Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (musical)

Last updated

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The Musical
Priscilla Cast Album.jpg
MusicVarious Artists
LyricsVarious Artists
Book Stephan Elliott
Allan Scott
BasisThe 1994 motion picture The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert written by Stephan Elliott
Productions2006 Sydney
2009 West End
2011 Broadway
2013 US tour
2013 UK tour
2015 UK tour
2019 UK tour

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a jukebox musical with book by Australian film director-writer Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, using well-known pop songs as its score. Adapted from Elliott's 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert , the musical tells the story of two drag queens and a trans woman, who contract to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs, a resort town in the remote Australian desert. As they head west from Sydney aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla, the three friends come to the forefront of a comedy of errors, encountering a number of strange characters, as well as incidents of homophobia, while widening comfort zones and finding new horizons.

Contents

Produced by Allan Scott in coalition with Back Row Productions, Michael Chugg, Michael Hamlyn and John Frost, the Simon Phillips-directed and Ross Coleman-choreographed original production of Priscilla debuted in Australia at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney in October 2006. Having had a successful run in Sydney, the production transferred to Melbourne in 2007 and then Auckland, New Zealand in 2008, before returning to Sydney for a limited engagement. The Australasian success of Priscilla provoked a two-year strong West End production in addition to its Bette Midler-produced Broadway debut in 2011. While the original production received one out of its seven Helpmann Award nominations, Priscilla was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical as well as two Tony Awards, winning these awards in the costume design categories.

Synopsis

Act I

The drag queen Mitzi Mitosis – stage name of Anthony "Tick" Belrose – is performing at a club ("Downtown" [Australia and London]/"I've Never Been to Me"; "It's Raining Men" [Broadway]) when his estranged wife Marion, calls in for a favour. While Tick is offstage, fellow drag queen Miss Understanding performs her own number ("What's Love Got to Do With It?"). From the phone in Tick's dressing room, Marion reveals that she needs an act for a few weeks at her business in distant Alice Springs, Australia. Tick is at first reluctant, but Marion informs him that part of the reason she's asking is because their now eight-year-old son Benji wants to meet his father ("I Say A Little Prayer"). Tick confides in another fellow drag queen Farrah, before deciding he will leave for Alice Springs. Tick then calls a friend, a transgender woman named Bernadette to join him but Bernadette's husband has just died. The pair meet at the funeral ("Don't Leave Me This Way"), where Bernadette agrees to join him. Tick also asks a friend Felicia – stage name of Adam Whitely – to come with them ("Venus"/"Material Girl"), with Bernadette taking an immediate dislike to his show-off performance style. Nonetheless, the newly formed trio buy a "budget Barbie campervan" they nickname "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" ("Go West"). Tick informs them that the trip is a favour to his wife, but does not tell them it is also to meet his son who wants to see him ("I Say A Little Prayer (Reprise)"). As the journey to Alice Springs begins, Adam angers Bernadette after making transphobic jokes about her life before transitioning. Later the group arrives at a bar in Broken Hill, in full drag, and start a bar dance party ("I Love the Nightlife"), but when they return to the bus learn that the townspeople wrote hateful statements on the bus in spray paint. Tick is very upset, but Adam and Bernadette comfort him ("Both Sides, Now"/"True Colors"). While on the road, Adam practices his lip-syncing as Felicia sitting in the giant high heel on the roof of the van ("Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Sempre libera (from La traviata)"). The next morning, Priscilla breaks down and Adam buys lavender paint to erase the vandalism ("Colour My World"). They manage to get the locals of another town on their side and meet Bob, a mechanic from a small town nearby who agrees to help fix Priscilla. The group celebrates that they've found people that accept them ("I Will Survive").

Act II

The second act opens with a group of bogans singing ("Thank God I'm A Country Boy"). Bernadette talks with Bob and learns that when he was in Sydney, he saw her when she was a young "Les Girl" ("A Fine Romance"). The two begin to grow feelings for each other. Later in a bar ("Thank God I'm A Country Boy Reprise"), the trio is about to perform ("Shake Your Groove Thing") when Cynthia, Bob's wife, interrupts their act by "popping" ping-pong balls ("Pop Muzik"). After this, the trio leaves, leaving Bob to wonder about his feelings for Bernadette ("A Fine Romance (Reprise)"). All of a sudden, Bernadette asks if he wants a free ride back to his real home, in which he agrees ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"). Later when they arrive, Adam dresses up like a woman to try to meet men ("Hot Stuff"), but ends up getting chased and nearly becomes the victim of a hate crime until Bernadette rescues him by kicking one of his attackers. Later as they arrive in Alice Springs, Tick reflects on the trip after someone literally leaves the cake out in the rain ("MacArthur Park"). As another act performs first ("Boogie Wonderland"), the trio gets ready to perform a variety of songs that they sang or lip-synced on their journey ("The Floor Show"). Afterwards, Tick finally meets his son, Benji, who accepts his father's sexuality and lifestyle ("Always on My Mind/I Say a Little Prayer") and Adam gets to perform his own solo Madonna hit, ("Like A Prayer" [Broadway]; "Confide in Me/Kylie Medley" [Australia and West End]), his favorite singer. Afterwards the gang talks about their plans after Alice Springs, and realize they can't leave each other ("We Belong"). They go off stage together and the company performs a medley of songs to close the show ("Finally (Finale)").

