A couple weeks ago my mom, grandma and aunt went to see the musical
Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre. They were seated in the second row.
“I don’t think I’d ever seen a six pack before,” my mom later told me. “But I definitely have now.”
Due to my own lack of research, I had few other expectations as I settled into my seat at the Princess of Wales a week later to enjoy
Priscilla for myself.
What followed was two and a half hours of delightfully costumed drag queens performing deliciously great pop songs, with a timid attempt to tell a story between song and dance numbers.
Based on the movie of the same name, the show sees three drag queens on a pilgrimage from Sydney to Alice Springs, Australia with their individual aspirations revealed along the way. Their mode of transportation is a festively vibrant bus they name
Priscilla.
Tick/Mitzi instigates the road trip in order to meet his six-year-old son for the first time.
Adam/Felicia is a hot young thang who goes along for the ride, planning to sing every
Madonna song from the peaks of Alice Springs upon arrival. And
Bernadette is a post-op drag veteran who wonders if the time has passed to find the man of her dreams.
While there are intermittent moments of sombre self-reflection, story isn’t so much the focus here. The strength of the show is in the spectacle – it largely feels like the best damn pride parade ever.
The costumes are elaborate and outstanding – from a chorus of cupcakes to non-stop sequins and platform shoes (not to mention pleasantly revealing short shorts). And there couldn’t be a gayer selection of music for our protagonists to perform, from
Tina Turner to
Madonna to
Cyndi Lauper. Needless to say, a smile rarely left my face.
With much of the action taking place in and around
Priscilla, the bus itself sometimes feels a little limiting as a set piece. I wanted a little bit more from the simple backdrop, when the stage wasn't filled with costumed queens.
The almost non-stop energy of the production was nicely offset by glimpses of humanity among its well-cast characters.
Tony Sheldon effectively portrays
Bernadette as a woman balancing self-reverence and later-life regret. And
Will Swenson plays perhaps as much of a “straight man” as possible among the trio, as a dad afraid to scare his son by revealing his occupation.
Nick Adams, meanwhile, is a delightful little firecracker as the youthful, energetic
Adam/Felicia, whose wandering eye and penchant for adventure gets him into a little bit of trouble. (And it must be noted, even from the cheap seats his banging body could be fully appreciated).
At its core,
Priscilla is a spirited celebration of love and life regardless of difference. Its talented cast, elaborate costumes and stellar soundtrack make it just downright fun.
The show’s only in town until January 2, when it leaves to take Broadway by storm. If you want to experience what New Yorkers will soon be raving about, best hop on the opportunity now!
