Musical 'Priscilla' Headed for the Australian Stage

By: BWW News Desk May. 03, 2006

According to Variety, the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is headed for the stage this fall.

Back Row Productions and producer John Frost are planning to bring a musical version of Stephen Elliott's 1994 film--in which two drag queens and a transsexual man hop aboard the bus of the title perform a cabaret show in the middle of the Australian outback--to the stage in a production directed by Simon Phillips, artistic director of the Melbourne Theatre Company. The title will be shortened to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and it will have its premiere at Star City Casino's Lyric Theater in Sydney, Australia this October.

The film's producer Michael Hamlyn, as well as Allan Scott, will be on the producing team, and the latter is set to pen the book of the show with Elliott. The composing team has not yet been announced.

Lizzie Gardiner, who won an Oscar for her glitzy costumes for the film, will recreate them for the stage under a larger budget--$11,000. Brian Thompson has signed on, as well, to put together the femininely-named bus for the stage.

The film starred Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, but producers of the upcoming Broadway production are not planning to cast "name" actors. The creative team is likely to be comprised of mostly Aussie artists, and the three lead roles filled by Australian actors. A $4.6 million budget is the aim for the musical version, but it might reach to over $6 million, as well. According to the article, 75% of the funds for the musical, which has been previously workshopped, were raised outside of Australia. Rock promoter Michael Chugg, TS&Co.'s Thierry Suc and a number of private investors are among those backing the show.

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