Priscilla, Queen of the Camp

Having enjoyed the movie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert I was real curious on how it was going to be turned into a musical. I saw it Saturday matinee (6/4) and what campy fun it is!

The musical follows the plot of the movie very closely but has injected a lot of 80's pop / disco tunes making it so danceable. They do replace the Kylie Minogue songs with Madonna songs to make it more familiar with an American audience (personally, I would've preferred the former.....it preserves the "Aussie-ness" of the show). Nevertheless, I still want a copy of the cast album!

In this version, Tony Sheldon plays Bernadette, Will Swenson as Tick/Mitzi and Nick Adams as Adam/Felicia. Tony Sheldon and Will Swenson were so good at portraying their characters. They moved with such feminine grace and smoothness and got it down to the mannerisms. It's really impressive because it is so easy to fall into caricature with their roles but they have infused their characters with depth and heart. Nick Adams was fun as Felicia but he was also a distraction for me with those abs. Ha Ha!

Big kudos to Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner for the elaborate costumes. I am awestruck with how much detail went into those costumes and how numerous the costume changes were. It's like a fashion show with every change of scene! I also particularly loved how they staged Felicia's scene on top of the bus sitting on the huge high heel shoe. I was wondering how they would do that on stage and it is pretty well staged.

I am actually surprised that I enjoyed this musical more than the movie! There is a very touching scene between Tick and his son (played by angelic voiced Luke Kolbe Mannikus) towards the end of the show. Tick tries to get to know his son and also explains to him who he is and what he does. It's a very "lump in your throat" moment when father and son sing Always On My Mind in counterpoint. I tried to hold back tears and I don't ever remember the movie being this poignant.

The familiar disco/pop songs make the score very danceable. My friends Ariel and Victor says it's the gayest show on Broadway and I would have to agree!

Some photos I took:



Will Swenson


C. David Johnson who played Bob


The stagedoor scene from across the street

In Case You Missed It...

Bette Midler and the cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert on the Today Show. The show opens tomorrow, March 20th.

Don't be a Drag, Just be a Queen

The first movie that I saw Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce in was The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. And I remember how startled I was to see Terence Stamp, who I knew from Superman, play Bernadette the aging transsexual (or transgender as we call them nowadays). I loved the movie for its campy songs, fabulous costumes, and getting a peek into the world of drag queens and the prejudice against them and homosexuals. I've been waiting for Priscilla Queen of the Desert to come to Broadway, and I finally saw it in previews this past weekend. It was everything I wanted it to be---glamorous, poignant, lively,spectacular, touching.
Tony Sheldon originated the role of the sweet, grieving Bernadette in Sydney, then reprised it in the UK and Toronto productions. He is making a fantastic Broadway debut. He/she is the elder "statesman" to Nick Adams's brash and flamboyant Adam/Felicia. Tony-nominated Will Swenson is Tick/Mitzi, who convinces his friends to join him on a road trip through the Australian outback so he can reunite with his son Benji. And also help out his ex-wife Marion (Jessica Phillips) by performing at the casino/hotel that she manages. Aboard their bus Priscilla, their long desert trek puts them in contact with bigots and homophobes. This is where the going gets tough, a sad sign that nothing much has changed since the 1994 movie. With the recent spate of gay teen suicides due to bullying, why can't it get better sooner? Anyway, I think Tony nominations are in order for this show and the actors.
Along the way, they also meet Bob, a kind-hearted mechanic with a Filipino bride Cynthia (J. Elaine Marcos) As a Filipina, I didn't know whether to be amused or offended by Cynthia. All the cast members give terrific performances. Props to the men who wore those outlandish costumes and astronomically high heels. I also liked the 3 women, a Diva chorus if you will: Jacqueline Arnold, Anastacia McCleskey, and Ashley Spencer.
Say what you will about jukebox musicals, but one can make a case that familiar songs do add to the enjoyment of a show. In this case, the film came out anyway long before jukebox musicals were in vogue on stage. They did change some of the songs to make it cater to American tastes. Like Madonna instead of Kylie Minogue. The original Broadway cast album will be available at the Palace Theatre starting 15 March. You can buy them from stores or online on 05 April.
Get ready for a visual feast. But past all that, you will be moved by this show that touches on tolerance, equality, and how as humans, we share the same aspirations, fears, dreams. At its dazzling heart, it's also a story about families: the ones we were born to, and the ones we make. Run in your heels to see this musical. The show opens on the 20th of March.