For
all the glitter, glitz and glamor in South Florida just head to the
Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami where it is all on the
stage in “Priscilla Queen of the Desert--The Musical”.  Tim Chappel and
Lizzy Gardiner won the Oscar for best Costume design and then triumphed
again on Broadway winning the Tony in the same category, both awards
well earned. The hardest working people in this show have to be the
behind the scenes people who coordinate the wardrobe, makeup and wig
crew, including the people hired in each city, to get the actors in the
right outfit at the right time. With over 400 costumes plus all the
accessories the job they do is amazing.. Oh yes, that flip-flop dress is
in the show!

From
the curtain first going up when the audience sees a replica of the
Sydney Harbour bridge, in Australia, all lit up, to the very real bus
that turns, spins, opens up, changes colors, has moving wheels and does
everything a bus is suppose to do plus, the lighting designers Nick
Schlieper and Jonathan Spencer plus Brian Thomson who designed the bus
and production certainly deserve the positive reactions they get from
the audiences with all the changes.

The
story is about Tick/Mitzi (Chris Klink) going to meet his son for the
first time with Adam /Felicia (Bryan West) and Bernadette (Scott
Willis), the latter two not knowing that Tick had been married or even
has a son. Tick and Adam are drag queens while Bernadette is a
transexual and they do a show together lip synching in a gay bar in
Sydney.  The show is about what happens when they travel from Sydney to
Alice Springs where Adam will meet his son.  Most scenes are accompanied
by songs from the disco era including “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”,
“Go West”, “I Will Survive”, “True Colors” and “Don’t Leave Me This
Way”.  In many cases the songs distract from the quieter scenes and just
lay there. The choreography is sort of between a rock and a hard place
as some of the costumeshinder any dancing of note and most of the steps
are basic and constantly repeated. Scott Willis stands out as Bernadette
as does Joe Hart as her eventual beau Bob. Both have a chance to sing
solo while most songs are done as duets, trios,  quartet, or with the
full ensemble, not giving any other an individual to shine.

“Priscilla
Queen of the Desert: The Musical” is certainly a visual delight and
when it comes to the finale you will be up on your feet shaking your
booty with the cast. Talking about ‘visual delight’, anyone who likes
the chiseled bodies of young men are in for a treat!

Act 1 One hour  Intermission 25 minutes  Act 2 One hour  Strobe lights, Smoke

Tour Dates:  Tampa Bay 4/9-4/14, Orlando 4/16-21 West Palm Beach 4/23-28  

Coming next  to the Arsht Center “Memphis” May 7-12    

Coming next to the Broward Performing Arts Center “Warhorse” May 7-19