Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Pricilla, Queen of the Desert
Aurora Fox Theater
Aurora, CO
April 21 - May 28, 2017

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a musical from an era where movies were turned into “jukebox musicals.” The success of these shows varied, but very few have the heart and soul of this one.

The plot followed three Australian drag queens in an adventure through the desert on a bus named Priscilla. On the surface, it was a fun, danceable show. But it also contained a deeper story of acceptance. The drag queens struggled with acceptance from the outside world. But, more importantly, they struggled to accept each other and themselves. These issues were presented without watering them down, yet they never took away from the momentum of the production.

The songs were all pop standards from the 1970s and 80s. And unlike many shows from the same period, all these songs made sense in the context of the show. “It’s Raining Men” was a joyful introduction. The performance of “We Belong” for the finale was stirring and beautiful. And making “MacArthur Park” fit into a storyline was quite a feat!

The cast was strong from top to bottom. At first it was tough to determine who the main characters were as we were presented with so many interesting people. The Divas presented a strong backbone for the music throughout. As the show progressed many scene stealers emerged from the ensemble, perhaps none funnier than the bar patron starting “I Love the Nightlife.”

The Australian accents were consistent and never grating. Hearing the actors speak after the show without the accents was surprising since they sounded so authentic throughout.

The costumes were fun and often over the top, just as they should be. But the real star of the show was Priscilla herself, the bus. It was created from a real bus and it showed. It moved a spun around seemingly with ease. And the rest of the set framed it perfectly.

Despite its colorful wrapper, Priscilla is a meaningful show. It emphasized the importance of relationships, especially in the hard times of life. The message of acceptance was overpowering – that despite outward appearances, people are people and love is love.