch presented his one-man show ''Hollywood Confidential'' in a theater owned by The Ridiculous Theatrical Company in July 1978 at One Sheridan Square, New York. He also appeared for several performances in the company's production of ''Bluebeard'' as Hecate, also in July 1978. Busch said of this experience: "If I had ever entertained a fantasy of working with the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, doing Hecate got it out of my system."<ref>Kaufman, David. [https://books.google.com/books?id=O-1Kbxxw9fwC&dq=%22Charles+Busch%22&pg=PA241 "Charles Busch"], ''Ridiculous!: the theatrical life and times of Charles Ludlam'' (2005), Hal Leonard Corporation, {{ISBN|1-55783-637-X}}, pp. 284–85</ref> Busch has said that he was also inspired by seeing [[Joan Sutherland]]<ref name=Newsmakers/> and [[Zoe Caldwell]] perform when he was a child.<ref name=NYtimes>{{cite news|last=Piepenberg| first=Eric| title= You Never Forget That Star-Struck Encounter With Your Idol | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/theater/02meeting.html |newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 1, 2010 |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> Busch recalled: "When I was about 13 years old, around 1968 or '69, I went to see Zoe Caldwell in ''The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.'' I was so dazzled that I don't think I've ever recovered."<ref name=NYtimes/> In 1991, Busch was performing in his play ''Red Scare on Sunset''. He said that he had difficulty connecting with the audience at one of the performances. Caldwell went backstage after the performance to give him some advice: "'You are so beautiful. But you were pushing too hard. You're much better than that.' ...It's the best lesson I've learned from a famous person."<ref name=NYtimes/> During his run in ''The Tribute Artist'', Busch revealed that he also found inspiration in drag performers [[Charles Pierce (female impersonator)|Charles Pierce]] and [[Lynne Carter]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Ferri |first=Josh |title=Five Burning Questions with The One and Only Charles Busch |url=https://www.broadwaybox.com/daily-scoop/five-burning-questions-with-the-one-and-only-charles-busch/ |website=BroadwayBox |date=February 5, 2014}}</ref>

==Memoir==
Busch released his memoir, ''Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy'', in September 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/731071/leading-lady-by-charles-busch/ |title=''Leading Lady'' by Charles Busch |publisher=[[Penguin Random House]] |access-date=February 24, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ben |last=Brantley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/theater/charles-busch-leading-lady-memoir.html |title=Confessions of a Drag Legend: Charles Busch's Memoir is Here, Darling |date=September 8, 2023 |pages=C1,C4 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 8, 2023 }}</ref> In March 2024 it was shortlisted for the 2024 [[Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir or Biography]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.them.us/story/lambda-literary-awards-2024-shortlist-announcement |title=Announcing the Finalists for the 36th Annual Lambda Literary Awards |work=[[them.]] |date=March 27, 2024 |access-date=April 5, 2024 }}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Work
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |2000
| [[Drama Desk Award]]
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play|Outstanding New Play]]
| rowspan="3" |''[[The Tale of the Allergist's Wife]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
| [[Outer Critics Circle Award]]
| John Gassner Award
| {{won}}
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |2001
| [[55th Tony Awards|Tony Award]]
| [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |2003
| Drama Desk Award
| colspan="2" |Career Achievement Award
| {{won|Honoree}}
|-
| [[Lucille Lortel Award]]
| Outstanding Lead Actor
| ''Shanghai Moon''
| {{nom}}
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |2008
| [[Drama League Award]]
| Distinguished Performance
| ''[[Die, Mommie, Die!]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |2011
| Drama Desk Award
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play|Outstanding Actor in a Play]]
| rowspan="2" | ''The Divine Sister''
| {{nom}}
|-
| Drama League Award
| Distinguished Performance
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |2020
| Drama Desk Award
| Outstanding Actor in a Play
| rowspan="2" |''The Confession of Lily Dare''
| {{nom}}
|-
| Lucille Lortel Award
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
| {{nom}}
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 2024
| <!-- [[36th Lambda Literary Awards|Lambda Literary Awards]] -->[[Lambda Literary Award]]
| [[Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir or Biography|Gay Memoir or Biography]]
| ''Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy''
| {{nom}}
|}

