PRSCILLA's Tony Sheldon Talks Being a Woman and More

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, the pre-Broadway North American company of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical, written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott and directed by Simon Phillips will star Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon ("Bernadette"), Tony Award® nominee Will Swenson ("Tick"/ "Mitzi") and Nick Adams ("Adam"/"Felicia") as the trio of friends on a heart-warming, uplifting adventure who 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.

Ashley Spencer ("Diva"), Mike McGowan ("Frank"), Christopher Gurr, Ellyn Marie Marsh and Jeff Metzler complete the cast of the new stage musical that will begin performances at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto for a twelve-week only, pre-Broadway engagement beginning October 12, 2010 and officially opening October 26.

Sheldon recently spoke with Thestar.com about the production, revealing first off that initally he was hesitant to get involved.  He explains: "When they first asked me, I wasn't that keen on it. I had just spent two years playing Roger De Bris in The Producers and I wasn't in a big hurry to wear a dress again...But then I read the script and found there was now a great deal of warmth and humanity in it. It was just a 10-day workshop, so I said ‘What they hey?'"

On the mentality of playing a woman, he says: "I'm not just playing a drag queen. I'm playing a post-operative transsexual who loves and thinks as a woman. I had to get rid of the whole man thing." It was the "dignity" and humanity of his character that he attaches to.

Still, playing a woman has its drawbacks, Sheldon is quick to admit, including squeezing into a corset every night and wearing high heels: "Those six-inch platform heels are killers. I have to take magnesium tablets because I'd wake up in the middle of the night with leg cramps." As for the corset: "Have you ever worn one? Take my advice, love, and don't."

To read the full interview in Thestar.com, click here.

With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and featuring a score of dance-floor classics, Priscilla is a journey to the heart of fabulous.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical will open on Broadway in Spring 2011 at a theater to be announced.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical will also feature C. David Johnson ("Bob"), James Brown III ("Jimmy"), Nathan Lee Graham ("Miss Understanding"), J. Elaine Marcos ("Cynthia"), Jessica Phillips ("Marion"), Steve Schepis ("Farrah"), Keala Settle ("Shirley"), "Divas" Jacqueline Arnold and Anastacia McCleskey and Thom Allison, Kyle Brown, BRyan West, Tad Wilson, Joshua Buscher, Susan Dunstan, David Lopez and Eric Sciotto.

Priscilla, adapted from the Academy Award® winning film "The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert," starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, is written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott. Direction is by Simon Phillips, 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. BAFTA Award winning make up design is recreated by Cassie Hanlon.

Priscilla had its world premiere in Sydney in October 2006 and has subsequently wowed audiences and critics alike in Melbourne and New Zealand, becoming the most successful Australian musical of all time. Following a return Sydney season last year due to popular demand, the London production recently celebrated its first year in the West End at the Palace Theatre. Along with Toronto and Broadway, further international dates are also in discussion for productions in Brazil, Scandinavia and Germany.

Along with winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Costume Design for Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, the musical was also nominated for Best New Musical and Tony Sheldon was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical.The Evening Standard raved that Priscilla "Takes you out of yourself and into daring places your wildest fantasies might never have dreamed of visiting," and The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Evening Standard, and London Paper all gave the production "Four Stars!"

Priscilla is produced by Liz Koops and Garry McQuinn for Back Row Productions, Michael Hamlyn for Specific Films, Allan Scott Productions, David Mirvish, Roy Furman, Terry Allen Kramer, James L. Nederlander, Terri and Timothy Childs / Ken Greiner / Chip Meyrelles, Bartner Group LLC, Chugg Entertainment, Bruce Davy, Michael Buckley, Stewart F. Lane / Bonnie Comley, Thierry Suc and Volcano Project /TS3.

For tickets, schedule and performance information on the West End and Toronto productions visit: priscillathemusical.com.

Photo: Tony Sheldon (center) with Jason Donovan and Oliver Thornton by Tristram Kenton