The Tale of the Allergist's Wife
The Tale of the Allergist's Wife is a play by Charles Busch.
In his first play written for a mainstream audience, Busch explores the
mid-life crisis. Unexpectedly invading her depression is flamboyant childhood friend Lee who, much like The Man Who Came to Dinner
, becomes entrenched in the Taub household as a seemingly permanent guest, not only drawing Marjorie out of her dark mood, but affecting her marriage as well.
The original Manhattan Theatre Club production opened on February 29, 2000 and ran for 56 performances. Excellent reviews prompted a move to Broadway. After 25 previews, it opened on November 2, 2000 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, where it ran for 777 performances. The original cast, directed by Lynne Meadow, included Linda Lavin as Marjorie, Tony Roberts as Ira, and Michele Lee as Lee. Later in the run, Lavin was replaced first by Valerie Harper and then by Rhea Perlman, while Richard Kind and Marilu Henner assumed the roles of Ira and Lee.
one-liners . . . Tale has moments cut from the synthetic cloth of television comedy, and it doesn't quite know how to resolve itself. But it earns its wall-to-wall laughs."[1]
Awards and nominations
- Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play (nominee)
- Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award for Outstanding Playwrighting (Charles Busch, winner)
- Tony Award for Best Play (nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play(Linda Lavin, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play(Michele Lee, nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play(nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play (Lavin, nominee)
References
- ^ Brantley, Ben (March 1, 2000). "THEATER REVIEW; A Woman On the Verge Of Another Breakdown". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2022.