Busch received the Charlie Local and National Comedy Award from the Association of Comedy Artists in 1985 for "special contributions to the art of comedy."<ref name="Newsmakers" /> He also received the Manhattan Academy of Cabaret Award in 1985 and 1993.<ref>Rooney, Terry, editor. ''Newsmakers 1998: The People Behind Today's Headlines.'' Gale Group, 1999. {{ISBN|9780787612306}} p. 80.</ref>

In 2003, he won the Best Performance Award at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] for his performance in the film ''Die Mommie Die!''

He has been honored with a star on the Playwright's Walk of Fame outside the [[Lucille Lortel Theatre]] in New York City and the Legend Award by the Off-Broadway League of Theatres. He was awarded the [[Gingold Theatrical Group]] Golden Shamrock award in 2014.<ref>http://gingoldgroup.org/temp/about-us/golden-shamrock-gala/{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Busch is included in the book ''50 Key Figures in Queer US Theatre'' (2022), with a chapter written by theatre scholar Sean F. Edgecomb.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Edgecomb |first=Sean F. |title=50 Key Figures in Queer US Theatre |publisher=Routledge |year=2022 |isbn=978-1032067964 |editor-last=Noriega and Schildcrout |pages=35–39 |chapter=Charles Busch}}</ref> Busch was inducted into the [[Theater Hall of Fame]] in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Donna Murphy, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Charles Busch and More Inducted into Theater Hall of Fame |url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/204403/donna-murphy-stephen-mckinley-henderson-charles-busch-and-more-inducted-into-theater-hall-of-fame/ |website=Broadway.com |date=July 8, 2024 |access-date=September 1, 2024}}</ref>

