The Broadway production, which opened at the Palace Theatre March 20, was awarded a 2011 Tony Award for Best Costume Design for Academy Award winners Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner's designs. The new musical, presented by Bette Midler, was also honored with three Best Musical award nominations from the Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Award organizations.
Olivier Award and Tony nominee Tony Sheldon (as Bernadette), Hair Tony Award nominee Will Swenson (as Tick/Mitzi) and La Cage aux Folles actor Nick Adams (as Adam/Felicia) star on Broadway as "the trio of friends on a heart-warming, uplifting adventure. [They] hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed."
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott and directed by Simon Phillips. The score features existing dance-floor favorites.
The show is drawn from the Oscar-winning film "The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert," which starred starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce.
Choreography is by Ross Coleman, musical supervision and arrangements are by Stephen "Spud" Murphy, and set design is by Brian Thomson. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner have re-created their Academy Award-winning costume designs, which were originally designed for the film. Lighting is designed by Nick Schlieper and sound design is by Jonathan Deans. Make-up design is re-created by Cassie Hanlon. Priscilla Queen of the Desert had its world premiere in Sydney in 2006 and has subsequently dragged its flashy wares to Melbourne and New Zealand, becoming the most successful Australian musical of all time. The London production continues in the West End at the Palace Theatre.
The staging won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Costume Design for Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. The show was also nominated for Best New Musical, and Tony Sheldon was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical.
The original Broadway cast recording of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical, produced by Stephen "Spud" Murphy and Frank Filipetti for the Rhino label, is currently available.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is produced by Bette Midler; James L. Nederlander; Garry McQuinn, Liz Koops; Michael Hamlyn; Allan Scott; Roy Furman/ Richard Willis; Terry Allen Kramer; Terri and Timothy Childs, Ken Greiner, Ruth Hendel; Chugg Entertainment; Michael Buckley; Stewart Lane/ Bonnie Comley; Bruce Davey; Thierry Suc/TS3; Bartner/ Jenkins; Broadway Across America/H. Koenigsberg; M. Lerner/ D. Bisno/ K. Seidel/ R. Gold; Paul Boskind and Martian Entertainment / Spirtas-Mauro Productions / MAS Music Arts & Show; and David Mirvish.
For more information visit priscillaonbroadway.com.
An exclusive look inside the bus:
