Priscilla Queen of the Desert - WTF?!

[FrontRow]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 12:44pm

I saw 'Priscilla' last night and was SHOCKED - it's dreadful. People are picking on 'Spider-Man'? What about all the money wasted here...on excessive costumes and costume changes. At least there's a reason for the flying in 'Spider-Man'. Why on earth are the "divas" suspended from the air? What's the point of those "divas" anyway? I found the show joyless, garish and tacky. I took a friend who recently lost their job for what I thought would be a pick-me-up. We did not have any fun.
The narrative threads are so badly done. Like, did Tick's wife marry him knowing he's a drag queen? They still refer to each other as husband and wife, and she's completely understanding and supportive. Tony Sheldon belongs in another show - a revival of 'Sunset Blvd'! And Nick Adams, yeah, your body's incredible and it's nice to see someone break out of the chorus, but it felt like the whole point of your role was to show off your body. And how could Will Swenson - who was so magnetic in 'Hair' - be so boring here? It's like he didn't know how to play the part, how butch or femme to be. So he comes off like a teenager questioning his sexuality.
I hadn't read about the show in great detail, so I thought there were original songs in it. Instead, they use existing songs to "further the plot" - but this isn't even a jukebox musical, which has some basic reason for the songs (i.e., they're from one artist). It's like a bad cruise-ship revue. Note I didn't just say cruise-ship revue, I said a BAD one: just pile on the razzle-dazzle, be as loud and bright as possible, play songs you know people like to dance to.
Plus: there are some truly offensive things in the script. Like the "insult" to the fat redneck woman in the first town they stop in. And the Asian portrayal. (A completely unnecessary character and musical number, btw.) And the second-act rednecks' threatened assault on Felicia.
So this is what life is like for gays/drag queens outside the city, according to the show: Get insulted/threatened. Cry for 10 seconds & be completely over it, or defeat the homophobes with a kick to the crotch or a song (which somehow miraculously wins over everybody). Repeat.
What an embarrassment.

[noradesmond]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 1:44pm

i guess you never saw the movie . . . . . ? Sounds pretty faithful. And I, like many others, found the movie to be funny and uplifting. So . . . . . . there you go.
Updated On: 3/19/11 at 01:44 PM

[lynnetoomey]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 2:20pm

I agree 100% ! Was also there last evening, and found the whole thing a garish, pointless mess. Not to mention that my ears are bleeding from the obnoxious over-amplification.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 2:56pm

"They still refer to each other as husband and wife, and she's completely understanding and supportive."

That's because they are still married. But I guess everyone's relationship has to be exactly one way, and if it's any different it is wrong.

[FrontRow]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 3:11pm

"...everyone's relationship has to be exactly one way, and if it's any different it is wrong."

Oh, excuse me, the right way is for a straight person to have an absentee gay spouse? That's really great relationship advice.

Even if you think such an arrangement is perfectly fine (and if you're straight and think so, I repeat WTF), why are they assuming we're all supposed to just understand that?

[Maceman91]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 3:35pm

Haha. Someone never pulled into sarcasm station.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 5:30pm

I just LOVE it when people are "shocked" ......

[CONAries]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 5:39pm

(I am speaking as someone who has only seen the London production, but i hear the changes aint massive!)
The thing about Priscilla is that it fills it's brief, and pleases it's target audience. It's abit of light-hearted fun, with a simple, but meaningful story to tie it all up. It uses classic anthems and incredible costumes to brighten up the theatre, entertain for a few hours, and then leave you with a big smile on your face! From what it sounds, you were expecting a piece of life-changing, meaningful, original theatre, Priscilla is anything but this, but it doesnt pretend to be, the show knows it plays like a drag-queens ipod and uses that to its advantage!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 5:45pm

In the movie, wasn't the wife gay, too? It's been so long since I saw it.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 5:47pm

it does what it sets out to do...that just ain't exactly art. It's commerce and that's fine. The movie achieved both...hard to do.

[JP2]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 5:52pm

I don't think it's the SHOW that's joyless.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 5:56pm

I saw it on Wed. March 16th and thoroughly enjoyed it. The musical followed the movie fairly closely. It was an explosion of rainbow colored Busby Berkley revues. I loved it! from RC in Austin, Texas

[dramarama3]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 6:38pm

I absolutely hate saying this and hate it when it's said to me, but. I don't think you got it, to be honest. Or at least it doesn't sound like it.

The best part of Priscilla for me (the film and the musical) is that behind all the costumes and campness and glitter is a trio of characters who, despite their obvious differences, are real legitimate people. I think the characters are very believable.

As for the Asian portrayal, I've always thought that maybe that 'joke' would hit home better for Australians. I can understand people being offended by that in 2011.

[tourboi]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 6:45pm

The Diva's are unofficial narrators of sorts, and provide the vocals while the queens are lip syncing. It's not that hard to figure out.

[matty159]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 6:48pm

I'm with the lovers (and not the haters) on this one. I saw the show on Wednesday night and was absolutely sold and in love with it. As stated, it serves its purpose and serves it well. It is big, splashy, frivolous, funny, and heartwarming. It will sell REALLY well...and their TODAY appearance did nothing but increase its appeal to the masses. Just like the movie, it is a crowd pleasing hit. On Wednesday, the crowd lapped up every last minute of it. It is not ground-breaking and deep theater and it never poses itself to be such. It is definitely a show I am certain I can take out-of-town visitors to see. It is also certain to be a tough ticket to get at least for the foreseeable future.