Cast information

Original casts
CharacterAustraliaWest EndBroadwayOriginal

UK Tour

Original

US Tour

10th Anniversary Australia Tour
Anthony "Tick" Belrose ("Mitzi Mitosis") Jeremy Stanford Jason Donovan Will Swenson Jason Donovan, Noel Sullivan Wade McCollum David Harris
Bernadette Bassenger Tony Sheldon Richard GrieveScott Willis Tony Sheldon
Adam Whitely ("Felicia Jollygoodfellow") Daniel Scott Oliver Thornton Nick Adams Graham WeaverBryan Buscher-WestEuan Doidge
Bob Michael Caton Clive Carter C. David Johnson Giles Watling Joe HartRobert Grubb
The DivasDanielle Barnes, Sophie Carter, Amelia Cormack Zoe Birkett, Kate Gillespie, Emma LindarsJacqueline Arnold, Anastacia McCleskey, Ashley Spencer Emma Kingston, Laura Mansell, Ellie Leah Emily Afton, Bre Jackson, Brit WestCle Morgan, Samm Hagen, Angelique Cassimatis
Miss Understanding Trevor Ashley Wesley Sebastian Nathan Lee Graham Alan HunterNik AlexzanderBlake Appelqvist
MarionMarney McQueenAmy Field, Yvette Robinson* Jessica Phillips Julie StarkChristy FaberAdele Parkinson
CynthiaLena CruzKanako NakanoJ. Elaine Marcos Frances Mayli McCann Chelsea ZenoLena Cruz
***Farrah / Young BernadetteDamien RossSteven CleverleySteve SchepisRegan ShepherdTravis TaberAdam Noviello
Shirley Genevieve Lemon Daniele Coombe Keala Settle Ellie LeahBabs RubensteinEmma Powell
JimmyKirk PageTristan TempleJames Brown IIITaurean Everett
Frank Ben Lewis John BrannochMike McGowanLeon KayDavid Koch
Benjamin**Joshua Arkey, Alec Epsimos, Rowan Scott, Joel SlaterGene Goodman, Red Walker, Cameron Sayers, Darius CapleLuke Mannikus, Ashton WoerzVariousShane Davis, Will B.Samuel Boyden, Sebastian Cocks, Aaron David, William Fleming, Ryder Hewison, Nikolas Karagianis, Elijah Slavinskis, Lenny Thomas, and Various others

*In the West End production, the role of Marion was played by Yvette Robinson whilst Amy Field was on maternity leave (1 December 2009 – 25 September 2010).
**In every production, the role of Benjamin is played by more than one actor, each alternating at certain performances, due to their young age. In the UK Tour the role of Benji was shared between around 30 different boys up and down the UK.

***In some productions (only) Farrah and Young Bernadette were played by the same Actor.

Productions

Australia (2006–08)

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert premiered on 7 October 2006 at the Lyric Theatre, Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia and ended its run on 2 September 2007. [1] Directed by Melbourne Theatre Company artistic director Simon Phillips, it starred Tony Sheldon as Bernadette, Jeremy Stanford as Tick/Mitzi and Daniel Scott as Adam/Felicia with Michael Caton as Bob and Joshua Arkey, Alec Epsimos, Rowan Scott and Joel Slater as Benjamin.

The Sydney production transferred to the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, beginning previews on 28 September 2007 before opening on 6 October 2007. The show closed on 27 April 2008 to make way for the Australian premiere of Wicked . [2]

The Melbourne production transferred to Auckland in New Zealand for a limited run, opening on 28 May 2008 and closed on 6 July 2008.

The musical returned to the Star City Hotel and Casino in Sydney on 7 October 2008 for the second anniversary of the show's premiere and closed on 21 December 2008. The show starred original cast members Sheldon and Scott, alongside Todd McKenney as Tick/Mitzi and Bill Hunter as Bob. [3]

West End (2009–11)

The London production of the musical version of the film, December 2011 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in London.JPG
The London production of the musical version of the film, December 2011

A West End production started previews on 10 March 2009 at the Palace Theatre with the opening press night on 23 March. It is co-produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group and directed by Simon Phillips with musical arrangements by Stephen 'Spud' Murphy, choreography by Ross Coleman, costume designs by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, production designs by Brian Thomson, and lighting by Nick Schlieper. [4] The original cast included Jason Donovan as Mitzi (aka "Tick"), Tony Sheldon as Bernadette, and Oliver Thornton as Adam/Felicia. [4] [5] Notable replacements include Ben Richards as Tick/Mitzi, Don Gallagher as Bernadette, Portia Emare as one of the Divas and Ray Meagher as Bob. The West End production closed on 31 December 2011. [6]

Toronto (2010–11)

The musical opened on 12 October 2010 at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto as a Pre-Broadway tryout. The musical featured all of the Broadway cast with a new production team. It received largely positive reviews and strong ticket sales. The musical played for 12 weeks, a month longer than originally planned, closing on 2 January 2011. Several modifications were made to the production.

