Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical
Encyclopedia
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...

 with a book by Australian film director-writer Stephan Elliott
Stephan Elliott
Stephan Elliott is an Australian film director and screenwriter.-Life and career:Elliott began his career as an assistant director working in the boom of the Australian film industry of the 1980s....

 and Allan Scott
Allan Scott (Scottish screenwriter)
Allan Scott, the alias of Allan Shiach, is a Scottish screenwriter and producer, nominated for BAFTA's Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film and a Genie Award for his 1997 film Regeneration...

, using well-known pop songs as its score. Adapted from Elliott's 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot is based on the journey of three drag queens who travel across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a tour bus that they have named...

, the musical tells the story of two drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...

s and a transexual, 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 but also those that are lost.

Produced by Allan Scott in coalition with Back Row Productions
Back Row Productions
Back Row Productions is a company established in 1995 with offices in London and Sydney and is run by Managing Directors Liz Koops and Garry McQuinn....

, 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
Lyric Theatre, Sydney
Lyric Theatre, Sydney, Australia, is part of The Star Casino. It plays host to large scale musicals, theatre productions, opera and ballet.The Lyric Theatre was home to the world premier of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical....

 in October 2006. Having had a successful run in Sydney, the production transferred to Melbourne in 2007 and then New Zealand in 2008, before returning to Sydney for a limited engagement for its second anniversary. The Australian success of Priscilla provoked a two year strong West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...

 production in addition to its Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...

-produced Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 debut in 2011.

While the original production received one out of its seven Helpmann Award nominations, Priscilla has since accrued a Laurence Olivier Award, a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

 and a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...

 internationally, having been nominated in several sections.

Synopsis

The drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...

 Mitzi Mitosis, in his "real" life named Anthony "Tick" Belrose, has a job in the distant town of Alice Springs, Australia. He convinces his friends, who are also performers, to join him. The journey to Alice Springs in a large tour bus, called "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", begins. Tick is joined by the transsexual woman Bernadette Bassenger and the showy drag queen Felicia Jollygoodfellow (whose real name is Adam Whitely).

Cast information

Original casts
Character Australia & New Zealand
(Sydney - first run, Melbourne, Auckland)
London Toronto / Broadway
Tick (Mitzi) Jeremy Stanford Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...

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

Bernadette Tony Sheldon
Tony Sheldon
Tony Sheldon is an Australian actor/singer best known for his work in theatre; he is also a writer.- Career :...

Adam (Felicia) Daniel Scott
Daniel Scott
This article is about the Australian actor. For the American writer, see Daniel Scott .Daniel Scott is an Australian actor, probably best known for his performance in the stage production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical....

Oliver Thornton
Oliver Thornton
Oliver Thornton is an stage actor and singer who is best known for his contributions to musical theatre in London's West End. He currently stars in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre.- Early life :...

Nick Adams
Nick Adams (theatre actor)
Nick Adams is an American musical theater actor and dancer.-Early life:Adams was born in Erie, Pennsylvania to Kenneth Mark Adams and Janet Rose Wojtalik. He attended high school at Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Erie. His first professional theatrical job was at age 16. After high school he...

Bob Michael Caton
Michael Caton
Michael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...

Clive Carter
Clive Carter
Clive Carter is a British actor and singer.Carter studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His West End theatre credits include Someone Like You with Petula Clark, A Man for All Seasons with Martin Shaw, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Brendan Fraser and Ned Beatty, We Will Rock You, I...

C. David Johnson
C. David Johnson
C. David Johnson is a Canadian actor.Born Christopher David Johnson in Montreal, Quebec, Canada he attended Stanstead College, the University of New Brunswick , and the Vancouver Playhouse Acting School and currently lives in Toronto.Johnson began his career with Theatre New Brunswick, and he has...

The Divas Danielle Barnes, Sophie Carter, Amelia Cormack Zoe Birkett
Zoe Birkett
Zoe Birkett was one of the youngest contestants on the ITV show, Pop Idol, being only 16 at the time.-Music career:...

