Priscilla tour

[studman9132]

Posted: 2/3/13 at 11:14pm

Does anyone know if Priscilla is going to continue touring after Denver in September? Or is this just a short tour?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/18/13 at 2:17pm

Caught the tour last night. This is a very solid touring production for the most part in terms of sets, lighting, costumes, and talent. I saw the show on Broadway and loved it, and the tour did not disappoint. The cast was excellent. I saw Bryan West understudy Felicia on Broadway, and he definitely still has the charm and wit. Wade McCollum was VERY good as Tick. He added a lot more emotion and passion to the role than Will Swenson. He was also RIPPED. DAMNNN. Scott Willis was great as Bernadette. Not Tony Sheldon by any means, but still very good.
The set is pretty much the same as what was on Broadway with a few minor tweaks here and there. The treadmill is gone and replaced by a simple track. The bus is also a little bit smaller, and the side does not fold up to reveal the interior. One side is the inside and the other is the outside. It rotates accordingly. The disco ball sun is gone as well, which kinda bummed me out. They also cut the show staircase on top of the bus during the finale. A Fine Romance just has an upstage platform as opposed to the two staircases. The set definitely could have used a few touch ups in terms of paint and "solidifying" wobbly set pieces. I was sitting pretty close though, and i doubt it's noticeable from farther back.
There were a few technical glitches with mics. There also seemed to be some problems with getting the Divas to fly. During Girls Just Want to Have Fun, you could hear them, but they were nowhere to be seen. It was just the lit up bus onstage for about 45-60 seconds. Definitely a little awkward. They were also not present, but heard in a couple other scenes in Act 2. Nothing major, but definitely noticeable.
I also forgot how sharp, fast, and witty this show is in terms of humor. This thing is so damn snappy, and it is just joke upon joke and double entendre upon double entendre. The cast was on fire, and nailed every joke. I love this show. Definitely better quality on Broadway, but that's to be expected. Overall though, this is a very solid touring production. It did not look "cheap" and scaled back like Sister Act or Anything Goes.
ALSO: Shot out to the ensemble and chorus boys. Definitely one of the hottest and most in shape casts I have seen in a LONG time.

[erix]

Posted: 9/18/13 at 6:17pm

You've mentioned this before, and I'm not sure what you're talking about with respect to the set for the Anything Goes tour being scaled down and cheap. I sat in the front row both on Broadway and when it came through Dallas, and it was the EXACT SAME SET. The only difference being that the ship's passengers boarded from off-stage rather than from the aisles up the steps that folded down from the stage, and the ship's railing, which didn't rise up automatically from the lip of the stage, but was brought on and off by actors.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/18/13 at 9:23pm

It was not the exact same. The cabin was way smaller and cheaper, and was tracked on from the side, not from the back of the stage. The masking with the windows was also flimsy fabric - not the fiber glass like arches with light up windows.

[erix]

Posted: 9/18/13 at 10:31pm

Oh well, then. You're right. What a piece of ****! It's really cool that you spend so much time noticing how ****ty sets are. That seems like a really fun and productive use of time!

Updated On: 9/18/13 at 10:31 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/18/13 at 10:58pm

^ Wow. Getting all defensive when I'm just pointing out that it was not identical. I thought it looked cheap. My opinion. Nothing more. I don't get why you're getting all worked up about it.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 9/20/13 at 1:51am

Actually, the Anything Goes set is the EXACT same set from Broadway. I know first hand, it's the same set and is a complete pain in the ass to tour, as it was built to be installed and not to tour.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 12:46am

Photo Flash: First Looks at PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT: THE MUSICAL Tour Stop at TUTS

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 1:30am

"Actually, the Anything Goes set is the EXACT same set from Broadway. I know first hand, it's the same set and is a complete pain in the ass to tour, as it was built to be installed and not to tour."

It may have been the same DESIGN, but there were differences. The bedroom unit was different - not as grandeur, and the show portals were fabric that was very wrinkled and flimsy - at least it was when I saw it. You can see her that the show portals are different. I could see the main unit being the same though.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 11:12am

Touring sets, by definition, have to be less elaborate than sets for a sit-down.

That's because they have to TOUR.

I would think that would be obvious, even to a person who misuses the word "grandeur."

