A poignant, deliciously anecdotal account of a talented artist's Oz-like journey in the worlds of Off-Broadway, Broadway, and Hollywood
A poignant, deliciously anecdotal account of a talented artist's Oz-like journey in the worlds of Off-Broadway, Broadway, and Hollywood
The Tony Award-nominated writer of The Tale of the Allergist's Wife and the long-running hit Off-Broadway play Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, and a Sundance Festival award winner, Charles Busch has created a unique place in the entertainment world as a playwright, LGBT icon, drag actor, director, and cabaret performer, with his extraordinary gift for both connecting with and channeling the leading ladies of show business.
In wonderfully readable chapters, by turns comic and moving, Charles writes how ever since his mother's death when he was seven, he has sought out surrogate mothers in his life. In his teens, Charles moved to Park Avenue in Manhattan to live with his Auntie Mame-like Aunt Lil, who encouraged and nourished Charles' talents and dreams, and eventually he discovered his gifts for writing plays and performing as a male actress.
Busch also shares his colorful and sometimes outlandish interactions with film and theatrical luminaries including the hilarious comedian Joan Rivers (who became a mother figure to Charles after Aunt Lil's death), Angela Lansbury (who attended her first Passover seder with Charles), Rosie O'Donnell, Claudette Colbert, Valerie Harper, Kim Novak, and many others.
Full of both humor and heart and featuring rare photos, Leading Lady is for readers of entertainment books as well as anyone who enjoys real-life stories of artists who break the mold, ditch the boundaries, and find their own unique way to sparkle.
Industry Reviews
"""A mosaic of reminiscence and self-analysis.""
—The New York Times
""Features wry humor, anecdotal history, impressive candor, and rare photos.""
—Midwest Book Review
""Absolutely captivating . . . This joyful, upbeat, and witty memoir will likely capture the hearts of theater and movie buffs.""
—Library Journal, starred review
""A magical tale of how Charles brought drag into the present by celebrating the glamour of the past.""
—Sarah Jessica Parker
""Leading Lady is both a page-turner with name-drops and a book depicting the thrill of creation. If you aren't sure of Charles Busch's influence on your own world, you will be spellbound, and you will also come away with a new mentor for living an unafraid life true to who you are.""
—Jim Parsons
""Fascinating, elegant, frank, and unputdownable. I devoured this book with a glee that could only be surpassed by watching Charles Busch perform live!""
—Alan Cumming
""I have loved Charles Busch since I first clapped eyes on him—he's an actor, an actress, a writer, a director, a peerless raconteur and wit, and a sentimental gentleman from my favorite school, the old school.""
—Bette Midler
""I'll read, watch, and listen to anything Charles does. Drag and Hollywood royalty combined in one Grande Dame. Leading Lady indeed!""
—Jinkx Monsoon
""A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Turner Classic Movies dated RuPaul's Drag Race and they conceived an adorable little one who grew up to be the lady in question: Charles Busch. Saddle up for a brilliant, hilarity-soaked ride.""
—Bruce Vilanch
""Witty and whimsical, this book is a deep meditation on the divine feminine, a love letter to lovers of movies and memories. It's a stirring, poetic memoir of a life remarkably lived and still living.""
—Margaret Cho
""The artistry of Charles Busch has no equal in the modern theater, with his genuine reverence for the women who inspire him.This memoir left me doubled overwith laughter and choking back tears—sometimes on the same page.""
—Armistead Maupin"
