The Confession of Lily Dare NYC Reviews and Tickets

79%

(208 Reviews)

Positive

91%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Entertaining, Funny, Delightful, Great acting, Clever

About the Show

The latest comic melodrama written by and starring Charles Busch tells the story of one woman’s tumultuous passage from convent girl to glittering cabaret chanteuse to infamous madame of a string of brothels.

From the show:

We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our 35th anniversary than by presenting the newest work from one of our most frequent collaborators, legendary master of theatrical parody Charles Busch (best known to Primary Stages audiences from our productions of The Tribute Artist, Olive and the Bitter Herbs, and You Should Be So Lucky). Busch’s newest play, The Confession of Lily Dare, tells the story of one woman’s tumultuous passage from convent girl to glittering cabaret chanteuse to infamous madame of a string of brothels—all while hiding her undying devotion to the child she was forced to abandon. Directed by Busch’s long-time colleague Carl Andress (The Tribute Artist, The Divine Sister), this comic melodrama celebrates the gauzy “confession film” tearjerkers of early 1930s pre-code cinema, such as The Sin of Madelon Claudet, Frisco Jenny, and Madame X.

Member Reviews (208)

Indulgent, Fluffy, Disappointing, Cliched, Banal

See it if Charles Busch trying to do what ludlum and Quinton did so well. The show has some good moments but not many.

Don't see it if If you had camp, drag silly absurdist humor. If you want a more serious show.

Fluffy, Quirky, Indulgent, Disappointing, Ambitious

See it if You like camp theater in an old radio drama style. Quirky and at times funny, talented actors.

Don't see it if You want something new and interesting. The jokes were canned, the humor was campy and trite. So many laughs I didn't understand.

Entertaining, Raunchy, Quirky

See it if your a fan of Charles Busch

Don't see it if you don't like farces.

Entertaining, Melodramatic, Cliched, Campy, Funny

See it if you enjoy parodies and campy melodramas and, ideally, have familiarity with the melodramas of 1930s cinema.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy parodies or melodramas and are looking for something more substantive and/or serious.

Quirky, Disappointing, Funny, Great writing, Dated

See it if You're a fan of Charles Busch, and like really campy shows with funny lines.

Don't see it if You want a throwback to another era that are impeccably timed and tight.

Disappointing, Boring

See it if You want to see Charles Busch in everything he does. Drag alone is enough to amuse you.

Don't see it if You expect truly stylish farce. Really wanted to leave but couldn’t for social reasons.

Sporadically funny, often soporific, the camp is not camp enough so the whole thing sags, Overrated, Great acting, Disappointing

See it if you love Busch so much you want to encourage him

Don't see it if you are hoping for the camp masterpieces of C Ludlam and Everett Quinton. This is quite weak: the camp humor is too muted and undeveloped.

Silly, Disappointing

See it if you know the genre being parodied (early 20th century melodrama) and enjoy camp even when it's cliched.

Don't see it if you're hoping for excellent performances and great comedic timing. I was not impressed by Busch's acting or Andress's direction. Read more

Critic Reviews (16)

CRITIC’S PICK. "Camp and Compassion in 'The Confession of Lily Dare': Charles Busch’s mash-up of mother-love weepies finds both pathos and hilarity in the tough talk of Hollywood divas."
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4/5 Stars. "For audiences today, increasingly removed from the cinematic source, Busch's sensibility is now itself an object of nostalgia, and it is showcased to humbly glorious effect in his latest scrappy melocomedy, 'The Confession of Lily Dare.'"
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"Charles Busch, drag artiste and author of 'The Tale of the Allergist's Wife,' plays the title role in his campy comedy riffing on female-driven 1930s movie melodramas."
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"‘The Confession of Lily Dare’ Is a Side-Splitting Hoot From Charles Busch"
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"Drag Icon Charles Busch Plays a Fallen Woman in 'The Confession of Lily Dare' Not even an earthquake can shake her resolve."
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"Charles Busch Sends Up Pre-Code 'Fallen Woman' Flicks With 'THE CONFESSION OF LILY DARE'"
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"It's a kind of film festival for the stage -- a gloriously cockeyed one, to be sure -- and it provides playwright/star Charles Busch with his most deluxe vehicle of recent seasons."
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4/5 Stars. "As usual with the witty Busch, the script is a Godiva-chocolates-boxful of clever lines."
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Trailer

Creative team