Broadway (2011–12)

Priscilla premiered on Broadway on 20 March 2011 at the Palace Theatre with previews beginning 28 February 2011. [7] Before opening on Broadway, the show made its North American debut at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto for a limited 12-week tryout.

The original cast included Will Swenson as Tick/Mitzi, Tony Sheldon, again, reprising his role of Bernadette, and Nick Adams as Adam/Felicia. [8] Choreography is by Ross Coleman, set design by Brian Thomson, lighting design by Nick Schlieper and costume designs by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. [7] Producers include Bette Midler, who joined the production team after seeing the West End production; [9] Liz Koops and Garry McQuinn for Back Row Productions; Michael Hamlyn for Specific Films; Allan Scott Productions; David Mirvish; Roy Furman; Terry Allen Kramer; James L. Nederlander; and Terri and Timothy Childs. [7]

The Broadway cast album was recorded in late January 2011 on Rhino Records for release on 15 March 2011. [10] The production released video footage from their North American premiere on Tuesday, 15 February. [11] The Broadway production closed on 24 June 2012 after 23 previews and 526 performances. [12]

Italy (2011–14)

An Italian production opened on 14 December 2011, only a few months after the Broadway debut, at the Teatro Ciak in Milan, where it ran until 30 April 2012. The cast included Antonello Angiolillo as Tick/Mitzi, Simone Leonardi as Bernadette, and Mirko Ranù as Adam/Felicia. Later the show was transferred to Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan (from 6 November to 31 December 2012), to Teatro Brancaccio in Rome (from 24 January 2013 to 21 April 2013), [13] and to Politeama Rossetti in Trieste (from 10 to 26 May 2013).

After an hiatus, the production embarked on a tour, opening on 31 October 2013 at the Teatro Alfieri in Turin and concluding on 19 January 2014 at the Gran Teatro in Rome, with some changes in the cast, including Marco D'Alberti as Bernadette, and Riccardo Sinisi as Adam/Felicia.

São Paulo (2012)

In Brazil Priscilla ran at the Teatro Bradesco, São Paulo, from 16 March to 9 December 2012, produced by GEO Eventos, BASE Entertainment and Nullarbor Productions, and starring Luciano Andrey as Tick/Mitzi, Rubén Gabira as Bernadette, André Torquato as Adam/Felicia, Li Martins as Cynthia and Saulo Vasconcelos as Bob. The production included the Brazilian disco anthem "Dancing Days" during the final bows. [14]

US National Tour (2013)

Entrance to Broken Hill. (Pictured left to right): Wade McCollum (Tick/Mitzi), Scott Willis (Bernadette) and Bryan West (Adam/Felicia). Entrance to Broken Hill -.jpg
Entrance to Broken Hill. (Pictured left to right): Wade McCollum (Tick/Mitzi), Scott Willis (Bernadette) and Bryan West (Adam/Felicia).

After the show closed on Broadway, a national tour opened on 8 January 2013 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota with Wade McCollum as Tick/Mitzi, Scott Willis as Bernadette, and Bryan West as Adam/Felicia. [15] The tour played its final performance on 17 November 2013 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington. [16]

UK National Tour (2013–14)

The first UK tour started on 9 February 2013 at the Opera House in Manchester and concluded on 12 April 2014 at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth. [17] Jason Donovan and Noel Sullivan alternated as Tick/Mitzi, [18] with Richard Grieve as Bernadette, and Graham Weaver as Adam/Felicia. The tour included the changes made for the Broadway production, except for the songs by Madonna.

Stockholm (2013)

A Swedish production ran from 21 September 2013 to 18 May 2014 at the Göta Lejon in Stockholm, with Patrik Martinsson as Tick/Mitzi, Björn Kjellman as Bernadette, Erik Høiby as Adam/Felicia, and Pernilla Wahlgren as one of the Divas. [19]

Argentina (2014–15)

A non-replica staging premiered on 5 February 2014 at the Teatro Lola Membrives, Buenos Aires, starring Alejandro Paker as Tick/Mitzi, Pepe Cibrián Campoy as Bernadette, and Juan Gil Navarro as Adam/Felicia. [20] The Buenos Aires production closed on 31 August 2014 and then was transferred to Teatro Candilejas in Villa Carlos Paz, with Alejandro Paker reprising as Tick/Mitzi, Moria Casán as Bernadette, and Diego Ramos as Adam/Felicia. [21]

Athens (2014)

In Greece the show opened on 6 May 2014 at the Badminton Theater in Athens, where it ran until 15 June 2014, with Giorgos Kapoutzidis as Tick/Mitzi, Fotis Sergoulopoulos as Bernadette, and Panagiotis Petrakis as Adam/Felicia. After an hiatus, the production returned to the Badminton Theater from 26 September to 5 October 2014.