,Kate Gillespie , Emma Lindars
Jacqueline Arnold, Anastacia McCleskey, Ashley Spencer
Ashley Spencer
Ashley Spencer, an Ohio native, was a contestant on NBC's show Grease: You're the One that I Want!. She was the understudy for Barbie in the Barbie in Fairytopia tour, in which she sang and danced ballet.-Grease: You're the One that I Want!:...

Marion* Marney McQueen Amy Field, Yvette Robinson Jessica Phillips
Shirley Genevieve Lemon
Genevieve Lemon
Genevieve Lemon is an Australian actress who has appeared in a number of soap operas – as Zelda Baker in The Young Doctors, Marlene "Rabbit" Warren in Prisoner and Brenda Riley in Neighbours...

Daniele Coombe Keala Settle
Cynthia Lena Cruz Kanako Nakano J. Elaine Marcos
Miss Understanding Trevor Ashley
Trevor Ashley
Trevor Ashley is a Sydney based performer and drag artist. He has had an extensive career in cabaret, clubs, television and musical theatre in Australia....

Wesley Sebastian Nathan Lee Graham
Jimmy Kirk Page Tristan Temple James Brown III
Frank Ben Lewis John Brannoch Mike McGowan
Young Bernadette Damien Ross Steven Cleverley Steve Schepis
Benjamin** Joshua Arkey, Alec Epsimos, Rowan Scott, Joel Slater Gene Goodman, Red Walker, Cameron Sayers, Trek Buccino (Toronto), Luke Mannikus, Ashton Woerz


* In the London 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.

London (2009–2011)

The West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...

 production started previews on 10 March 2009 at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...

 with the opening press night on 23 March. It is co-produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...

's Really Useful Group
Really Useful Group
The Really Useful Group Ltd. is an international company set up in 1977 by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is involved in theatre, film, television, video and concert productions, merchandising, magazine publishing, records and music publishing...

 and directed by Simon Phillips with musical arrangements by Stephen 'Spud' Murphy, choreography by Ross Coleman, costume designs by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner
Lizzy Gardiner
Lizzy Gardiner is an Australian costume designer, who has been working in Hollywood since the early 1990s. Noted for her originality, she is best known for her American Express gold card dress which she wore to collect her Academy Award for Best Costume Designer at the 67th Academy Awards in 1995...

, production designs by Brian Thomson, and lighting by Nick Schlieper. The original cast included Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...

 as Tick (Mitzi), Tony Sheldon as Bernadette and Oliver Thornton
Oliver Thornton
Oliver Thornton is an stage actor and singer who is best known for his contributions to musical theatre in London's West End. He currently stars in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre.- Early life :...

 as Adam (Felicia). Notable replacements include Ben Richards
Ben Richards
Ben Richards is an English actor. He is best known for playing Bruno Milligan in series 4 and 5 of the British TV drama Footballers' Wives and in series 1 and 2 of its spin-off Footballers' Wives: Extra Time...

 as Tick (Mitzi), Don Gallagher as Bernadette and Ray Meagher
Ray Meagher
Ray Meagher surname pronouned "Marr" , is a veteran Australian character actor. He has appeared regularly in Australian film and television since the mid 1970s, and is notable as the longest continuing performer in an Australian television role, as Alf Stewart on Home and Away, having played the...

 as Bob. The London production on 31 December 2011.

Broadway (2011–present)

The musical opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 on 20 March 2011 at the Palace Theatre with previews beginning 28 February 2011. Priscilla, however, made its North American debut at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Princess of Wales Theatre
The Princess of Wales Theatre is a 2000-seat theatre located at 300 King Street West in the heart of Toronto's Entertainment District in the downtown area...

 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 for a limited 12-week pre-Broadway tryout; the last performance was on 2 January 2011.

The original Broadway cast includes Will Swenson
Will Swenson
William Swenson is an American actor, writer and film director best known for his work in musical theatre. He also has developed a film career, primarily in Mormon cinema...

 as Tick (Mitzi), Tony Sheldon
Tony Sheldon
Tony Sheldon is an Australian actor/singer best known for his work in theatre; he is also a writer.- Career :...