[grumpyoptimist]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 12:06pm

Changing the subject here, but does the tour do the entr'acte "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" number where they pull people on stage?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 12:33pm

"Oh well, then. You're right. What a piece of ****! It's really cool that you spend so much time noticing how ****ty sets are. That seems like a really fun and productive use of time!"

Well someone has his panties in a bunch!

Bwayphreak never said anything about a sh***y set design aside from how cheap the sets looked for Anything Goes and Sister Act. Which is bwayphreak's opinion and was stated to compare quality of set design to that of Priscilla's.

Erix must have been involved in the set design for the Anything Goes tour to get that defensive.

Updated On: 9/29/13 at 12:33 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 4:28pm

They DO pull audience members in stage for Thank God I'm A Country Boy.

Millie, I have to disagree. The arguments are valid and ironic. Let's nssume that the Anything Goes tour does usethe Broadway set. It would still need to be modified to tour easily. Still other units would need to be totally redisgned to fit the demands of a tour - changing oit to spft pprtals would be standard, as would changing elements that once came up through the show deck, having elements track on from different off-stage locations. Anything oes could easily be 70% of the Broadway set and 30% new builds and modifications to meet tour demands.
It's an ironic argument here because Priscilla DOES use the exact same bus from the Broadway production. The trimmed it down by a few feet and simplified it / made it lighter by removing the elevators and removing the wall that could open. It is smaller and not quite as complex, but still very much the Broadway bus... So...

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 5:38pm

Good god almighty... I had no idea people would get this crazy over one comment. I never said they had to be just as elaborate. I understand they have to be modified. Which proves my original point that the set for Anything Goes was NOT identical to the Broadway set. I personally thought the modifications made it look cheap, and the night I saw it the set was clunky and creaky and did not move when it was supposed to. And broadwayguy, you completely missed the point.

And thank you Millie for understanding my point.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 6:30pm

broadwayguy2, I'm not necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with anyone. Erix gave his point, which is fine. It was his follow up that was rude and uncalled for. No one is giving some elaborate complaint about any of the set designs.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 7:48pm

I hate wrinkled fabric portals for tours. I think it does make a show look really cheap. The portals frame the entire stage and it cheapens the whole thing regardless of how good the rest of the scenery looks. The biggest offender I've seen recently was Sister Act. I get that it cuts cost and is easier to tour, but I wish there was something they could do to pull them tighter or something (anything!) to get those wrinkles out.

I don't recall wrinkled portals in the tours of Wicked or Lion King, but those might have very well not been made out of fabric. I don't remember.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/29/13 at 8:02pm

^ I agree! It seems to be becoming more and more common too with touring productions. I also hate when they move and sway when actors and/or set pieces go by.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/30/13 at 1:10am

I was not taking either side in the debate or saying who was wrong, merely stating that it was a valid POINT of debate that was raised... LOL. I wasn't even really addressing your original point, bwayphreak. Sorry if you felt that I was.

Fabric portals are not becoming MORE common on tour. You are probably just noticing them more now that you know they are there.
Wicked and Lion King, because they can afford the truck space and extra load time, DO have solid portals, like their Broadway counterparts.
Some tours do have ways to attach the portals to the deck to help pull them more taut, but it REALLY depends on the show. It's not always the best option and can result in greater wear.
But let's be frank, fabric draperies have been a theatrical standard for hundreds of years and in a tour, where loads are fast and truck space is valuable, using as many soft goods as possible is not only preferred, but sometimes the only real option, particularly in some venues.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/30/13 at 1:20am

^ Okay And I have no problem with fabric portals being used, just make them look presentable. Wrinkled and folded over show portals just do not look good. There was a corner of one of the Sister Act show portals that was creased, knocked out of place, and folded/flipped out and over. It just does not look good or professional.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/30/13 at 1:30am

Personally, I am a big supporter of using soft portals, etc. I kind of go batty when I see lots of money needlessly spent. It drives up costs and goes to making producing harder. I MORE than wholeheartedly agree that upkeep is of the utmost important and I go mad (my brain is a tad OCD) when I see scenic elements not holding up well on tour and not being well cared for. I'd write an essay here very easily if I allow myself, but suffice to say that portals and drops should be well cared for, carefully packed and constantly maintained to ensure that they do not show visible wrinkles and creases.