Manila and Singapore (2014)

A non-replica production ran from 9 May to 13 July 2014 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila, with Leo Tavarro Valdez as Tick/Mitzi, Jon Santos as Bernadette, and Red Concepción as Adam/Felicia. [22]

After a limited engagement from 16 to 26 October 2014 at the Resorts World Theatre in Sentosa, Singapore, [23] the production came back to the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Manila from 28 November to 7 December 2014.

Seoul (2014)

Jo Kwon from the band 2AM played Adam in a Korean production which ran from 3 July to 28 September 2014 at the LG Arts Center in Seoul. [24]

Spain (2014–2018)

In Spain Priscilla premiered on 2 October 2014 at the Nuevo Teatro Alcalá, Madrid, with Jaime Zataraín as Tick/Mitzi, Mariano Peña and José Luis Mosquera alternating as Bernadette, Christian Escuredo as Adam/Felicia, David Venancio Muro as Bob, Rossana Carraro, Patricia del Olmo and Aminata Sow as The Divas, Susan Martín as Marion, Cristina Rueda as Shirley, Etheria Chan as Cynthia, and Alejandro Vera as Miss Understanding. [25]

After the show closed in Madrid on 28 February 2016, the production embarked on a national tour, opening on 5 August 2016 at the Teatro Jovellanos in Gijón and finishing on 25 February 2018 at the Teatro Principal in Vitoria-Gasteiz. [26] [27]

Italy (2015)

Another Italian tour kicked off on 27 May 2015 at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan, starring Cristian Ruiz as Tick/Mitzi, Marco D'Alberti as Bernadette, and Riccardo Sinisi as Adam/Felicia. The tour played its final performance on 8 November 2015 at the Teatro Coccia in Novara. [28]

UK National Tour (2015–16)

A second UK tour started on 25 August 2015 at the Opera House in Manchester, with Jason Donovan and Duncan James (and Darren Day from February 2016) alternating as Tick/Mitzi, Simon Green as Bernadette, and Adam Bailey as Adam/Felicia, [29] [30] and closed on 18 June 2016 at the New Theatre in Oxford, including stops in London (at the New Wimbledon Theatre from 5 to 10 October 2015) [31] and Amsterdam (at the Koninklijk Theater Carré from 10 to 22 November 2015). [32] After the tour ended, the production was transferred to Israel for a limited engagement at the Menora Mivtachim Arena, Tel Aviv from 4 to 9 July 2016. [33]

Norwegian Epic Cruise Ship

In October 2015, an adapted, shorter version of Priscilla premiered onboard Norwegian Cruise Lines cruise ship Norwegian Epic. [34]

Auckland (2016)

Eight years after the first run in Auckland, the show returned to the Civic Theatre from 16 October to 13 November 2016, starring Bryan West as Tick/Mitzi, Simon Green as Bernadette, and André Torquato as Adam/Felicia. [35]

Tokyo (2016)

From 8 to 29 December 2016, Priscilla ran at the Nissay Theatre, Tokyo, with Ikusaburo Yamazaki as Tick/Mitzi, Takanori Jinnai as Bernadette, and Yunhak from Supernova and Keita Furuya alternating as Adam/Felicia. [36]

Paris (2017–2018)

The show ran at the Casino de Paris from 25 February 2017 to 7 July 2018, starring Laurent Bàn as Tick/Mitzi, David Alexis as Bernadette, and Jimmy Bourcereau as Adam/Felicia. [37]

After closing in Paris, the production was expected to embark on a national tour, set to launch in January 2019, but it was cancelled due to poor ticket sales. [38]

South Africa and Hong Kong (2017)

A South African production ran at the Cape Town Artscape Theatre from 28 March to 23 April 2017, and at the Johannesburg's Teatro at Montecasino from 28 April to 18 June 2017, with Daniel Buys as Tick/Mitzi, David Dennis as Bernadette, and Phillip Schnetler as Adam/Felicia. [39]

Following the season in South Africa, the production was transferred to the Lyric Theatre in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 29 September to 22 October 2017. [40]

Munich and St. Gallen (2017–2021)

From 14 December 2017 to 12 April 2018, a non-replica production ran at the Gärtnerplatztheater, Munich, with Armin Kahl as Tick/Mitzi, Erwin Windegger as Bernadette, and Terry Alfaro as Adam/Felicia, before transferring to the Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland, from 23 February to 31 May 2019. Additional engagements included new runs at both the Gärtnerplatztheater (15 to 24 July 2019, 4 to 16 February 2020, and 21 to 31 October 2021) and the Theater St. Gallen (15 September 2019 to 4 January 2020). [41] [42]