, again, reprising his role of Bernadatte, and Nick Adams
Nick Adams (theatre actor)
Nick Adams is an American musical theater actor and dancer.-Early life:Adams was born in Erie, Pennsylvania to Kenneth Mark Adams and Janet Rose Wojtalik. He attended high school at Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Erie. His first professional theatrical job was at age 16. After high school he...

 as Adam (Felicia). Choreography is by Ross Coleman, set design by Brian Thomson
Brian Thomson
Brian Thomson is an Australian theatre, opera and film designer. He has been active in Australian stage design for over three decades.Thomson began a long and successful collaboration with director Jim Sharman after they met at Heavenburgers on Sydney's Oxford Street in 1969; they worked together...

, lighting design by Nick Schlieper and costume designs by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. Producers include Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...

, who joined the production team after seeing the London production; Liz Koops and Garry McQuinn for Back Row Productions
Back Row Productions
Back Row Productions is a company established in 1995 with offices in London and Sydney and is run by Managing Directors Liz Koops and Garry McQuinn....

; Michael Hamlyn for Specific Films; Allan Scott Productions
Allan Scott (Scottish screenwriter)
Allan Scott, the alias of Allan Shiach, is a Scottish screenwriter and producer, nominated for BAFTA's Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film and a Genie Award for his 1997 film Regeneration...

; David Mirvish
David Mirvish
David Mirvish, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian art collector, art dealer, theatre producer and son of the late "Honest" Ed Mirvish, Toronto discount department store-owner and artist Anne Lazare Macklin....

; Roy Furman; Terry Allen Kramer; James L. Nederlander
James L. Nederlander
James L. Nederlander of the famous Nederlander family of Detroit, Michigan, is also known as James Nederlander, Jr., and is a veteran on Broadway as a theatre owner, operator, producer and presenter. He is the president of the Nederlander Organization and the son of James M...

; and Terri and Timothy Childs.

The Broadway cast album was recorded in late January 2011 on Rhino Records for release on 15 March 2011. The production released video footage from their North American premiere on Tuesday, 15 February.

US First National Tour (2012)

On 29 April 2011 it was announced that a tour would begin Fall 2012. Cites and cast are still to be announced.

Brazilian Production (2012)

The Brazilian production will premiere in March of 2012, in Teatro Bradesco, São Paulo. The cast is: Bernadette (Ruben Gabira), Tick/Mitzi (Luciano Andrey), Adam/Felicia (André Torquato), Divas (Simone Gutierrez, Priscilla Borges and Livia Graciano), Shirley (Andrezza Massei) and Bob (Saulo Vasconcelos). Will be produced by GEO Produções Artísticas.

Sydney (2006–07)

Priscilla Queen of the Desert premiered on 7 October 2006 at the Lyric Theatre
Lyric Theatre, Sydney
Lyric Theatre, Sydney, Australia, is part of The Star Casino. It plays host to large scale musicals, theatre productions, opera and ballet.The Lyric Theatre was home to the world premier of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical....

, Star City Casino
Star City Casino
The Star Sydney Casino & Hotel in Pyrmont, Sydney, is the second largest casino in Australia after rival Melbourne's Crown Casino. Overlooking Darling Harbour, The Star Sydney Casino features two gaming floors, eight bars, seven restaurants, 351 hotel rooms and 130 serviced and privately owned...

, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, Australia and ended its run on 2 September 2007. Directed by Melbourne Theatre Company
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...

 artistic director Simon Phillips, it starred Tony Sheldon
Tony Sheldon
Tony Sheldon is an Australian actor/singer best known for his work in theatre; he is also a writer.- Career :...

 as Bernadette, Jeremy Stanford as Tick (Mitzi) and Daniel Scott
Daniel Scott
This article is about the Australian actor. For the American writer, see Daniel Scott .Daniel Scott is an Australian actor, probably best known for his performance in the stage production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical....

 as Adam (Felicia) with Michael Caton
Michael Caton
Michael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...

 as Bob.

