Busch’s Broadway Benefit

The original Broadway cast of The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife reunited for a special reading to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  The idea for the reunion was sparked by Linda Lavin, the leading lady of the original Broadway production.  When she recently staged the play at her North Carolina theatre company, she played the role of the leading lady’s mother, Frieda (played on Broadway by the late Shirl Bernheim).  Linda knew that playwright Charles Busch always coveted the title role, so why not assemble the rest of the original cast and have Charles play Linda’s role while Linda played the mother?  Charles was in, but said that since Lavin played the role to perfection, he’d have to play it the way she did – “in homage”.  “There will be times Linda’s going to feel like she’s acting with herself.”  While Busch slipped into the title role effortlessly, Lavin still stole every scene she was a part of.  As I quipped to Linda, “I can’t think of another actress who returns to a play in which she stole the show 20 years ago, plays a different part, and steals the show again!”  The event proved what a phenomenal piece of writing Busch’s play is – it may even survive the proposed film version starring Bette Midler and Sharon Stone.

Just a few blocks away, the Roundabout Theatre was doing their own benefit reading on the same night.  Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest starred the formidable Angela Lansbury as the meddling Lady Bracknell.  I’m told that Angela gave a terrific performance – obviously I wasn’t there because, contrary to popular belief, I cannot be in two places at the same time (I can, however, be with two men at the same time, should that ever be relevant).  Everyone says Angie seemed thrilled to be back onstage.  The audience loved her, and she looked positively elated at the endless curtain calls.  Two benefits for two great causes.  Only in NYC.

 

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