The Tribute Artist
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Cititour.com Review
You can be guaranteed at least a few things when you go see a Charles Busch play: the star in glamorous “drag,” outrageous and hilarious one-liners, and tons of old movie references. And audiences definitely get all of what they expect in Busch’s new play, “The Tribute Artist,” which is having its world premiere by Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters.
What audiences also receive during this consistently amiable two-act comedy is a surprisingly clever plot. Busch plays Jimmy, a recently fired female impersonator (or as he calls himself, a “tribute artist”) who has returned to the plush Greenwich Village townhouse (spectacularly designed by Anna Louizos) where he rents a room while in New York. On his first night back, his elegant landlady Adriana (Cynthia Harris) suddenly dies. Having revealed that she has no will – and supposedly no friends or relatives – Jimmy and best pal Rita (Julie Halston), a hard-edged, lesbian real estate broker, hatch a “foolproof” plan in which Jimmy will impersonate Adriana until they sell the house, and the pair will reap $12 million in profits.
Naturally, things quickly go awry. First, Adriana’s late husband’s niece, Christina (Mary Bacon) – the rightful owner of the property – arrives with her transgendered teenaged son Oliver (Keira Keeley) to claim her inheritance. And then Oliver, who is instantly besotted with his glamorous great-aunt, finds Adriana’s ex-lover Rodney (Jonathan Walker) on Facebook and creates a surprise reunion. But the former Adonis has not only become a nastier-than-nasty criminal, but quickly figures out the besotted Jimmy’s true identity and blackmails him.
Not everything in the show really adds up, and the play could benefit from a bit of trimming. Moreover, director Carl Andress doesn’t always keep the show’s pacing as farcical as it needs to be. But he does top-notch work with the cast, some of whom have never worked with Busch before, which goes a long way into make the production work so well.
As always, Busch is a hoot, especially when Jimmy keeps slipping in and out of Adriana’s regal voice. His best bit, though, is a late-in-the-play scene when every bit of dialogue is lifted from Hollywood classics. Halston, especially when Rita is in high-dudgeon mode, will simply make you laugh out loud. Her monologue as Rita imagines her bleak future as a homeless alcoholic in Key West is a masterpiece of writing and timing. Moreover, these two stars 30 years’ off-stage friendship once again translates into a delicious, impossible-to-replicate onstage chemistry.
But the efforts of the supporting cast are just as impressive. Walker practically steals the show with his louche sex appeal and tough guy mannerisms; Bacon is remarkably sympathetic as the sad-sack Christina; Keeley is thoroughly convincing as the still-innocent Oliver (nee Rachel); and Harris is brilliantly acerbic in her too-brief role.
“The Tribute Artist” may not be a top-shelf offering from this legendary writer-performer, but I’ll happily play in the Busch league any day.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://primarystages.org/tributeartist
Open/Close Dates
Opening 2/9/2014
Closing 3/30/2014
Theatre Info
59E59 Theaters
59 East 59th St
New York, NY 10022
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