Melbourne (2007–08)

The Sydney production transferred to the Regent Theatre
Regent Theatre, Melbourne
The Regent Theatre is a 2162 seat theatre in Melbourne, Australia. It is listed by the National Trust of Australia and is on the Victorian Heritage Register.-History:...

 in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, 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
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...

.

New Zealand (2008)

The Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 production transferred to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

 in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 for a limited run, opening on 28 May 2008 and closed on 6 July 2008.

Sydney return (2008)

The musical returned to the Star City Hotel and Casino
Star City Casino
The Star Sydney Casino & Hotel in Pyrmont, Sydney, is the second largest casino in Australia after rival Melbourne's Crown Casino. Overlooking Darling Harbour, The Star Sydney Casino features two gaming floors, eight bars, seven restaurants, 351 hotel rooms and 130 serviced and privately owned...

 in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 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
Todd McKenney
Todd McKenney is an Australian entertainer. He is best known as a judge on Australia's version of Dancing with the Stars.He has won many dancing titles, and has trained in jazz, tap, acrobatics and ballroom dancing...

 as Tick and Bill Hunter
Bill Hunter (actor)
William John "Bill" Hunter was an Australian actor of film, stage and television. He appeared in more than 60 films and won two Australian Film Institute Awards.-Early life:Hunter was a son of William and Francie Hunter...

 as Bob.

Toronto (2010–11)

The musical opened on 12 October 2010 at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Princess of Wales Theatre
The Princess of Wales Theatre is a 2000-seat theatre located at 300 King Street West in the heart of Toronto's Entertainment District in the downtown area...

 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 as a Pre-Broadway tryout. The musical featured all the of the Broadway cast with a new production team. The musical played for 12 weeks, closing on 2 January 2011. Several modifications were made to the production.

Musical numbers (original Australian and New Zealand productions)

Act I
  • Overture – Orchestra
  • Downtown
    Downtown (Petula Clark song)
    "Downtown" is a pop song composed by Tony Hatch which, as recorded by Petula Clark, became an international hit – No. 1 in the US and No. 2 in the UK – at the end of 1964.-Original recording:...

     – The Divas and Company
  • I've Never Been to Me
    I've Never Been to Me
    "I've Never Been to Me" is a sleeper hit single performed by American singer Charlene Oliver née D'Angelo.-Chart history:Upon its initial release in 1977, the song reached number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. In 1982, renewed interest in the song led to the single reaching Number 3 in...

     – Tick and the Divas
  • What's Love Got to Do with It? – Miss Understanding
  • Don't Leave Me This Way
    Don't Leave Me This Way
    "Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul/disco song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both...

     – Bernadette, Tick and Company (†)
  • Venus – Felicia and the Boys
  • Go West
    Go West (song)
    "Go West" is a song by the 1970s disco group Village People. The song eventually found greater success when it was covered in 1993 by the synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Village People version:...

     – Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Company
  • I Say a Little Prayer
    I Say a Little Prayer
    "I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967.-Background:...

     – Tick and the Divas
  • I Love the Nightlife – Shirley, Bernadette, Mitzi, Felicia and Company (†)
  • Both Sides, Now – Bernadette, Tick and Adam
  • Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Sempre libera (from La traviata
    La traviata
    La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...

    ) – Felicia and the Divas
  • Colour My World
    Colour My World (Petula Clark song)
    "Colour My World" is a song written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent recorded by Petula Clark in 1966.While overall conforming to the hit formula Hatch had come up with for Clark with "Downtown" - and being especially reminiscent of Clark's 1965 #1 hit "My Love - "Colour My World" acknowledged the...

     – Adam, Tick, Bernadette and Company
  • I Will Survive
    I Will Survive
    "I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris...

     – Bernadette, Adam, Tick, Jimmy and Company


Act II
  • Thank God I'm a Country Boy
    Thank God I'm a Country Boy
    "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", also known as "Country Boy" is a song written by John Martin Sommers and recorded by American singer/songwriter John Denver.The song was originally included on Denver's 1974 album Back Home Again....