Australia (2018)

A tour to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the show began performances on 21 January 2018 at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, with David Harris as Tick/Mitzi, Tony Sheldon reprising his role of Bernadette, and Euan Doidge as Adam/Felicia. After visiting the Capitol Theatre in Sydney and the Festival Theatre in Adelaide, the production played its final performance on 4 November 2018 at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane. [43]

Italy (2018–2020)

Another Italian tour started on 15 December 2018 at the Creberg Teatro in Bergamo, starring Cristian Ruiz as Tick/Mitzi, Manuel Frattini as Bernadette, and Mirko Ranù as Adam/Felicia, [44] and finished on 21 April 2019 at the Gran Teatro Morato in Brescia. After an hiatus, the tour restarted on 12 December 2019 at the Teatro Brancaccio in Rome, with Cristian Ruiz reprising as Tick/Mitzi, Simone Leonardi as Bernadette, and Pedro Antonio Batista González as Adam/Felicia, and concluded on 16 February 2000 at the Teatro Municipal in Reggio Emilia. [45]

Tokyo (2019)

Three years after its Japanese debut, Priscilla returned to the Nissay Theatre, Tokyo, for a second limited engagement from 9 to 30 March 2019, with the same lead cast. [46]

UK National Tour (2019–2021)

On 5 September 2019 a non-replica UK tour launched at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford, starring Joe McFadden as Tick/Mitzi, Miles Western as Bernadette, Nick Hayes as Adam/Felicia, Daniel Fletcher as Bob, Claudia Kariuki, Rosie Glossop, and Aiesha Pease as The Divas, Miranda Wilford as Marion, Jacqui Sanchez as Cynthia, and Kevin Yates as Miss Understanding. This version of the show was produced by Jason Donovan and includes new designs by Phil R Daniels and Charles Cusick Smith, lighting by Ben Cracknell, sound by Ben Harrison, musical supervision by Stephen 'Spud' Murphy and Richard Weeden, musical direction by Sean Green, choreography by Tom Jackson-Greaves, and direction by Ian Talbot OBE. [47] On 15 March 2020, the tour was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and did not reopen until 21 June 2021, having its final performance on 6 November 2021 at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow. [48]

Linz (2022)

A a non-replica production ran from 1 January to 10 June 2022 at the Landestheater, Linz, with Karsten Kenzel as Tick/Mitzi, David Arnsperger as Bernadette and Gernot Romic as Adam/Felicia. [49]

Helsinki (2022–2023)

From 25 August 2022 to 6 May 2023, a non-replica production ran at the Helsinki City Theatre, starring Lauri Mikkola as Tick/Mitzi, Clarissa Jäärni as Bernadette and Niki Rautén as Adam/Felicia. [50]

Wroclaw (2022–)

A non-replica production premiered at the Capitol Theater in Wrocław on 8 October 2022, with an audience preview the night before. Mitzi/Tick is portrayed by Albert Pyśk and Michał Zborowski, Bernadette by Justyna Antoniak and Justyna Szafran, and Adam/Felicia by Rafał Derkacz. [51]

Priscilla the Party! (2024)

An immersive version of the show, Priscilla the Party!, also directed by Simon Phillips, opened on 25 March 2024 at HERE at Outernet in London, with Owain Williams as Tick/Mitzi, Dakota Starr as Bernadette and Reece Kerridge as Adam/Felicia. [52] The show closed on 26 May 2024, four months earlier than expected due to financial difficulties. [53]

Mexico City (2024–)

A non-replica production premiered on 2 August 2024 at the Centro Teatral Manolo Fábregas in Mexico City, starring Jesús Zavala as Tick/Mitzi, Alejandra Bogue and Roshell Terranova alternating as Bernadette, and José Peralta as Adam/Felicia. [54]

Spain (2024–)

A second Spanish production officially opened on 3 October 2024 at the Teatre Tívoli, Barcelona, with Víctor González as Tick/Mitzi, Sharonne as Bernadette, Daniel Garod as Adam/Felicia, Esteban Oliver as Bob, Rossana Carraro, Anna Lagares and Paula Moncada as The Divas, Sara Navacerrada as Marion, Malia Conde as Shirley, Etheria Chan as Cynthia, and Raúl Maro as Miss Understanding. [55]

Musical numbers

Original Australian and New Zealand production

Amendments for the West End production

Broadway and Internationally

UK Tour

10th Anniversary Australian Production 2018

Recordings

A cast recording of the original Australian production was released on 29 September 2007; [56] both in stores and on the Australian iTunes. All songs, with the exception of the reprise of "Go West", from the original Australian production are present on the recording and are performed by the original Australian cast. A Broadway cast recording was released on 5 April 2011.