==Work==
===Theater===
{| class = "wikitable unsortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Details
! Notes
|-
| rowspan="2"|1976
| ''Sister Act''
| Esther
|
|
|-
| ''Old Coozies''
| Kit
| La Mere Vipere
|
|-
| 1977
| ''Myrtle Pope, the Story of a Woman Possessed''
| Myrtle Pope
| Chicago, Illinois
|
|-
| rowspan="3"|1978
| rowspan="3"|''Hollywood Confidential''
| rowspan="3"| One-man show
| Scene One, New York
| rowspan="3"|Playwright
|-
| The Ridiculous Theatrical Company, One Sheridan Square, NYC
|-
| Hollywood Confidential, Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago
|-
| rowspan=2"|1979
| ''Elephant Woman''
| {{N/a}}
| One Sheridan Square, June 1, 1979
| Replacement
|-
| ''Vagabond Vignettes''
|
| The Duplex, New York
| "That's Show Biz" / "People on a New York Bus" / "La Marquesa"
|-
| 1980
| ''A Theatrical Party''
|
| Performing Garage, New York
|
|-
| 1980
| rowspan="4"|''Charles Busch Alone with a Cast of Thousands''
| rowspan="4"|
| Source Theatre, Washington, DC
| rowspan="4"|Playwright
|-
| 1981
| Valencia Rose, San Francisco
|-
| 1982
| Chicago Gay Arts Festival, Chicago
|-
| 1984
| Indiana Rep, Indianapolis
|-
| 1981
| ''Welcome to Corona''
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1982
| ''Before Our Mother's Eyes''
| David / Andreas
| Theatre for the New City, New York City
|
|-
| ''Charles Busch Works Alone Tonight''
|
| Source Theatre, Washington, DC
| rowspan="8"|Playwright
|-
| 1984
| rowspan="2"|''Sleeping Beauty or Coma''
| rowspan="2"|Fauna Alexander
| Theatre-In-Limbo, Limbo Lounge, New York, NY, October 1984
|-
| 1985
| [[Provincetown Playhouse]], June 19, 1985
|-
| rowspan="2"|1985
| ''[[Vampire Lesbians of Sodom]]''
| Virgin Sacrifice/Madeleine Asarte
| Provincetown Playhouse, June 19, 1985
|-
| ''Times Square Angel''
| Irish O'Flanagan
| Provincetown Playhouse, December 11, 1985
|-
| rowspan="2"|1986
| ''Pardon My Inquisition, or, Kiss the Blood off My Castanets''
| Marquesa del Drago / Maria Garbanza
| Theatre-In-Limbo Limbo Lounge, New York, NY, May 16 – June 1, 1986
|-
| ''Gidget Goes Psychotic''
| rowspan="2"|Chicklet
| Limbo Lounge, October 10–26, 1986
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Psycho Beach Party#Play and productions|Psycho Beach Party]]'' (a.k.a. ''Gidget Goes Psychotic'')
| Players Theatre, July 20, 1987
|-
| rowspan="2"|1988
| ''[[Ankles Aweigh]]''
| {{N/a}}
| Goodspeed Opera House, July–September 1998
| Book
|-
| ''The Lady in Question''
| Gertrude Garnet
| WPA Theatre, November 18, 1988
| Playwright
|-
| rowspan="3"|1991
| ''House of Flowers''
| {{N/a}}
| February 1991
| Book
|-
| rowspan="2"|''Red Scare on Sunset''
| rowspan="2"|Mary Dale
| WPA Theatre, March 19, 1991
| rowspan="2"|Playwright
|-
| Lucille Lortel Theatre, June 21, 1991
|-
| rowspan="2"|1993
| ''[[The Maids]]''
| Solange
| East 13th Street/CSC Theatre, September 21, 1993
|
|-
| ''The Charles Busch Review''
| {{N/a}}
| The Ballroom, February–May 1993, July 13–August 1993
| Written by
|-
| 1994
| ''You Should Be So Lucky''
| Christopher
| Primary Stages, November 2, 1994
| rowspan="3"|Playwright
|-
| 1995
| ''Swingtime Canteen''
| {{N/a}}
| Blue Angel, February 24, 1995
|-
| 1996
| ''Flipping My Wig''
| {{N/a}}
| WPA Theatre, December 19, 1996
|-
| rowspan="2"|1997
| ''The Green Heart''
| {{N/a}}
| Variety Arts Theatre, April 10, 1997
| Book
|-
| ''Queen Amarantha''
| {{N/a}}
| WPA Theatre, October 23, 1997
| Playwright; director
|-
| 1999
| rowspan="2"|''[[Die, Mommie, Die!#Stage version|Die Mommie Die!]]''
| rowspan="2"|Angela Arden
| Coast Playhouse, July 1999
| rowspan="4"|Playwright
|-
| 2007
| [[New World Stages]]/Stage I, October 21, 2007
|-
| 2000
| rowspan="2"|''[[The Tale of the Allergist's Wife]]''
| {{N/a}}
| [[New York City Center]]/Stage II, February 29, 2000
|-
| 2024
| Marjorie Taub
| Sharon Playhouse, September 13, 2024
|-
| rowspan="2"|2003
| ''Shanghai Moon''
| Lady Sylvia Allington
| [[Greenwich House]], January 15, 2003
|
|-
| ''[[Taboo (musical)|Taboo]]''
| {{N/a}}
| The Plymouth Theatre, October 28, 2003
| Book
|-
| 2006
| ''An Oak Tree''
| Father
| [[Barrow Street Theatre]], November 4, 2006
| rowspan="2"|Replacement
|-
| rowspan="2"|2007
| ''Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell''
| {{N/a}}
| [[Minetta Lane Theatre]], March 6, 2007
|-
| ''Our Leading Lady''
| {{N/a}}
| New York City Center/Stage II, March 15, 2007
| rowspan="4"|Playwright
|-
| 2009
| ''The Third Story''
| Queenie Bartlett/Baba Yaga
| [[Lucille Lortel Theatre]], February 2, 2009
|-
| 2010
| ''The Divine Sister''
| Mother Superior
| [[SoHo Playhouse]], September 22, 2010
|-
| 2011
| ''Olive and the Bitter Herbs''
| {{N/a}}
| [[59E59 Theaters]]/Theater A, August 16, 2011
|-
| 2013
| ''Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Musical Mystery''
| {{N/a}}
| DR2 Kids Theatre, February 10 – April 14, 2013
| Written by
|-
| 2014
| ''The Tribute Artist''
| Jimmy
| 59E59 Theaters/Theater A, February 9, 2014
| Playwright
|-
| 2018
| rowspan="2"|''The Confession of Lily Dare''
| rowspan="2"|Lily Dare
| [[Theater for the New City]], April 4, 2018
| rowspan="2"|Playwright
|-
| 2020
| [[Cherry Lane Theatre]], January 29, 2020
|-
| 2019
| ''I Love Lucy''
| Lucille Ball
| Bridge Street Theatre, March 22–23, 2019
|
|-
| 2024
| ''Ibsen's Ghost: An Irresponsible Biographical Fantasy''
| Suzannah Thoresen Ibsen
| [[59E59 Theaters]], March 2 – April 14, 2024
| Playwright
|}