     – The Company
  • A Fine Romance
    A Fine Romance (song)
    "A Fine Romance" is a popular song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, published in 1936.The song was written for the musical film, Swing Time, where it was co-introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers...

     – Young Bernadette and Les Girls
  • Shake Your Groove Thing
    Shake Your Groove Thing
    "Shake Your Groove Thing" is a song by disco duo Peaches & Herb. It reached #2 for four weeks on the Billboard Disco chart in 1978. The single reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Billboard R&B Chart.-In pop culture:...

     – Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and the Divas
  • Pop Muzik
    Pop Muzik
    "Pop Muzik" is a 1979 hit song by M, a project by Robin Scott.-Concept and chart performance:Robin Scott describes the genesis of "Pop Muzik" this way:...

     – Cynthia and Company
  • A Fine Romance (reprise)Bob
  • Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – The Divas and Adam
  • Hot Stuff
    Hot Stuff (Donna Summer song)
    "Hot Stuff" is a hit single released by American singer Donna Summer in 1979 as the first single release from her Bad Girls album through Casablanca Records...

     – Felicia, the Divas and Bernadette
  • MacArthur Park
    MacArthur Park (song)
    "MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record it, in 1968; the song was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer's...

     – Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Company
  • Boogie Wonderland
    Boogie Wonderland
    "Boogie Wonderland" is a 1979 hit single by Earth, Wind & Fire featuring The Emotions. Boogie Wonderland was written by Allee Willis and Jon Lind, and included on the album I Am...

     – Marion and Company
  • The Morning After
    The Morning After (Maureen McGovern song)
    "The Morning After" is a song first released in May 1973. It was the first success for singer Maureen McGovern and used as the love theme for the film The Poseidon Adventure, which was released late the year before.-Beginnings:The song was written in March 1972 by 20th Century Fox songwriters Al...

     – Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and the Divas
  • Go West (reprise)Adam (*)
  • Always on My Mind
    Always on My Mind
    "Always on My Mind" is an American country music song by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972.Allmusic lists over 300 recorded releases of the song in versions by dozens of performers...

     – Tick and Benjamin
  • Confide in Me
    Confide in Me
    Confide in Me is a compilation album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, which was released in May, 2002. The album cosists both studio albums of her former record label Deconstruction Records, which are Kylie Minogue and Impossible Princess. However, her single Breathe was not featured...

     – Felicia (^)
  • We Belong
    We Belong
    "We Belong" is a 1984 single from Pat Benatar's sixth studio album Tropico. It matched the success of "Love Is a Battlefield" on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the U.S., peaking at number five, and reaching number three on Billboard's Top Rock Tracks chart and the top 40 on its Adult...

     – Felicia, Mitzi and Bernadette
  • Finally / Shake Your Groove Thing / Hot Stuff / I Love the Nightlife / I Will Survive – The Company


Amendments for the London production

  • (†) "I Say a Little Prayer" is the fifth number, and is again reprised as the ninth number of the show in the London production. This, therefore, means that each number (from the fifth number onwards) in Act I is one number delayed. This gives a total of fourteen numbers in Act I of the London production.
  • (*) "Go West (reprise)" is replaced by "Come into My World" in the London production.
  • (^) Although replaced by "Kylie Medley" in the London production, "Confide in Me" appears in that medley.

Musical numbers (Broadway)

Act I
  • Overture - Orchestra
  • It's Raining Men
    It's Raining Men
    "It's Raining Men" is a song written by Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer in 1979 originally for Dave Balfour's album Stars , and originally recorded by The Weather Girls in 1982...

     - The Divas, Tick and Company
  • 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 Company
  • Material Girl
    Material Girl
    "Material Girl" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 30, 1985, by Sire Records, as the second single from her second album Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, and in its...

     - Felicia and the Boys
  • Go West - Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Company
  • Holiday
    Holiday (Madonna song)
    "Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. Released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records, it later appeared remixed on the 1987 remix compilation You Can Dance and the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the...

     / Like a Virgin
    Like a Virgin (song)
    "Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...

