Is Priscilla's marketing offensive?

[fiyerowhereareyou]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 10:36am

Ryan Bogner talks about Priscilla's marketing, and how the 3 divas portrayed on the advertising are not the 3 divas the show is actually about...the drag queens.

I know several people who are annoyed by that as well...would Broadway audiences stay away from a show about Drag Queens? Is that a slap in the face to LGBTQ community? Thoughts?

Check out the controversial ad, and more thoughts:
Diva Fail

Posted: 3/9/11 at 11:07am

Some queens just LOOK for stuff to be outraged about, don't they?

[Justin D]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 11:15am

I for one am highly offended, pointy orange and blue wigs go against the very fibre of my being, I will be boycotting the show and starting up a facebook group to shut it down.

[fiyerowhereareyou]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 11:18am

I don't think the writer is talking about shutting it down at all...just calling out the marketing team...I personally have friends in the show, and can't wait to see it, but still when I saw that poster above the Palace theater I got a bad taste in my mouth.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 11:26am

Our UK production just has the logo and a big shoe on top of the Palace, is that wrong as well?

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 11:56am

There already is a thread about this:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1027193#4110351

I don't think the marketing is offensive but I do think it's misleading. I must admit though that I'm a big fan of the movie and not really interested in seeing the show.

[Broadwayboobs]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:19pm

If you're illiterate and rely on pictures then this could be misleading. I find the poster intriguing which leads me to do a little research in newspapers....google...etc. I don't believe it has anything to do with the subject matter of the show. Perhaps they want the audience to experience the drag queens on stage and not in an ad. Well, that's my 2 cents.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:22pm

The marquee gets lost on Times Square -- I had to search a few moments before I could even find it, being dwarfed by the billboards for Chicago, Jersey Boys and several others that are playing nowhere near (well, relatively speaking) Times Square. I do feel, however, that they should highlight Will, Tony and Nick in their upfront advertising. I smell Tony nominations for at least one of these three.

[dreaming]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:41pm

Tony Sheldon is their best shot at winning I think. He's really quite good.

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:43pm

It could be worse ... they could be in blackface.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 12:44pm

How is this any more offensive or misleading than the poster for LA CAGE? Sure, it's men in drag, but they are so dimly lit that unless you examine closely (which the average person will not do), they appear to be sexy showgirls.

At least it's a little more appropriate to the central theme and tone of the show, but there is still the subtle implication that people will not buy a ticket to a show if they know it is about gay men or drag queens.

I want to clarify: I'm not actually offended (at least not overly) by either marketing campaign, I'm just playing devil's advocate and pointing out another side of the argument.

Updated On: 3/9/11 at 12:44 PM

[temms]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:32pm

They can also use this particular poster regardless of who's in the cast. Saves money and hassle in the long run and they can use the same artwork for every company. Uniformity in marketing and all.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:35pm

It's kind of like all Hairspray marketing being of the Dynamites.

[tourboi]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:39pm

No, its not offensive. Silly? Maybe. Cowardly to not feature the men in drag? Maybe. Sensible with needing to sell tickets to the general public? Definitely.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 1:41pm

Except the Dynamites are in one number. The Divas in Priscilla are quite involved with the whole show.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 2:01pm

So it's more like Legally Blonde marketing the show with pictures of the Greek Chorus.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 2:15pm

To use the word 'offensive' is laughable.

There are so many other things in this world to be offended about, the marketing of a musical on Broadway is not one of them.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 3:32pm

Not offensive in the least and from members of the cast, the marketing is being rolled out in waves with the "queens" appearing on or around opening night.

Seriously, some gays will look for anything to get upset about. It strikes me as so funny that so many gays I know are upset with Target, yet if I ask them what local political representatives are anti-gay, they have no idea. If I ask them about gay causes or charities-no idea. They know about Target because they love to shop and Lady Gaga is mad at Target.

It boggles the mind.

Get mad about something WORTH getting angry about. If you consider this political activism, you need a wake up call.

[Parks]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 3:41pm

I personally almost think it would have been smarter to have put the drag queens in their marketing materials--the three divas would not have caught my attention (my friend made me go see it). I think drag queens are much more interesting than "divas". Just my two cents--but I'm not everybody.

Posted: 3/9/11 at 4:05pm

To be precise, it's more like marketing Hairspray with a picture of a girl in a wig and not letting on there's a drag queen in the show- or that it's about integration.
Updated On: 3/9/11 at 04:05 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 4:12pm

But that girl in the giant wig is the main character in Hairspray, isn't she?

Posted: 3/9/11 at 4:13pm

I haven't seen Priscilla, but don't the divas sing most of the numbers?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 4:14pm

All the drag performances and backing up a lot of the rest.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 4:23pm

It's the same marketing being used in London now. I didn't find it offensive, just misguided. It's sort of like using the Radio in Caroline or Change, the Urchins in Little Shop or the Dynamites in Hairspray as the focus of marketing materials. It's probably fine after a few years when the show and its characters are widely known, but it's completely off the mark as representing a new show.

[Broadwayboobs]

Posted: 3/9/11 at 4:34pm

"Titanic the musical" had a very misguiding poster...I had no idea it was about a ship.