Performances began January 11 at the Cherry Lane Theater for Primary Stages' production of The Confession of Lily Dare by Charles Busch. Joining playwright and performer Busch in the Off-Broadway production are Nancy Anderson, Christopher Borg, Howard McGillin, Kendal Sparks, and Jennifer Van Dyck.
Busch’s latest play follows a woman’s tumultuous passage from convent girl to glittering cabaret chanteuse to infamous madam of a string of brothels—all while hiding her undying devotion to the child she was forced to abandon.
A comic melodrama, the Carl Andress-helmed production celebrates the gauzy “confession film” tearjerkers of early 1930s pre-code cinema, such as The Sin of Madelon Claudet, Frisco Jenny, and Madame X.
The Confession of Lily Dare, which officially opens January 29, features set design by B.T. Whitehill, costume design by Rachel Townsend, lighting design by Kirk Bookman, sound design by Bart Fasbender, wig design by Katherine Carr, and original song and arrangements by Tom Judson. Busch’s costumes will be designed by Jessica Jahn.