    * - Adam, Tick and Bernadette
  • I Say a Little Prayer (reprise) - Tick and The Divas
  • I Love the Nightlife - Shirley, Bernadette, Mitzi, Felici and Company
  • True Colors
    True Colors (song)
    "True Colors" is a song written by songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, additional lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. It was both the title track and the first single released from Cyndi Lauper's second album. It was the only original song on the album that Lauper did not help write...

     - Bernadette, Mitzi and Felicia
  • Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Sempre libera (from La traviata) - Felicia and the Divas
  • Colour My World - Adam, Tick, Bernadette and Company
  • I Will Survive - Bernadette, Felicia, Mitzi, Jimmy and Company


Act II
  • Thank God I'm a Country Boy* - The Company
  • A Fine Romance - Young Bernadette and Les Girls
  • Thank God I'm a Country Boy (reprise)* - The Company
  • Shake Your Groove Thing - Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and the Divas
  • Pop Muzik - Cynthia and Company
  • 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 Company
  • Boogie Wonderland* - The Company
  • The Floor Show* - Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and Company
  • Always On My Mind - Tick, Benji
  • Like a Prayer
    Like a Prayer (song)
    "Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...

     - Felicia and Company
  • We Belong - Felicia, Mitzi, Bernadette and Company
  • Finally (Finale) - The Company


  • * - Song does not appear on Original Broadway Cast Recording.

Recordings

A cast recording
Cast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast...

 of the original Australian production was released on 29 September 2007; both in stores and on the Australian iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

. 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."

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."

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
American Federation of Musicians
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada is a labor union of professional musicians in the United States and Canada...

. The AFM has argued that using recordings in the place of live music is a marginal cost-saving measure that 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
Scott Frankel
Scott David Frankel is an American composer and musical director.-Career:He attended Interlochen Arts Camp majoring in piano.He graduated from Yale University in 1985, when he was also inducted into the Skull and Bones secret society...

, who composed the music for Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens (musical)
Grey Gardens is an American musical with book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, based on the 1975 documentary of the same title about the lives of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale by Albert and David Maysles. The Beales were...

, has stated that “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.” The dispute is currently awaiting arbitration.

Awards and nominations

The Sydney production won the 2008 Sydney Theatre Awards for Best Production Of A Musical and Judith Johnson Award For Best Performance By An Actor In A Musical - Tony Sheldon.

The West End production of Priscilla received three nominations at the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Tony Sheldon) and Best Costume Design (Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner). Chappel and Gardiner won the award for Best Costume Design. It also received seven nominations at the 2010 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards
Theatregoers' Choice Award
The Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards are organised by the theatre website Whatsonstage.com and recognise the performers and productions of British theatre with emphasis on London's West End. Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public....

 and went on to win four awards there: Best New Musical, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical (Oliver Thornton), Best Set Designer (Brian Thomson) and Best Choreographer (Ross Coleman). The West End production was nominated for a further eight awards at the BroadwayWorld.com UK Awards and won two: Best Costume Design (Chappel and Gardiner) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Thornton).

The Broadway production received four Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...

 nominations: Outstanding New Musical, Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Tony Sheldon), Outstanding Costume Design (Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner), and Outstanding Choreographer (Ross Coleman). Chappel and Gardiner won the award for Outstanding Costume Design. The musical also received four Drama Desk Awards nominations: Outstanding Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since. Before the 21st Drama Desk Awards, acting awards were given without making distinctions between roles in straight dramas as opposed to musicals, nor were there...

, Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since...

 (Tony Sheldon), Outstanding Book of a Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee which comprises New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors...

 (Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott), Outstanding Costume Design
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors...

 (Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner). Chappel and Gardiner once again won the award for Outstanding Costume Design. On 3 May 2011 the musical received two Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

 nominations: Best Actor in a Musical (Tony Sheldon) and Best Costume Design
Tony Award for Best Costume Design
These are the winners and nominees for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design. The award was first presented in 1947 and included both plays and musicals...

(Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner), winning for costume design.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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