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Tribute Artist: Explain the Busch thing to me

Posted by: NewtonUK 11:39 am EDT 03/17/14
Saw Tribute Artist yesterday - and confess it was against all odds the first Busch play I had ever seen on stage - I even missed 'Tales of an Allergists Wife' his Bway hit. And I see everything.

TA is very long and very slow. Each actor has one thing to play and they play it loudly and broadly all night. Mr Busch as the famous eponymous character has a scene where he does lines from various films (as dialogue in a scene) and Julie Halston annotates for us and those on stage - but Mr Busch makes no effort to impersonate any of the stars he quotes. Is this the joke? That he can't do Marilyn or Mary Astor? That he's bad at it?

And if so, boy it isnt funny.

If I had seen this downtown on a ratty set, in a kind of anarchically low budget production, in a 90 minute version, I might have found some limited charm in it.

But in Anna Louizas sumptuous Village Townhouse set, one expects a terrific grown up play - not a sophomoric one full of vulgar jokes (which arent especially funny) and a mediocre well worn plot which meanders on for scene after scene after scene after scene.

Am I missing the great 'art' of Mr Busch which should make me revel in this mess?

Or is this just a bad example of what he is about. Full disclosure, i napped a bit during both acts. Nothing could keep me awake at this show.


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Previous: Broadway Design Exchange - BroadInTheWay 11:50 am EDT 03/17/14
Next: re: Tribute Artist: Explain the Busch thing to me - perfectlyfrank 01:38 pm EDT 03/18/14

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