===Filmography===
{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Role
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Gandahar (film)|Gandahar]]''
| Gemnen
| Voice; English-version
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Addams Family Values]]''
| Countess Cousin Aphasia du Berry
|
|-
| 1994
| ''[[It Could Happen to You (1994 film)|It Could Happen to You]]''
| Timothy
|
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Trouble on the Corner]]''
| Ms. Ellen
|
|-
| 1999–2000
| ''[[Oz (TV series)|Oz]]''
| Nat Ginzburg
| 8 episodes
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Psycho Beach Party]]''
| Captain Monica Stark
| Screenplay credit
|-
| 2001
| ''[[One Life to Live]]''
| Peg Barlow
| Guest role
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Frasier]]''
| Mark (voice)
| Episode: "Enemy at the Gate"
|-
| 2003
|''[[Die, Mommie, Die!]]''
| Angela Arden / Barbara Arden
| Screenplay credit
|-
| 2006
| ''[[A Very Serious Person]]''
| Jan
| Screenplay and director credit
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Lipstick Jungle (TV series)|Lipstick Jungle]]''
| Ricardo Bragini
| Episode: "Dressed to Kill"
|-
| 2017
| ''Say What!: A Geriatric Proposal''
| Hayes / Cynthia / Mrs. Weinstein
| Short
|-
| rowspan="2"|2021
| ''The Sixth Reel''
| Jimmy
| Screenplay and director credit
|-
| ''The House Arrest Rooneys''
| Margaret Rooney
| Episode: "Proof of Concept Pilot"
|}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Busch |first=Charles |title=Four Plays |year=1988 |publisher=Fireside Theatre }}
* {{cite book |last=Busch |first=Charles |title=Three Plays |year=1992 |publisher=Fireside Theatre }}
* {{cite book |last=Busch |first=Charles |title=Whores of Lost Atlantis |year=1993 |publisher=Hyperion |isbn=9781562827809}}
* {{cite book |last=Busch |first=Charles |title=The Tale of the Allergist's Wife and Other Plays: Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Psycho Beach Party, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset |year=2001 |publisher=Grove Press |isbn=9780802137852}}
* {{cite book |last=Busch |first=Charles |title=Outrageous! Monologues and the Odd Scene |year=2015 |publisher=Dramatic Publishing |isbn=9781619590250}}
* {{cite book |last=Busch |first=Charles |title=Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy |year=2023 |publisher=[[Smart Pop]] |isbn=9781637744147}}

==Discography==
* ''Charles Busch Live at Feinstein's/54 Below'' (2016)

==References==
{{reflist|33em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://charlesbusch.com/}}
* {{IMDb name|0123958|Charles Busch}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{iobdb name|1940}}
* [https://archives.nypl.org/the/23316 Charles Busch papers, 1967-2015, 1984-2014], held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, [[New York Public Library for the Performing Arts]]
* [https://www.facebook.com/chasbusch Facebook site (official)]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Busch, Charles}}
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