Critical reception

In reviewing the West End production, the London Evening Standard (thisislondon) reviewer wrote: "From the first moments when three divas hang suspended high above a silver-spangled bridge and belt out Downtown, the show never loses its spectacular, helter-skelter momentum of songs to which the drag queens lip-sync." [57]

Reviews for the Toronto production include praise for the costumes from the Globe and Mail: "The costumes designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, the same team that won an Oscar for the movie, are a fabulous mix of Village People meet Tim Burton culminating in, at the curtain call, a whole crass menagerie of dragged-up koalas and 'roos." The Star favorably wrote: "This eye-popping, ear-pleasing, toe-tapping honey of a show moves like a cyclone from start to finish and will leave you gasping for breath on numerous occasions, thanks to its spectacular spectacle, its raunchy humour and its virtuoso performances." [58]

Dispute over use of recorded music

Use of a recorded string section in the Broadway production of Priscilla led to a dispute between producers and the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). The AFM argues that using recordings in place of live music is a marginal cost-saving measure which cheats audiences of the full, rich sound of a live orchestra. Producers argued that the artistic conception of the show requires a "synthetic pop flavor" that can only be achieved with recorded music. AFM member Scott Frankel, who composed the music for Grey Gardens , stated: "What is most special about seeing a Broadway musical, rather than some other art form, is the interaction between the orchestra musicians and the performers onstage". [59]

Awards and nominations

Original Sydney production

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2008 Sydney Theatre Awards Best Production of a MusicalWon
Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical Todd McKenney Nominated
Tony Sheldon Won
ARIA Music Awards [60] Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album Nominated

Original West End production

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2010 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical Nominated
Best Actor in a Musical Tony Sheldon Nominated
Best Costume Design Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner Won

Original Broadway production

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2011 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Tony Sheldon Nominated
Best Costume Design Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated
Outstanding Book of a Musical Allan Scott and Stephan Elliott Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Tony Sheldon Nominated
Outstanding Costume Design Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner Won
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Broadway MusicalNominated
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Tony Sheldon Nominated
Outstanding Costume DesignTim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner Won
Outstanding ChoreographerRoss ColemanNominated
Drama League Award Distinguished Production of a MusicalNominated
Astaire Award Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show Nick Adams Nominated
Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway ShowJ. Elaine MarcosNominated
Theatre World Award Tony Sheldon Won

Related Research Articles

<i>The Rocky Horror Show</i> 1973 musical by Richard OBrien

The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the science fiction and horror genres from the 1930s to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist, Dr Frank-N-Furter, unveiling his new creation, Rocky, a sort of Frankenstein-style monster in the form of an artificially made, fully grown, physically perfect muscle man complete "with blond hair and a tan".

<i>The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert</i> 1994 Australian film by Stephan Elliott

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transvestite man played by Terence Stamp, as they journey across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a tour bus that they have named "Priscilla", along the way encountering various groups and individuals.

Darren Day is an English actor, singer and television presenter, known for his West End theatre starring roles.

<i>Tick, Tick... Boom!</i> Musical by Jonathan Larson

Tick, Tick... Boom! is a musical by Jonathan Larson. It tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. Jon is worried he has made the wrong career choice to be part of the performing arts. The story is semi-autobiographical, as stated by Larson's father in the liner notes of the cast recording – Larson had been trying to establish himself in theater since the early 1980s.

<i>Pippin</i> (musical) Musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Pippin is a 1972 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson. Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the libretto. The musical uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by the Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for meaning and significance. The 'fourth wall' is broken numerous times during most traditional productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Arcelus</span> American actor (born 1976)

Sebastian Arcelus is an American actor, best known for his roles as Lucas Goodwin on the Netflix thriller series House of Cards (2013–2016) and Jay Whitman on the CBS political drama series Madam Secretary (2014–2019). Arcelus began his acting career in the early 2000s and spent the first decade of his career on Broadway, having played Roger in Rent, Fiyero in Wicked, Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys, and Buddy in Elf, among other roles. He returned to Broadway with the 2022 revival of Into the Woods and its subsequent national tour.

<i>The Witches of Eastwick</i> (musical) Musical

The Witches of Eastwick is a 2000 musical based on the 1984 novel of the same name by John Updike. It was adapted by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe (music), directed by Eric Schaeffer, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh.

<i>Memphis</i> (musical) Musical

Memphis is a musical with music by David Bryan, lyrics by Bryan and Joe DiPietro, and a book by DiPietro.

Richard Grieve is an Australian actor, who has worked extensively in film, television, theatre and musical theatre, but is perhaps best known for his roles in the British soap Emmerdale, and two Australian television series, Neighbours and Home and Away.

Jarrod Emick is an American actor who primarily acts in musicals. He received a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Theatre World Award for his performance in the 1994 revival of Damn Yankees.

