"Ibsen's Ghost" Is Hilariously Entertaining, But Leaves One Wanting More!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                When David or I see the name Charles Busch listed as presenting one of his plays, we run to it.  "Ibsen's Ghost" was no exception.  The play, which we saw last Sunday--Easter, can you imagine it, darlings??????????--turned out to be both more and less than what I expected.

                                   The cleverness of the title led me to expect a literal spoof of the Ibsen play, "Ghosts."  What one gets is the tale of Ibsen's widow who wants to cling to and benefit from her husband's fame.

                                       The set is so period, I was expecting an Ibsen play.  And when Busch comes on, like Tallulah Bankhead on crack, I kept thinking how interesting it would be for Busch to play Regina Giddens as written in a literal production of "The Little Foxes."

                                         Though the play ran two hours, with a 15-minute intermission, it seemed longer. Good as Busch was, he was helped enormously by Judy Kaye as a kind of Vera Charles type, and a scene stealing turn by Jen Cody, as handicapped maid, Gerta.  Carl Andress directed with his usual competent sure hand.

                                            Which is the problem.  The production is simply competent, not exceptional.  Is Busch losing his touch?  Because the idea has potential.  Or has he lost touch with what his audiences really want?????????????  Perhaps he should take a look at Cole Escola and "Oh, Mary!"  Now, there is some originality.

                                                 "Ibsen's Ghost" not only is not one of Busch's best., but it does also not reach the potential to which it seems to be aspiring.

                                                    Busch needs to return to the campiness of something like "The Divine Sister."

                                                      Theater Queens should see it, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!