Priscilla Queen Of The Desert Is Giving An Upgrade For Its 2018 Season - Noise11.com
Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert Is Giving An Upgrade For Its 2018 Season

by Paul Cashmere on January 28, 2018

in News

The return of ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ works because the producers were smart enough to stick with the plot but modernise the music.

Those hideous Charlene and Vanessa Williams songs has been trashed and to get around Abba’s refusal to allow anything anywhere anymore (unless you hand over your first born), this show has a newness to the 20 something year old story. No Abba? No problem! Just add Kylie and you actually improve the show for Australia. ‘Better The Devil You Know’ and ‘Confide In Me’ did not go unnoticed with the crowd, nor did the Kylie t-shirt at one point.

The 70s pop has been replaced mainly with 80s pop. M’s ‘Pop Muzik’, Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘Boogie Wonderland’, Pat Benatar’s ‘We Belong’, and Tina Turner’s ‘What’s Love Got To Do With Me’ play instead of ‘Billy Don’t Be A Hero’, ‘Take A Letter Maria’ and ‘My Baby Loves Lovin’. The revised music also ups the tempo of the show. I should give a special mention to ‘Thank God I’m A Country Boy’. Working a John Denver song into the soundtrack took some guts but hey, they were in Woop Woop.

I couldn’t help but notice the use of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘True Colours’ and ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ in the show as well. Producer Michael Cassel was the man behind Cyndi’s ‘Kinky Boots’ in Australia so I guess he only had to ask (and hey, he already had the sheet music). Like a good frock, these tracks are a perfect fit.

Veteran performer Tony Sheldon is the old Queen, Bernadette, David Harris plays Tick and Euan Doidge is Felicia, the movie roles played by Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce. Veteran Aussie act Robert Grubb (Neighbours, The Flying Doctors) is Bob. The role of the ping pong ball was played by itself.

Sheldon is a natural at Bernadette after having played the character over 1000 times in the original stage-show eight years ago.

Simon Phillips, who directed Love Never Dies for Andrew Lloyd-Webber, is working this show to perfection.For the costume designers Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, this must have been a dream job. There is no such thing as “too over the top”.

‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ opens in Melbourne on January 31 and then heads to Sydney in May, Adelaide in August and Brisbane in September.

https://priscillathemusical.com.au

Noise11.com

Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio

Related Posts

Joe Camilleri Apia Good Times 2021 photo by Noise11
Joe Camilleri’s Vintage Guitar Collection Stolen

Joe Camilleri’s home in regional Victoria has been broken into and the thief has taken nine of his prized guitars.

12 hours ago
Julian McMahon in The Surfer 2025
Julian McMahon Dies At Age 56 After Private Battle With Cancer

Australian actor Julian McMahon has died at the age of 56 after a private battle with cancer.

13 hours ago
Dog Trumpet Live Forever
Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty Go Track By Track Through Dog Trumpet’s ‘Live Forever’

On 11 July 2025 Dog Trumpet will release their ninth album ‘Live Forever’.

1 day ago
Colin Hay performs at the Recital Centre in Melbourne on 11 February 2018. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Colin Hay To Release Man @ Work Volume 2

Men at Work’s Colin Hay has made a sequel to his 2003 solo album ‘Man @ Work’ where he re-recorded his Men At Work and solo songs.

2 days ago
Russell Hitchcock Take Time
Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply Solo Album ‘Take Time’ To Be Reissued

Russell Hitchcock’s second solo album ‘Take Time’ will have a limited reissue through MelodicRock Classics.

3 days ago
John Paul Young One Foot In Front
John Paul Young’s Long Out of Print ‘One Foot In Front’ To Be Reissued

‘One Foot In Front’, John Paul Young’s long unavailable 1983 album, is getting a re-release through Andrew McNeice’s MelodicRock Classics.

3 days ago
Crowded House perform at Rod Laver Arena 10 December 2024 photo by Winston Robinson
More Crowded House Red Hot Summer Shows Sellout

The Crowded House Red Hot Summer shows are doing fast work around Australia will four shows on the tour now sold out.

3 days ago