Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical

[sondheimboy2]

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#0

Posted: 5/4/06 at 1:42am

A Musical Take on Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to Hit Australia
by Broadway.com Staff

A stage musical version of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the successful 1994 movie, will hit Australia this fall. The show, titled simply Priscilla Queen of the Desert, is set to begin performances at Star City Casino's Lyric Theater in Sydney on October 7, according to Variety.


And who will be playing Australia...

Seriously, this could be an "Ilya, Darling" for the new millenium. Take a film that draws a good deal of it's vitality from the location where it was filmed and suffocate it in a theater with a painted backdrop.

I toyed with the idea of a musical version of it myself. I just loved the idea of booking a theater down the street from where "Mamma Mia" is playing, so that the line: "I told you no ****ing Abba!" would have special relevance.

"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music "Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70 "Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba

[stage_door76]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#1

Posted: 5/17/06 at 1:06am

Auditions are currently being held in Melbourne and Sydney.

It's being directed by Simon Phillips, with AD by Dean Bryant and choreography by Ross Coleman.

Its opening night is slated for October 7 in Sydney, where it has booked to play for 7 months at the Lyric Theatre, after which time it will transfer to Melbourne. Definitely.

Will keep you posted over the rehearsal period. Should be very interesting...

"...But Kungurtseva reels off multiple fouettes and the tape is stopped so she can take a bow. The Jester, an abomination introduced to Swan Lake in Soviet times, extorts applause from the audience. The cuts don't help the storytelling, the production is bare bones and they go for the '50s-style happy ending. The audience cheers like mad at the end. It's the Russian ballet, after all..."

[best12bars]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#2

Posted: 5/17/06 at 6:18am

Since over half this movie is a bus trip across the Outback, I'm not sure this is such a great idea. It will take away the wonderful "road trip" aspects of the movie and leave it feeling very "land locked." I don't have a good feeling about this one. Sure the drag numbers would work well in a theatre, but not the actual STORY. Someone forgot about that part. They usually do, when it comes to musicals these days.

Next they'll try to do a stage musical of "Breaking Away."

Some films just don't lend themselves well to the stage.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

---

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

[jwsel]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#3

Posted: 5/17/06 at 11:16am

I'm not sure I agree with that. While the movie had some wonderful visuals and the landscape played a significant role, I think the heart of the movie was the characters and their interactions. I don't think you need to translate the visuals of the vast Australian outback to experience the journey the characters go through. The travels of the bus can be translated, as can being lost in the middle of nowhere and coming across the various towns/camps that seem displaced from civilization.

I'm not saying the musical will be good; I'm just not sure it's fair to say that the show won't translate merely because of the scope of the landscape.

[Calvin]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#4

Posted: 5/17/06 at 11:19am

Will they, however, sing "Mamma Mia" in the stage version, like they do at the end of the movie?

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#5

Posted: 5/17/06 at 11:20am

They're auditioning some great Aussie talents - I think the show has potential. I'll be curious.

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

[Calvin]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#6

Posted: 5/17/06 at 11:21am

*sigh* Guy Pearce...if only...

[best12bars]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#7

Posted: 5/17/06 at 11:45am

Okay... so maybe the interior of a bus whirring on a treadmill for 45 minutes of the evening will make for good theatre.

Hopefully the book and songs will help it rise above the confines of the proscenium.

I'll wait and see what they do...

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

---

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#8

Posted: 5/17/06 at 11:59am

There were some top of the line performers in the workshop and apparently it was a huge success.

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

[rockfenris2005]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#9

Posted: 5/17/06 at 12:06pm

Is this being written with new music and lyrics? Or is it another one of those horrid revusicals a la Dusty Slimefield

Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, wise men never try -South Pacific

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#10

Posted: 5/17/06 at 12:18pm

From the Sydney Morning Herald site:

MORE GREASEPAINT

Daarrrrrrrling, what other city but Sydney would host the world premiere of a new musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert? The tale of drag queens in the outback is to open at the Lyric Theatre in October in a co-production between John Frost of Sydney and Back Row Productions of London. The director will be Simon Phillips, artistic director of the Melbourne Theatre Company and Tony Sheldon, who stole the show as the ultra camp Roger DeBris in The Producers, seems a shoo-in for the cast, after taking part in a recent workshop in Melbourne. The challenge will be to find three actors who can match the chutzpah of the stars in the 12-year-old movie, Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp.

A more in-depth article

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

[redhotinnyc2]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#11

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:03pm

Rath - is that Shirley Jones in your avatar?

