Lia Chang Photos: Alan Cumming, Sutton Foster, David Pittu, Jarlath Conroy and Gordana Rashovich at Charles Busch’s Judith of Bethulia

Charles Busch as Judith of Bethulia at Theater for the New City. Photo by David Rodgers

From the moment Charles Busch as Judith, a glamorously bejeweled and bedecked redheaded widow, is carried in on a sedan chair by two barely-clad hunks in JUDITH OF BETHULIA, I knew I was in for a singularly swell time as only the award-winning playwright and actor could provide.

Busch’s epic new comedy JUDITH OF BETHULIA is an outrageous and bawdy celebration of the Hollywood Biblical epic, populated with lepers, whores, eunuchs, centurions, evil generals and youthful poets.

Helmed by longtime collaborator Carl Andress, JUDITH OF BETHULIA is playing a limited engagement through Saturday, April 28, 2012 at Theater for the New City’s Cino Theater, 155 First Avenue in New York.

Eric Myers, Charles Busch and Carl Andress. Photo by Lia Chang

I attended the first performance last night with Jarlath Conroy and Gordana Rashovich, who appeared with Busch in the Bay Street Theatre’s 2008 production of Shanghai Moon in Sag Harbor. Alan Cumming, Sutton Foster and David Pittu were also in the house to enjoy this joyful, smart and fiercely funny show.

Jarlath Conroy, Mary Testa and Gordana Rashovich. Photo by Lia Chang

The fearless ensemble of actors with finely tuned comedic chops lead by Busch include Dave August as Conan, Christopher Borg as Urdamani, Larry Bullock as Thor, Jennifer Cody as Naomi, Kendal Sparks as Ozias, Mary Testa as Arga, Jennifer Van Dyck as Nathan, Billy Wheelan as Simon, and John Wojda as Holofernes.

David Pittu, Alan Cumming, Charles Busch and Sutton Foster. Photo by Lia Chang

Busch returns to Theater for the New City following the 2010 world premiere of The Divine Sister which became a sold out hit for the landmark downtown theater. Later that year, Daryl Roth transferred the production to the SoHo Playhouse which became one of the biggest hits of Busch’s legendary Off-Broadway career.

Carl Andress and Christopher Borg. Photo by Lia Chang

The creative team for JUDITH OF BETHULIA includes: Scenic and Graphic Design by B.T. Whitehill, Costume Design by Jessica Jahn, Lighting Design by Kirk Bookman, Sound Design by Jill BC DuBoff, and Wig Design by Katherine Carr.

Alan Cumming and Charles Busch. Photo by Lia Chang

JUDITH OF BETHULIA is one of the hottest tickets in town, with the sold out limited engagement on record before the show even opened. Stop by the Theater for the New City and put yourself on the waitlist for JUDITH OF BETHULIA, you’ll be glad you did.

In order to assist patrons still looking to obtain last minute cancellation tickets, Theater for the New City has a waitlist policy. Anyone interested in being put on a waitlist for a sold out performance can call the Theater for the New City box office at (212) 254-1109 and ask to be placed on a waiting list for any specific performance. Patrons may only request to be on the waiting list for one performance. A maximum of 10 people can be waitlisted for any one performance. Once the maximum is reached for that performance, no further waitlist names will be accepted for that performance.
Tickets for JUDITH OF BETHULIA are $25.00 and seating is general admission.

REMAINING PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
JUDITH OF BETHULIA is dark on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Saturday, March 31 at 8 PM, Sunday at 3 PM.
• Monday, April 2 – Sunday, April 8 (4 Performances): Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 8 PM. Matinee on Sunday at 3 PM. There is no performance Friday, April 6.
• Monday, April 9 – Sunday, April 22 (6 Performances per Week): Wednesday through Saturday at 8 PM. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3 PM.
• Monday, April 23 – Saturday, April 28 (5 Performances): Wednesday through Saturday at 8 PM. Matinee on Saturday at 3 PM.

Join the Judith of Bethulia Facebook group:http://www.facebook.com/JudithBethuliaOnstage

Charles Busch and Carl Andress. Photo by Lia Chang

BIOGRAPHIES
CHARLES BUSCH (Playwright, Judith) is the author and star of such plays as The Divine Sister, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, and The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, which ran for nearly two years on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. He wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays Psycho Beach Party; and Die Mommie, Die!; the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2003, Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright.

CARL ANDRESS (Director). Directing credits include: the world premiere of Charles Busch’s critically acclaimed comedy The Divine Sister (SoHo Playhouse, Theater for the New City – NYT Top 10, 2010); the New York concert premiere of Kander, Ebb and McNally’s musical, The Visit, starring Chita Rivera and John Cullum (Ambassador Theatre); Sheldon Harnick and Joe Raposo’s A Wonderful Life (Shubert Theatre – Time Magazine’s Best in Theater 2005); Die Mommie, Die! (New World Stages); The Third Story starring Kathleen Turner (MCC Theater, La Jolla Playhouse); Charles Busch & Julie Halston Together on Broadway (Music Box Theatre); Douglas Carter Beane’s The Cartells (Drama Dept.); Shanghai Moon (Drama Dept., Bay Street Theatre, Theater for the New City); The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife (Paper Mill Playhouse; Coconut Grove Playhouse; Royal Poinciana Playhouse); Crush the Infamous Thing (Coconut Grove Playhouse); Rum & Coke(Abingdon Theatre); J.A.P. Chronicles – The Musical (Perry Street Theatre); Queen Amarantha (WPA Theater);Times Square Angel (Theater for the New City); It’s Not My Fault, It Was On Fire When I Got There (FringeNYC, Theater for the New City); I Love My Wife and The Mad Show (“Musicals in Mufti” – York Theater Co.); Being Comden & Green (Lyrics & Lyricists – 92nd Street Y); numerous galas and special events, including Valley of the Dolls and A Party for Comden & Green (The Actor’s Fund). Also, co-writer and costar of the independent feature, A Very Serious Person (Tribeca Film Festival, available on DVD). Carl is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
Charles Busch stars in Judith of Bethulia at Theater for the New City, March 30-April 28, 2012
Primary Stages Presents World Premiere of Charles Busch’s “Olive and Bitter Herbs” at 59E59 Theaters
Charles Busch’s THIRD STORY Actors Fund Benefit
Spotlight on Shanghai Moon’s Thom Sesma
Jarlath Conroy set for Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, June 12–July 15, 2012 at Sidney Harman Hall in Washington D.C.
Photos: BD Wong, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tom Viola at Rosie’s Theater Kids Benefit
Mark Bennett Receives Lucille Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Sound Design for An Iliad
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (3pm) with Andre Bishop, Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Philip Kan Gotanda, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Richard Thomas, Jay O. Sanders, and more
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (8pm) with Oskar Eustis, Patti LuPone, Lisa Emery, Ann Harada, Paolo Montalban, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Henry Stram, Richard Thomas, John Weidman and more
Photos: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: In Rehearsal with Director Bartlett Sher and the cast of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan
David Henry Hwang to Receive 2012 William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Charles Busch and Lia Chang. Photo by Jarlath Conroy

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia was the production photographer for the Bay Street Theatre’s 2008 production of Shanghai Moon in Sag Harbor.
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