Wonderful, brilliantly conceived! Costumes to die for! Spectacular! Best musical showcase seen in New Zealand for years! Fabulous entertainment! Expatriate Kiwi directing. What could be better about this production?

The trouble is …. It’s a lamb in wolf’s clothing.

Society has always has a fascination for the seedy side of life. One classic example is the French artist Henry Toulouse-Lautrec who painted the prostitutes, the poor and the desperate in the late 19th century. His works are melancholic and choleric. [More]
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Inspired by the runaway success of writer / director Stephan Elliott’s 1994 film about two Drag Queens and a transsexual, this Australian classic is an unashamedly self-indulgent, over-the-top performance extravaganza, totally deserving of the standing ovation received on opening night.

With high production values (design by Brian Thomson) and an extremely versatile, talented cast (casting director Amanda Pelman) coated in dazzling make up (designed by Cassie Hanlon), wigs and outrageous costumes (designers Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner), the night is jam-packed with jaw-dropping lavishness and visual showstoppers.

Some of the highlights include all-dancing, all-singing cup cakes & paintbrushes; Divas descending from the sky; pokie machines that turn in to make-up stations; and an enormous silver slipper – no doubt possessing the world’s largest (carbon) foot print – but it is the iconic silver Priscilla bus that eclipses all when she makes her grand 360 degree entrance.

Technically, with a revolving stage, ascending stairs, movable catwalks, trap doors and fly-lines, this musical is demanding, intricate and potentially hazardous. Yet across the board, the technical team (headed by Malcolm White and Cass Jones) make Priscilla look seamless and smoothe.

Lighting design by Nick Schlieper (with associate Chris Twyman) is rich in colour, and suitably fruity. After a mega-mirror-ball moment to top them all, the curtain opens to his glittery Sydney Harbour Bridge, a string of rich gold bud lights.  

Throughout the night, Schlieper supports the work of his co-creators well; by using mainly block colour rather than texture and gobos, to ensure the costumes are the stars of each scene. Also using the costumes and props to maximum affect is choreographer Ross Coleman (and associate Andrew Hallsworth). Often incorporating the line or surface of the more flamboyant costumes into his work, Coleman also uses the more everyday wear creatively: the men of Coober Pedy’s ominous flick of their Drizabones, for example).

Not just a visual feast, the quality of the company’s singing is high. While their enjoyment and energy is totally infectious in songs such as Thank God I’m A Country Boy, I Will Survive and Boogie Wonderland, a pure vocal highlight is the warm wash of even harmonies in the chorus of We Belong.

The indisputable vocal Queens however, are the trio of fantastic females (Josie Lane, Sophie Carter and Amelia Cormack) who fly in from the heavens and breathe new life into old anthems, with impressive vocal cut. While each Diva is given the chance to belt solo, they are spine tingling when singing together, especially in unison.

While the singing abilities of the lead actors range between fine and passable, it is Miss Understanding’s (played by Michael Lindner) Tina Turner impersonation at the top of the show that deserves a special mention. With disarming vocal similarity and perfectly executed Turner-mannerisms, reminiscent of a deranged peacock, s/he struts her stuff and brings the house down.

Priscilla’s band, under the guidance of Associate Musical Director / conductor and 1st keyboard player David Skelton, are a slick, tight octet. (With the exception of some ragged horns in Boogie Wonderland on the opeign night, in has to be said.) Indicative of fine musicianship, they rip into thumping rock numbers with focussed attack, then ease into smoothe incidental music, when required. Guitarist Rex Goh in particular, provides lovely instrumentals.

In the hands of Sound designer Michael Waters, and with the ear-catching, rich musical arrangements of Stephen "Spud" Murphy supporting the story, Priscilla’s music is mixed and produced very well. Also responsible for the orchestrations, Murphy boldly gives I Will Survive a Yothi Yindi like treatment, kicking it off with a Didgeridoo to close the first half. Murphy also indulges in mixing up key melodies for some aural variation, with mixed results. While Go West & Locomotion was a fun blend, bringing a reprise of Say a Little Prayer into Always On My Mind, during the already awkward father-son scene, felt heavy handed.

Linking the songs of Priscilla is an entertaining script (consultant Phil Scott) – overloaded with gay-gags of course, but also containing catchy dialogue, witty local references and topical tid-bits, such as John Rowles, Kylie Minogue and Rodney Hyde. There’s even a cameo for a Bindi Urwin look-a-like.

At the centre of Priscilla, are a dynamic, well-matched trio in the form of Tick (Mitzi), warmly played by Jeremy Stanford; Bernadette, a fine, beautifully executed performance by Tony Sheldon; and wild-child Adam (Felicia), played fearlessly by Daniel Scott.

Other stand out performances include Colette Mann’s scary ‘big chick in a singlet and g-string’; Bill Hunter – the man who created the role of Bob in the 1994 film – once more bringing this gentle rough diamond to life; Lena Cruz, who relishes the opportunity to shriek, show off and get off, playing Bob’s mad Asian wife Cynthia; and finally, Damien Ross, who does an exquisite rendition of A Fine Romance, portraying a young Bernadette, in a tableau and show worthy of top billing in Las Vegas.

Finally, leading all these elements is ex-pat kiwi and celebrated director, Simon Phillips. Not only has he fused together the very best from a fine team, he’s kept the transitions smooth and efficient, and the entertainment-factor front and centre, from beginning to end. His audience can simply sit back and enjoy the perfectly packaged fruits of his labour. Phillips sensibly gives his audience a taste of songs, or a short version, resisting the temptation to turn Priscilla into a long night of karaoke.

While the key creatives all pay detailed homage to the movie, the one aspect of the stage musical which I thought fell short of the film’s success, was the treatment of Tick’s reunion with his son. Perhaps because the stage, the limelight, and the live audience, are the 3 key ingredients for an actual drag show, Priscilla the Musical naturally succeeds so well on that level, it almost eclipses any serious moments.

Certainly the opening night crowd was so completely taken by our drag queen’s world, any diversion seemed at odds with the flow of fun. Pausing to give true time to the pathos and heart of Tick’s story burst a wonderful bubble. Unfortunately, as a result, these quiet moments mostly jarred, and felt stilted rather than honest.

Similarly, if Priscilla had attempted to delve into Adam’s inner turmoils and addictions, I think, again, she would have lost her mojo.

More successfully dealt with is homophobia. The lead up to Adam’s would be rape screen is dealt with via Donna Summers Hot Stuff, yet menace is still present. Wisely, Priscilla does not dwell on it at length. It does not feel like the right vehicle to do so. Neither does this dark confrontation feel awkward as, plot-wise, Phillips navigates a swift way out of a tight corner.

A night of caricatures as well as characters, this show is a fun-filled night of song, dance, music and visual spectacle that celebrates the colourful side of the gay community and the gorgeous world of drag queens. Slap on your best frock, whack on some lippy and head on down to the Civic for a dose of familiar tunes and fun – enough to cure anyone’s winter blues.

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It’s all about the frocks, darling! Forget the fashion hype around Sex and the City, the costumes in the new stage show of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert really have to be seen to be believed.

Usually, if a theatre critic talks first about the costumes in the show, people worry that it must be a bomb, but when we’re talking Priscilla it really has to start with the outfits. [More]  

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