"I don't really get the ending,all i can go with is when after several months,Judith saw Pat sang,and later she kissed him on the toilet,after that the story back to where Pat went down from the stage after he'd sung,and he went to the italian lady.I just don't get it,what Judith exatcly meant when he kissed Pat that she had seen,and did Pat end up together with The Italian Lady?Please help me,thank u very much!" Quote from someone on IMDB in reference to a movie he/she didn't understand. Such grammar!

[broadwaybaby692]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#12

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:19pm

will they recreate the ping-pong ball trick onstage?????

also, if this does happen and it is halfway decent i would really like to see Lizzy Gardiner create some new fabulous stage costumes.
Updated On: 5/17/06 at 04:19 PM

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#13

Posted: 5/17/06 at 7:44pm

Yes, redhot.

And bbaby, yes, Lizzy Gardiner is attached, along with the writer/director and producer of the film.

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

[stage_door76]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#14

Posted: 5/17/06 at 10:27pm

A lot of the people involved with the workshop are not too keen on being involved with the eventual production because the creative team still wants them to AUDITION, even though they feel that they practically created half the show themselves. SO, there's a little bit of bitterness.

The book is average at the moment and needs major re-working (which i'm sure it will get, or at least I hope). And the score is being dealt with now, with major songs being considered - some of the originals and some new ones that weren't in the film (like "She Works Hard for the Money")

In terms of production design, I trust the team, but it will be very hard

"...But Kungurtseva reels off multiple fouettes and the tape is stopped so she can take a bow. The Jester, an abomination introduced to Swan Lake in Soviet times, extorts applause from the audience. The cuts don't help the storytelling, the production is bare bones and they go for the '50s-style happy ending. The audience cheers like mad at the end. It's the Russian ballet, after all..."

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#15

Posted: 5/17/06 at 10:31pm

They're making ALL of them audition?

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

[stage_door76]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#16

Posted: 5/17/06 at 10:33pm

They have all been asked. Whether or not it will eventuate, I don't know. But regardless of their creative in-put during the workshop or their current "star status", everyone has to audition for the panel at this stage.

"...But Kungurtseva reels off multiple fouettes and the tape is stopped so she can take a bow. The Jester, an abomination introduced to Swan Lake in Soviet times, extorts applause from the audience. The cuts don't help the storytelling, the production is bare bones and they go for the '50s-style happy ending. The audience cheers like mad at the end. It's the Russian ballet, after all..."

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#17

Posted: 5/17/06 at 10:35pm

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

Updated On: 5/17/06 at 10:35 PM

[stage_door76]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#18

Posted: 5/17/06 at 10:39pm

Well - I hope you're right!
When you next hear anything on the grapevine, drop me a PM, i'd be interested to hear whats going around!

I really hope the show does well - because we need to pick ourselves up and brush off the dirt after the disaster that was "Dusty: The Original Pop Diva". ergh...

"...But Kungurtseva reels off multiple fouettes and the tape is stopped so she can take a bow. The Jester, an abomination introduced to Swan Lake in Soviet times, extorts applause from the audience. The cuts don't help the storytelling, the production is bare bones and they go for the '50s-style happy ending. The audience cheers like mad at the end. It's the Russian ballet, after all..."

[rockfenris2005]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#19

Posted: 5/18/06 at 3:13am

Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, wise men never try -South Pacific

Updated On: 5/18/06 at 03:13 AM

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#20

Posted: 5/30/06 at 8:10am

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

Updated On: 5/30/06 at 08:10 AM

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#21

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:17am

Variety item re: chorus call

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#22

Posted: 6/19/06 at 9:29am

The press launch is tomorrow (Melbourne time) so perhaps we'll have the casting announcements tonight - early tomorrow morning at the latest.

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

[Rathnait62]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#23

Posted: 6/20/06 at 8:57am

Here's the cast list from the official site:

Tony Sheldon
Jeremy Stanford
Daniel Scott

Marney McQueen
Lena Cruz

Trevor Ashley
Danielle Barnes
Sophie Carter
Michael Griffiths
Nick Hardcastle
Mark Hodge
Ben Lewis
Christina O'Neill
Kurt Phelan
Damien Ross
David Spencer
Dean Vince

Official Site

Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson

Updated On: 6/20/06 at 08:57 AM

[sondheimboy2]

re: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the stage musical#24

Posted: 6/20/06 at 10:52pm

I just looked at the website.

They aren't using any original songs written specifically for the characters or situations?

So, this isn't so much a "New Musical" as it is a "Really, Really Expensive Drag-Show"?

Or, sort of a "Saturday Night Fever" for the new millenium.

I'm disappointed. I think that those characters should sing songs about themselves and not just the disco songbook.

"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music "Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70 "Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba