THE Australian musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has been a global hit since it premiered in Sydney in 2006, so it's not surprising that the Newcastle Metropolitan Players production that will be staged at the Civic Theatre from August 18 to 28 has already sold more than 3000 tickets.
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The musical was originally booked for a season in August last year but had to be postponed because of the restrictions on audience numbers imposed when the coronavirus spread.
The stage show was adapted from a 1994 Australian film of a similar name, The Adventures of Priscilla, The Queen of the Desert, that was also a global smash hit.
The central characters in the film and stage play are three friends - two drag queens and a transgender woman - and, while their natures might seem to be unlikely to have many people watching intently and laughing and smiling, the things they say and do invariably have audience members recalling things they have done or have observed others doing.
The nature of the characters led to all the actors in the Metropolitan production eager to retain the roles and play them when the show was allowed to go ahead again.
And most of the large ensemble team are also in the show.
The story begins with a drag queen Mitzi Mitosis (Dave Baker), whose real name is Anthony Belrose but who prefers to use his nickname, Tick, performing at a club when his estranged wife, Marion (Amber Kirby), phones him, saying she needs an act for a few weeks at her business in Alice Springs.
Tick is at first reluctant, but Marion tells him that part of the reason she's asking is that their now eight-year-old son Benji (played alternatively by Lachlan McFarlane and Cooper Youman) who she gave birth to after they split up, wants to meet his father.
So Tick asks a friend, Felicia, the stage name of Adam (Luke Baker), to join him, as well as a transgender woman, Bernadette (Drew Holmes), whose husband has just died, when they meet at the man's funeral.
The trio buy "a budget Barbie, campervan" that they nickname Priscilla, and begin travelling to Alice Springs on it, with unexpected things happening to them and the van when they start a dance party at a bar in Broken Hill.
Bob (Robert Vidler), a mechanic in a nearby town, agrees to help fix Priscilla.
And when the trio finally get to Alice Springs a lot more unexpected happen to them.
The characters also include another drag queen, Miss Understanding (Justin Charlton), Bob's wife, Cynthia (Dana Fischer), and a trio of renowned female performers, Nicolette Black, Rachel Davies and Cassandra Griffin, who are a bright back-up team known as The Divas, plus a large ensemble and singers in the Civic's orchestra pit.
The show has more than 20 songs, mainly from the 1970s and 80s, that were hits in their day and are still popular.
They include, among others, It's Raining Men, I Say a Little Prayer for You, Venus, Hot Stuff, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, I Will Survive, I Love The Nightlife, and Finally.
The show's renowned staging team includes director Julie Black, musical director Chris Vidler, associate musical director Luke Baker, choreographer Mick Dean, assisted by Rena Youman, Graeme Black and Donna Nipperness as set designers, Jacob Harwood as lighting and sound designer, Bev Fewins and Stephen Harrison as costume designers, George Francis as hair designer, Rachael Millard as make-up designer, Andrew Black as poster and program designer, and Jennifer Halliburton as props developer.
Priscilla, the Queen of the Desert has certainly shown around the world the performance and backstage skills of the people involved.
Australian actor Tony Sheldon, for example, played more than 1700 performances as Bernadette in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, London's West End and Canada's Toronto in 2009 and 2010, prior to the Broadway premiere in March, 2011, and won the 2010 Melbourne Green Room for Best Male Artist in a Leading Role, as well as being nominated in 2010 for a London Green Room Award and for Best Actor in a Musical in Broadway's 2011 Tony Awards.
When the musical had a 10th anniversary tour in 2018 he gave his 1800th performance as Bernadette in Melbourne on March 7 and hit the milestone of 1900 performances in the role on June 20 at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney.
Maitland-raised actor David Harris played the role of Tick in the 2018 production.
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is Metropolitan Players' 12th production at the Civic Theatre, with their musicals generally being seen by 8000 or more actors, and winning many COND nominations and awards.
The other shows, with some presented in other venues, include Crazy for You, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Producers, The Boy from Oz, Grease, Oliver, The Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, Mary Poppins, Wicked, Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, The King and I, Victor/Victoria and Beauty and the Beast.
The musical has 7.30pm performances on Wednesday, August 18, Friday, August 20, Saturday, August 21, Wednesday, August 25, Friday, August 27, and Saturday, August 28 plus 1.30pm matinees on Saturday, August 21, Sunday, August 22, and Saturday, August 28.
Tickets: Adult $68; Concession/Student $58. Bookings: 4929 1977.
As the show contains adult themes parental discretion is advised for children under 16 years of age.
- For more entertainment news, visit: www.newcastleherald.com.au/whats-on/theatre-arts/