Daniel Scott was an Australian actor, probably best known for his performance in the stage production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norm Lewis</span> American actor, singer (born 1963)

Norm Lewis is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared on Broadway and in London'sWest End, film, television, recordings and regional theatre. He’s also noted for his wide vocal range. Lewis was the second African-American actor after Robert Guillaume to perform in the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and the first one to do so in the Broadway production. In 2023, he reprised the role in the show's sequel, Love Never Dies, in the West End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Swenson (actor)</span> American actor and singer

Will Swenson is an American actor and singer best known for his work in musical theatre. He also has developed a film career, primarily in LDS cinema.

Oliver Rhoe Thornton is a Welsh stage actor and singer who is best known for his contributions to musical theatre in London's West End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Adams (actor, born 1983)</span> American actor, singer, and dancer

Nicholas Adams is an American actor, singer, and dancer, known for starring as Adam/Felicia in the original Broadway production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and starring as Whizzer Brown in the first national tour of the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Falsettos.

Tony Sheldon is an Australian actor and singer, best known for his work in theatre, especially his role as Bernadette in the original Australian stage production of the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. He is also a writer.

I Will Survive is an Australian talent show-themed television series that premiered on Network Ten on 21 August 2012. The premise of the show is to search for a new, unknown talent to perform in the Broadway production of the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Due to the Broadway theatre production closing in June 2012, the prize has been amended to another performance on Broadway, along with a $250,000 cash prize. The title of the show is derived from the title of a song in the production, "I Will Survive", originally sung by Gloria Gaynor.

<i>Aladdin</i> (2011 musical) Broadway musical

Aladdin is a stage musical based on Disney's 1992 animated feature film of the same name with a book by Chad Beguelin, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Beguelin. It resurrects three songs written by Menken and Ashman for the film but not used, and adds four songs written by Menken and Beguelin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Salazar</span> American actor, singer, and musician (born 1986)

George Ernest Salazar is an American actor, singer, and musician known for his work on and off-Broadway. He made his Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of Stephen Schwartz's Godspell. Salazar originated the role of Michael Mell in the 2015 musical Be More Chill and performed in the musical's 2018 Off-Broadway and Broadway in 2019 at the Lyceum Theater in New York City. He originated the role of Grover in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical and starred in Pasadena Playhouse's production of Little Shop of Horrors as Seymour Krelborn.

Claudia Kariuki is a British actress, singer, dancer and songwriter who is best known for playing Jane Seymour in Six in the West End.