I certainly love my "important theater," but there is a definite place for Priscilla and I am glad she has landed at the Palace!

[tourboi]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 6:52pm

As for the asian portrayal... you can't take it too seriously. I have many asian friends who found it rather hilarious.

[JP2]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 7:18pm

I found the show quite charming. I had the biggest smile on my face the entire time. I was even moved to tears at certain points.

I hope it has a long and wonderful run.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 7:36pm

Saw the show in London and LOVED IT. it was just so much fun - big fantastic production, amazing costumes, killer music (looking forward to the Madonna medley)

Thinking about seeing it again on Broadway after reading the not so fantastic opinions on CMIYC

Jason Donovan was amazing when I saw it in London...looking forward to seeing Tony...

[alterego]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 9:09pm

FrontRow, why did you buy a ticket? If you are a regular on this site you know what it is about, surely you would have watched some of the clips presented here? You are a fool.
Updated On: 3/20/11 at 09:09 PM

Posted: 3/19/11 at 9:38pm

Some ladies enjoy the theater, some ladies enjoy being outraged about the theater!

[egghumor]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 10:40pm

Thank you FrontRow for confirming my suspicions. I'm an old queen who loves a good bit of gay camp now and then. but only when it's executed with real wit and intelligence. Based on the three dreadful clips I've seen ("I Will Survive," "MacArthur Park" and "Go West" -- all dull and dreadful), I wouldn't go near that show. I love the original film, and if you see it the relationship between Tick and his wife is plausible, and the Asian woman is wonderful addition to the parade of fascinating people -- she was my favorite character in the film. But if they don't handle those relationship well on stage (and it sounds like they don't) then they will read as false/hollow. Piling one tired disco hit on top of another does not a Broadway show make.

It seems those who love the show and defend it wildly are obviously transferring their love of the film onto this thick and gooey stage mess.

Just trying to replicate the film on stage is a very boring and uninspired idea to me. As I've said before, it seems to be another "Beauty and the Beast" in terms of slavishly recreating the film on stage, with little or no creativity or point-of-view. It simply brings nothing new to the source material; and in fact bogs it down with these tired disco production numbers.

The "Priscilla" costumes (also transferred to the stage from the original film) already won an Oscar. Someone couldn't come up with a new set of costume designs for these characters? How lame.

Fans of the show defend it as mindless, entertaining fluff, but when Broadway shows now cost theatregoers over $100 per ticket, I want something much more artistically inspired than this recycled, overblown, insincere tripe.

The film is highly theatrical itself. Nothing seems to be enhanced by throwning down on Broadway.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 3/19/11 at 11:05pm

Has it been tweaked to make it more palatable to a broader audience than perhaps the film? Yes. Does that diminish its value as colorful amusement w a quiet msg of acceptance and respect and yes not judging a book by its cover. Not to me and it seems an abundance of people who keep it running in London.
The film stands on its own as does the live show, echoes but not replicas of each other.
As to the cost well -value depend on you . It'll cost you $300.00 for a pair of average to crummy Leaf seats in TO and yet the mooks who ain't won a Cup in over thirty years(!) sell out pretty well each game. (You, they probably couldn't pay $300.00 to sit thru a game.) Tkts will run you about the same for good seats for a Britney concert and if thats what you want you pay it. Bway @ $100.00 a pop for good seats seems pretty good value IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/20/11 at 12:24am

Saw the matinée today. Row BB of the mezz, closeted I've been in any theatre.

What an amazing show. The Jukebox aspect really works better than I think an original score would. It's a drag show and they sing other people's songs. Really an amazing feel good show. One thing I don't like, Tony Sheldon should have the final bow.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 3/20/11 at 12:42am

I completely agree with the original poster. I hated it. I thought it was so poorly directed. It just yells at you for two hours. And the choreography could of/should of been so much better. Total waste of time and money. The people sitting beside me were just as bored. We all kept looking at each other with horrified looks. Nick Adams plays ONE NOTE all night, and Will seems uninspired. Tony is fine, but its the best written part.

[tourboi]

Posted: 3/20/11 at 12:51am

I love when people pass judgement on a show based on what others have said because they themselves HAVEN'T SEEN IT.

I enjoy the movie quite a bit. I was skeptical going in.

It's so much more than a Beauty/Beast rehash. The story is explored in much more depth, particularly the father/son aspect which is quite beautiful when you consider that in a world that still very much struggles to accept homosexuality et all, the relationship between Benji and Tick is just beautiful to behold, and unlike the movie we REALLY get to see it grow, develop, and flourish.

Yes, it's camp. But it has a heart. A great big heart. I teared up a few times, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

PRISCILLA shows that you can have silliness and camp, and still be a VERY well crafted, sweet musical.

As for the costumes, yes the film costumes are there (because it's the same designer), but its also SO MUCH MORE. There are hundreds of new designs on that stage that are eye popping in person (and don't, I believe translate to film).

This show (like many before it) doesn't (so far) translate at ALL to TV or web clips. You have to see it for yourself.

If you don't get it. Fine. But it's rather unfair to post judgements based on suspicions you have that you won't like it, or basing that opinion on someone else's experience or video clips. Theatre is live. So see it live, or don't bitch about it.

Getting off my soap box now so that I can look up some seats for Priscilla. I'm taking a whole group of friends to share the fabulousness of it all.