Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Musical)
| Musical dates | |
|---|---|
| Original title: | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | various |
| Book: | Stephan Elliott , Allan Scott |
| Premiere: | October 7, 2006 |
| Place of premiere: | Lyric Theater, Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia |
| Place and time of the action: | Australia |
| Roles / people | |
& Ensemble |
|
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a jukebox musical based on the film Priscilla - Queen of the Desert by Stephan Elliott , who also wrote the book for the musical together with Allan Scott . The music comes from different performers and was partly used in the film. The musical tells the story of two drag queens and a transsexual and their journey through the Australian outback .
content
1st act
Anthony "Tick" Belrose appears as drag queen Mitzi in a club when his ex-wife Marion calls, from whom he separated a few years ago due to his homosexuality. She asks him to perform in Alice Springs for a few weeks. At first Tick reacts negatively, but after Marion tells him that their son, the now eight-year-old Benjamin, wants to get to know his father, he agrees.
Tick asks transsexual Bernadette, who was born Ralph, to come with him. At her late husband's funeral, Bernadette agrees to accompany Tick. Tick also asks Adam Whitely, who appears as drag queen Felicia, who also accepts. Bernadette does not like Adam and Adam keeps joking about Bernadette's old life as a man, but when Tick asks for a favor, the three of them finally set off on the long journey to Alice Springs together. For their trip they buy an old bus, which they call "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert".
When they take a break in a small town, they go to a bar as drag queens. After they return to their bus, it was smeared with homophobic slogans, which makes Tick very sad. But Adam and Bernadette can calm him down and give him new courage so that the journey can continue. When the bus breaks down the next morning with damage, Adam buys pink paint to paint over the homophobic slogans and redesign the whole bus. The residents of a nearby town turn out to be much friendlier and more cosmopolitan than the residents of the previous town. Among them is the mechanic Bob, who agrees to fix the bus. The three of them celebrate together with the villagers, delighted with their willingness to help and that they have found people who accept them.
2nd act
Bernadette learns that the mechanic Bob saw her in Paris many years ago when she was part of the group "Les Girls". The two are slowly beginning to develop feelings for each other. When the trio later makes an appearance in a bar in the village, they are interrupted by Bob's wife, Cynthia, who attracts attention with a highly idiosyncratic performance.
When the trio leaves the place, Bernadette asks Bob if he wants to accompany the three for a while and if he wants to go to his old home. He finally agrees. Once there, Adam tries to get to know men as Felicia. But he is hunted and almost the victim of a hate crime, from which Bernadette saves him with her intervention.
After they finally arrive in Alice Springs, Tick thinks about the whole trip again. Eventually the trio perform and Tick finally meets his son, who accepts his father for who he is. When the trio talks about their plans for the time after Alice Springs after the performance, they realize that they actually fit together quite well and that they don't want to part. So they decide to continue performing together.
music
Australia, New Zealand and London
The following overview shows the music of the productions in Australia and New Zealand. There were only minor changes for the London production, for example the reprise of Go West was replaced by Come into my World and Confide in Me was replaced by a medley, in which it is still part of the medley.
1st act
- Overture - orchestra
- Downtown - The Divas and Ensemble
- I've Never Been to Me - Tick and The Divas
- What's Love Got to Do with It - Miss Understanding
- Don't Leave Me This Way - Bernadette, Tick and Ensemble
- Venus - Felicia and the Boys
- Go West - Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Ensemble
- I Say a Little Prayer - Tick and The Divas
- I Love the Nightlife - Shirley, Bernadette, Mitzi, Felicia and Ensemble
- Both Sides, Now - Bernadette, Tick and Adam
- Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Semper libera (from La traviata ) - Felicia and The Divas
- Color My World - Adam, Tick, Bernadette and Ensemble
- I Will Survive - Bernadette, Adam, Tick, Jimmy and Ensemble
2nd act
- Thank God I'm a Country Boy - Ensemble
- A Fine Romance - Young Bernadette and Les Girls
- Shake Your Groove Thing - Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and The Divas
- Pop Muzik - Cynthia and Ensemble
- A Fine Romance (Reprise) - Bob
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - The Divas and Adam
- Hot Stuff - Felicia, The Divas and Bernadette
- MacArthur Park - Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Ensemble
- Boogie Wonderland - Marion and Ensemble
- The Morning After - Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and The Divas
- Go West (reprise) - Adam
- Always on My Mind - Tick and Benjamin
- Confide in Me - Felicia
- We Belong - Felicia, Mitzi and Bernadette
- Finale (Finally / Shake Your Groove Thing / Hot Stuff / I Love the Nightlife / I Will Survive) - Ensemble
new York
There have been extensive changes to the music for the Broadway production (and also for the pre-Broadway tryouts in Toronto, Canada). The following overview shows the music from the original Broadway production.
1st act
- Overture - orchestra
- It's Raining Men - The Divas, Tick and Ensemble
- What's Love Got to Do with It - Miss Understanding
- I Say a Little Prayer - Tick
- Don't Leave Me This Way - Bernadette, Tick and Ensemble
- Material Girl - Felicia and the Boys
- Go West - Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Ensemble
- Holiday / Like a Virgin - Adam, Tick and Bernadette
- I Say a Little Prayer (Reprise) - Tick and The Divas
- I Love the Nightlife - Shirley, Bernadette, Mitzi, Felicia and Ensemble
- True Colors - Bernadette, Mitzi and Felicia
- Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Semper libera (from La traviata ) - Felicia and The Divas
- Color My World - Adam, Tick, Bernadette and Ensemble
- I Will Survive - Bernadette, Felicia, Mitzi, Jimmy and Ensemble
2nd act
- Thank God I'm a Country Boy - Ensemble
- A Fine Romance - Young Bernadette and Les Girls
- Thank God I'm a Country Boy (Reprise) - Ensemble
- Shake Your Groove Thing - Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and The Divas
- Pop Muzik - Cynthia and Ensemble
- A Fine Romance (Reprise) - Bob
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Adam and The Divas
- Hot Stuff - Felicia, The Divas and Bernadette
- MacArthur Park - Bernadette, Tick, The Divas and Ensemble
- Boogie Wonderland - Ensemble
- The Floor Show - Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and Ensemble
- Always on My Mind / I Say a Little Prayer - Tick, Benjamin
- Like a Prayer - Felicia and Ensemble
- We Belong - Felicia, Mitzi, Bernadette and Ensemble
- Finale - ensemble
Performance history
- October 7, 2006 - September 2, 2007: Lyric Theater, Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia.
- October 6, 2007 (previews from September 28, 2007) - April 27, 2008: Regent Theater, Melbourne, Australia.
- May 28, 2008 - July 6, 2008: Auckland, New Zealand.
- October 7, 2008 - December 21, 2008: Lyric Theater, Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia (limited revival for the premiere's second birthday).
- March 23, 2009 (previews from March 10, 2009) - December 31, 2011: Palace Theater, London.
- October 12, 2010 - January 2, 2011: Princess of Wales Theater, Toronto, Canada. (Official pre-Broadway tryout, which was played a month longer than planned due to its great success.)
- March 20, 2011 (previews available February 28, 2011) - June 24, 2012: Palace Theater, Broadway, New York City.
There were also numerous other international productions, including in Sweden, Spain, Italy, Greece, Brazil, South Korea, Japan, France and touring productions in the USA and Great Britain.
Sound carrier
- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - Original Australian Cast Recording (released September 29, 2007).
- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - Original Broadway Cast Recording (released April 5, 2011).
Web links
- priscillathemusical.com - official website
- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in the Guide to Musical Theater (English)