February 23, 2010

Charles Busch Returns As A Nun


Charles Busch is back on stage and back in the East Village in a new show about nuns called "The Divine Sister".  Busch got his start in that neighborhood back in the early 80's with his long-running show "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" so in some ways, his current run at Theatre for the New City is something of a homecoming.


"The Divine Sister" spoofs on movie nuns more than the real kind, with lots of references to classic movies like "The Sound Of Music", "The Bells of St. Mary's, "The Song Of Sister Bernadette" and even "The DaVinci Code".  The show is a riot of one liners and high camp as Busch and other downtown legend Julie Halston storm around the stage having a grand old time.  If you love the ridiculousness of old Hollywood movies and nuns in general, this show is defintely worth seeing.  


It's been a while since Busch was onstage, having made some movies and written the hugely successful Broadway show "Tale of the Allergists Wife".  But he said recently that he wanted to just do something fun. With "The Divine Sister" , he has succeeded.  Technically, tickets are sold out but you can put your name on a wait list at the box office for cancellations. Or just wait til it moves uptown, where it is surely headed. It's onstage until March 7.