References

  1. Rivera, Larry. "Priscilla Returns to Sydney". goaustralia.about.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  2. Andrew, Paul (14 October 2007). "Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Review". AustralianStage.com.au.
  3. Hallett, Bryce (13 October 2008). "Priscilla Queen of the Desert". Sydney Morning Herald.
  4. 1 2 Shenton, Mark (10 March 2009). "Priscilla Queen of the Desert — the Musical Arrives in London's West End March 10". Playbill. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  5. "Priscilla stage role for Donovan". BBC. 16 September 2008.
  6. Woolman, Natalie (2 September 2011). "Priscilla announces final performance". The Stage. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 Jones, Kenneth (15 September 2010). "The Queen Finds a Palace on Broadway; Priscilla Will Open March 20, 2011". Playbill. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  8. "Priscilla Queen of the Desert Books Palace Theatre for March 2011 Opening". Broadway.com. 15 September 2010.
  9. "Bette Midler to produce Priscilla stage show". CBC. 13 October 2010.
  10. Lewis, Jessica (20 January 2011). "PRISCILLA Cast Album Gets Mar. 15 Release From Rhino; Recording Begins Next Week!". BroadwayWorld.
  11. Diamond, Robert (15 February 2011). "BWW TV First Look: PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL". BroadwayWorld.
  12. Gans, Andrew (16 May 2012). "Priscilla Queen of the Desert Will End Broadway Run in June; Tour Begins in 2013". Playbill. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  13. Prattico, Nino (25 January 2015). "BWW Reviews: PRISCILLA inebria la Capitale di lustrini e sentimento!". BroadwayWorld (in Italian).
  14. "Priscilla, Rainha do Deserto chega ao Brasil". Guia da Semana (in Portuguese). 15 March 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  15. Gans, Andrew (8 January 2013). "Wade McCollum, Scott Willis and Bryan West Star in Tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Launching Jan. 8". Playbill.
  16. "National Tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert Drives into Seattle". Broadway.com. 12 November 2013. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014.
  17. Hetrick, Adam (16 November 2012). "U.K. Priscilla Tour Will Star Jason Donovan, Richard Grieve and Graham Weaver". Playbill.
  18. "Noel Sullivan sharing role with Jason Donovan on Priscilla Queen of the Desert Tour". blog.musicaltheatrenews.com. 27 March 2013.
  19. "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is finally making its debut in Stockholm" totallystockholm.se, 29 September 2013
  20. Gorlero, Pablo (9 February 2014). "Casi tres horas de fiesta y diversión". La Nacion (in Spanish).
  21. "Diego Ramos es el nuevo Adam de Priscilla, la reina del desierto". musicalesbaires.com.ar (in Spanish). 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017.
  22. Mortel, Carla (15 April 2014). "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, is here!". Manila Standard Today. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014.
  23. "Priscilla – Queen of the Desert musical premieres in Singapore!". The Influencer Media. 10 September 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014.
  24. Stanley, Adrienne (28 June 2014). "2AM Jo Kwon & The Role Of Male Divas In K-Pop". KpopStarz.
  25. Campos, Prado (26 September 2014). "Priscilla, la reina llega a Madrid". elDiario.es (in Spanish).
  26. Sánchez Herrero, Elena (4 August 2016). "'Priscilla' aparca en Gijón". El Comercio (in Spanish).
  27. "'Priscilla, El Musical' despedirá tres años y medio de gira en el Principal". Noticias de Álava (in Spanish). 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018.
  28. "Priscilla, la regina del deserto: ecco il musical a Milano". affaritaliani.it (in Italian). 27 May 2015.
  29. "Full casting announced for Priscilla Queen of the Desert UK tour". West End Frame. 7 August 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015.
  30. Cole, Emily (26 November 2015). "Darren Day joins Priscilla tour". WhatsOnStage.
  31. "Priscilla Queen of the Desert set to roar into New Wimbledon Theatre". SW Londoner. 2 October 2015.
  32. "Musical PRISCILLA Queen of the Desert in november in Koninklijk Theater Carre". Triple P Entertainment. 26 February 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015.
  33. Steinberg, Jessica (5 July 2016). "Jason Donovan takes his show to the Mediterranean". Times of Israel.
  34. Limone, Jerry (21 November 2015). "Norwegian Epic back in service with new attractions and spaces". Travel Weekly.
  35. Jewel, Stephen (14 October 2016). "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert gets ready to roar". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  36. "Cast and Staff". tohostage.com. Nissay Theater.
  37. "Distibution [sic] annoncée pour Priscilla Folle du désert". Regard en Coulisse (in French). 30 June 2016. Archived from the original on 3 July 2016.
  38. "Priscilla Folle du désert annule sa tournée à travers la France faute de spectateurs". Le Figaro (in French). 18 December 2018.
  39. "A journey to the heart of FABULOUS". Showtime.co.za. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017.
  40. "Sing it loud, sing it proud! PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, THE MUSICAL debuts in Hong Kong this September". Coconuts.co. 7 July 2017.
  41. Jungblut, Peter (15 December 2017). "Es regnet wirklich männer". br-klassik.de (in German).
  42. "Knallbunte Travestie-Show 'Priscilla' mischt St. Gallen auf". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). 24 February 2019.
  43. Cooper, Nathanael (14 September 2017). "Tony Sheldon to frock up again for Priscilla". Sydney Morning Herald.
  44. Colpo, Alessandra (11 December 2018). "'Priscilla La Regina Del Deserto' torna in scena nei teatri italiani". Dance Hall News (in Italian).
  45. Farrattini, Ettore (2 December 2019). "PRISCILLA LA REGINA DEL DESERTO al Teatro Brancaccio COMUNICATO STAMPA". BroadwayWorld (in Italian).
  46. "Musical Priscilla". artandlive.net.[ dead link ]
  47. Wood, Alex (18 March 2019). "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert full tour cast joining Joe McFadden announced". WhatsOnStage.
  48. Airey, Matty (15 June 2021). "Priscilla Queen of the Desert to open at Cheltenham Everyman". wiltsglosstandard.co.uk.
  49. "Priscilla: Königin der Wüste". Landestheater Linz.
  50. Vilkman, Sanna (22 August 2022). "Suurmusikaali Priscilla nähdään ensimmäistä kertaa Suomessa". yle.fi.
  51. "Priscilla, Queen of The Desert. The Musical on Teatr Capitol's website". tear-capitol.pl. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  52. Newitt, Emmie (4 January 2024). "PRISCILLA THE PARTY! to open in London in March 2024". London Box Office. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  53. "Priscilla The Party! to close in London, four months earlier than expected". independent.co.uk. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  54. "Priscilla, reina del desierto". carteleradeteatro.mx. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  55. Castells, Elena (2 October 2024). "El musical Priscilla, reina del desierto vuelve al teatro Tívoli". lavanguardia.com (in Spanish).
  56. "Priscilla Queen of the Desert Stage Musical (The Musical Original Cast Recording)". iTunes . Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  57. de Jongh, Nicholas (24 March 2009). "Wild ride for Priscilla Queen Of The Desert". thisislondon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010.
  58. Propst, Andy (27 October 2010). "Review Roundup: Broadway-Bound Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical Officially Opens in Toronto". TheaterMania.
  59. Healy, Patrick (15 May 2011). "Broadway Union Takes On 'Priscilla' Over Music". The New York Times.
  60. ARIA Award previous winners. "History Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 16 July 2022.