Priscilla Queen Of The Desert

At the Palace Theatre, opens March 20, 2011.

The musical is based on the 1994 Australian film "The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert". It cost $2 million to make and grossed $11.2 million . The musical on the other hand cost $15 million to put on. The film won an Oscar for custome design.

Between 2006 and 2008 it ran in Sidney, Melbourne and New Zealand and a year later in London where it is still running. The story is revolves around 3 drag queens

Tick aka Mitzi (Will Swenson) has promised his six year old son (Luke Mannikus) , who he never met that he would come visit him. His wife (Jessica Phillips) invites him to do a show at her club. Tick is bisexual.

He persuades Bernadette (Tom Sheldon ) the transgenderl to come along. Her boyfriend has just died from inhaleing to much fumes from the peroxide she used dying his hair blonde.

The last of the group Adam (Nick Adams) the burly girly man of the group flaunts his sexuality.

There journey across the outback is hilarious. Campy yes but it's done in good taste.

On the groups zany adventure they have many mishaps in Priscilla the bus. Priscilla is like no bus you have seen. She weight 5 tons, moves, rotates around and even comes forward. One side has a door to enter the other side is open for you to see the girls. During the trip the bus changes colors and design depending on the song or event that is happening.

The costumes are fantastic, 200 hats & headdreses, 72 wigs, 150 pairs of shoes. In all 261 costume changes. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Garding are the costume designers There were two scences were the clothes out did themselves. Will finds Bernadette sleeping outside the bus with her face on a cake near Bob (C David Johnson) a straight man she met on the trip. Tick says he always wanted to sing "someone left the cake out in the rain" The cast then starts singing "McArthur Park" dressed in cup cakes. Another scence they go drag into a town they stopped in. The natives seem friendly to them until they go out and see someone painted go home faggots on the bus. Later on they paint Priscilla pink. The cast comes on stage dressed as paint brushes.

When they get to their destination Bernadette and Adam prepare their show.

Tick gets to met his son Benji. They get along great. Benji accepts his father for who he is.

It's fun to watch their show. When the curtain goes up their back is facing you .A curtain goes by and you see a costume change. It's done so gracefully you think it's the same people doing the act.

Time to time three Diva's come down from the ceiling singing a new song or singing along with the cast. They always wear long gowns and even taller hair pieces.

I've never seen so many producers for one show well maybe Spiderman but then I haven't seen it but better left unsaid.

It's a great show. No new songs are sung. They used classics such "It's Raining Men", "What's Love Got To Do With It", "Material Girl". "I Will Survive" seems to be the theme song and so will this show. "HURRAY"

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor