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Anthony "Tick" Belrose, a.k.a. Mitzi Del Bra, a drag queen, accepts an offer to perform at a casino in Alice Springs, a remote town in central Australia. After persuading his friends and fellow performers, Bernadette Bassenger – a recently bereaved transsexual woman – and Adam Whitely, a.k.a. Felicia Jollygoodfellow – an irritatingly flamboyant and obnoxious drag queen – to join him, the three set out for Alice Springs in a large tour bus which Adam/Felicia christens "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". Guy Pearce plays Adam/Felicia, Terence Stamp plays Bernadette and Hugo Weaving plays Tick/Mitzi.

They encounter on the way the less accepting attitudes of rural Australia, sexual violence, and the problems of vehicle breakdowns. The troupe eventually arrives at their destination with costumes and dance routines prepared. Before they arrive, Tick reveals that he is married, and that the trip is a favour for his wife, who runs the casino where they will be performing. Upon arriving, they learn that Tick and his wife also have a young son.

Act I
The drag queen Mitzi Mitosis – whose real name is Anthony "Tick" Belrose – is performing at a club ("Downtown" [Australia and London]/"I've Never Been to Me"; "It's Raining Men" [Broadway]) when his wife Marion, whom he has been separated from for several years because of his homosexuality, calls in for a favour. While Tick is offstage, fellow drag queen Miss Understanding performs her own number ("What's Love Got to Do With It?") From the phone in Tick's dressing room, Marion reveals that she needs an act for a few weeks at her business in distant Alice Springs, Australia. Tick is at first reluctant, but Marion informs him that part of the reason she's asking is because their now eight-year-old son Benji wants to meet his father ("I Say A Little Prayer"). Tick confides in another fellow drag queen Farrah, before deciding he will leave for Alice Springs. After he decides to do the job, Tick calls a friend, a transsexual named Bernadette – whose birth name is Ralph – to join him but sadly, Bernadette's husband has just died. The pair meet at the funeral ("Don't Leave Me This Way") where Bernadette agrees to join him. Tick also asks a friend Felicia – whose real name is Adam Whitely – to come with them ("Venus"/"Material Girl"), with Bernadette taking an immediate dislike to his show-off performance style. Nonetheless, the newly formed trio buy a "budget Barbie campervan" they nickname "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" ("Go West"). Tick informs them that the trip is a favour to his wife, but does not tell them it is also to meet his son who wants to see him ("I Say A Little Prayer (Reprise)"). As the journey to Alice Springs begins, Adam angers Bernadette after cracking jokes about his old life before being a transsexual. Later the group goes into a bar, in full drag, and start a bar dance party ("I Love the Nightlife"), but when they return to the bus learn that the townspeople wrote hateful statements on the bus in spray paint. Tick is very upset, but Adam and Bernadette comfort him ("Both Sides, Now"/"True Colors"). While on the road, Adam practices his lip-syncing as Felicia sitting in the giant high heel on the roof of the van ("Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Sempre libera (from La traviata)"). The next morning, Priscilla breaks down and Adam buys lavender paint to erase the vandalism ("Colour My World"). They manage to get the locals of another town on their side and meet Bob, a mechanic from a small town nearby who agrees to help fix Priscilla. The group celebrates that they've found people that accept them ("I Will Survive").

Act II
The second act opens with a group of rednecks singing ("Thank God I'm A Country Boy"). Bernadette talks with Bob and learns that when he was in Paris, he saw her when she was a young "Les Girl" ("A Fine Romance"). The two begin to grow feelings for each other. Later in a bar ("Thank God I'm A Country Boy Reprise"), the trio is about to perform ("Shake Your Groove Thing") when Cynthia, Bob's wife, interrupts their act by "popping" ping-pong balls ("Pop Muzik"). After this, the trio leaves, leaving Bob to wonder about his feelings for Bernadette ("A Fine Romance (Reprise)"). All of a sudden, Bernadette asks if he wants a free ride back to his real home, in which he agrees ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"). Later when they arrive, Adam dresses up like a female to try to meet men ("Hot Stuff"), but ends up getting chased and nearly becomes the victim of a hate crime until Bernadette rescues him by kicking one of his attackers. Later as they arrive in Alice Springs, Tick reflects on the trip ("MacArthur Park"). As another act performs first ("Boogie Wonderland"), the trio gets ready to perform a variety of songs that they sang or lip-synced on their journey ("The Floor Show"). Afterwards, Tick finally meets his son, who accepts his father's sexuality and lifestyle ("Always on My Mind/I Say a Little Prayer") and Adam gets to perform his own solo Madonna hit, ("Like A Prayer" [Broadway]; "Confide in Me/Kylie Medley" [Australia and London]), his favorite singer. Afterwards the gang talks about their plans after Alice Springs, and realize they can't leave each other ("We Belong"). They go off stage together and the company performs a medley of songs to close the show ("Finally (Finale)").

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is based on the Oscar-winning film that blitzed the box office and caused a sensation around the world. It`s fun, daring, over-the-top and unforgettable. It's an 'on-stage' road movie with attitude and a busload of outrageous costumes and characters.

Original production (2006–08)Priscilla, Queen of the Desert premiered on 7 October 2006 at the Lyric Theatre, Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia and ended its run on 2 September 2007. Directed by Melbourne Theatre Company artistic director Simon Phillips, it starred Tony Sheldon as Bernadette, Jeremy Stanford as Tick (Mitzi) and Daniel Scott as Adam (Felicia) with Michael Caton as Bob.
The Sydney production transferred to the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, beginning previews on 28 September 2007 before opening on 6 October 2007. The show closed on 27 April 2008 to make way for the Australian premiere of Wicked. The Melbourne production transferred to Auckland in New Zealand for a limited run, opening on 28 May 2008 and closed on 6 July 2008.
The musical returned to the Star City Hotel and Casino in Sydney on 7 October 2008 for the second anniversary of the show's premiere and closed on 21 December 2008. The show starred original cast members Sheldon and Scott, alongside Todd McKenney as Tick and Bill Hunter as Bob.

London (2009–11)
A West End production started previews on 10 March 2009 at the Palace Theatre with the opening press night on 23 March. It is co-produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group and directed by Simon Phillips with musical arrangements by Stephen 'Spud' Murphy, choreography by Ross Coleman, costume designs by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, production designs by Brian Thomson, and lighting by Nick Schlieper. The original cast included Jason Donovan as Mitzi (aka "Tick"), Tony Sheldon as Bernadette, and Oliver Thornton as Adam (Felicia). Notable replacements include Ben Richards as Tick (Mitzi), Don Gallagher as Bernadette and Ray Meagher as Bob. The London production closed on 31 December 2011.

Toronto (2010–11)
The musical opened on 12 October 2010 at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto as a Pre-Broadway tryout. The musical featured all the of the Broadway cast with a new production team. It received largely positive reviews and strong ticket sales. The musical played for 12 weeks, a month longer than originally planned, closing on 2 January 2011. Several modifications were made to the production.

Broadway (2011–12)
The musical opened on Broadway on 20 March 2011 at the Palace Theatre with previews beginning 28 February 2011. Priscilla, however, made its North American debut at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto for a limited 12-week pre-Broadway tryout; the last performance was on 2 January 2011.
The original Broadway cast includes Will Swenson as Tick (Mitzi), Tony Sheldon, again, reprising his role of Bernadette, and Nick Adams as Adam (Felicia).[8] Choreography is by Ross Coleman, set design by Brian Thomson, lighting design by Nick Schlieper and costume designs by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. Producers include Bette Midler, who joined the production team after seeing the London production; 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; and Terri and Timothy Childs.
The Broadway cast album was recorded in late January 2011 on Rhino Records for release on 15 March 2011. The production released video footage from their North American premiere on Tuesday, 15 February. The Broadway production closed on 24 June 2012 after 23 previews and 526 performances.

Musical numbers (original Australian and New Zealand productions)
Act I
Overture – Orchestra
Downtown – The Divas and Company
I've Never Been to Me – Tick and the Divas
What's Love Got to Do with It? – Miss Understanding
Don't Leave Me This Way – Bernadette, Tick and Company (†)
Venus – Felicia and the Boys
Go West – Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Company
I Say a Little Prayer – Tick and the Divas
I Love the Nightlife – Shirley, Bernadette, Mitzi, Felicia and Company (†)
Both Sides, Now – Bernadette, Tick and Adam
Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Sempre libera (from La traviata) – Felicia and the Divas
Colour My World – Adam, Tick, Bernadette and Company
I Will Survive – Bernadette, Adam, Tick, Jimmy and Company

Act II

Thank God I'm a Country Boy – The Company
A Fine Romance – Young Bernadette and Les Girls
Shake Your Groove Thing – Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and the Divas
Pop Muzik – Cynthia and Company
A Fine Romance (reprise) – Bob
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – The Divas and Adam
Hot Stuff – Felicia, the Divas and Bernadette
MacArthur Park – Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Company
Boogie Wonderland – Marion and Company
The Morning After – Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and the Divas
Go West (reprise) – Adam (*)
Always on My Mind – Tick and Benjamin
Confide in Me – Felicia (^)
We Belong – Felicia, Mitzi and Bernadette
Finally / Shake Your Groove Thing / Hot Stuff / I Love the Nightlife / I Will Survive – The Company

Amendments for the London production(†)
"I Say a Little Prayer" is the fifth number, and is again reprised as the ninth number of the show in the London production. This, therefore, means that each number (from the fifth number onwards) in Act I is one number delayed. This gives a total of fourteen numbers in Act I of the London production.
(*) "Go West (reprise)" is replaced by "Come into My World" in the London production.
(^) Although replaced by "Kylie Medley" in the London production, "Confide in Me" appears in that medley.

Musical numbers (Broadway)
Act I
Overture - Orchestra
It's Raining Men - The Divas, Tick and Company
What's Love Got to Do with It? - Miss Understanding
I Say a Little Prayer* - Tick
Don't Leave Me This Way - Bernadette, Tick and Company
Material Girl - Felicia and the Boys
Go West - Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Company
Holiday / Like a Virgin* - Adam, Tick and Bernadette
I Say a Little Prayer (reprise) - Tick and The Divas
I Love the Nightlife - Shirley, Bernadette, Mitzi, Felici and Company
True Colors - Bernadette, Mitzi and Felicia
Follie! Delirio vano è questo! Sempre libera (from La traviata) - Felicia and the Divas
Colour My World - Adam, Tick, Bernadette and Company
I Will Survive - Bernadette, Felicia, Mitzi, Jimmy and Company

Act II
Thank God I'm a Country Boy* - The Company
A Fine Romance - Young Bernadette and Les Girls
Thank God I'm a Country Boy (reprise)* - The Company
Shake Your Groove Thing - Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and the Divas
Pop Muzik - Cynthia and Company
A Fine Romance (reprise) - Bob
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Adam and the Divas
Hot Stuff - Felicia, The Divas, and Bernadette
MacArthur Park - Bernadette, Tick, The Divas and Company
Boogie Wonderland* - The Company
The Floor Show* - Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and Company
Always On My Mind - Tick, Benji
Like a Prayer - Felicia and Company
We Belong - Felicia, Mitzi, Bernadette and Company
Finally (Finale) - The Company
* - Song does not appear on Original Broadway Cast Recording.

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Priscilla Queen of the Desert