Dear London Town

Priscilla is one of those shows that I never thought that I’d go see unless I had cheap tickets. It’s had such a good run that getting discounts had been hard to come by. So really, I hadn’t put it on my must-see-soon list. That changed, however, after receiving an email from a friend who works in theater admin with an offer for free tickets to the show. Of course, I jumped at the chance!

This is a fun, feel good show. It has familiar music, good comedy, a nice plot and plenty of glitter! The costumes were fantastic, and I was incredibly envious of those wearing them. I also found the eye masks genius! Imagine slipping on a small mask that gives a drag queen her massive eyelashes and shadow. With the many costume switches, it allows the actors to change their looks quickly and flawlessly. The set decoration was also pretty fantastic. I loved the way the bus was used on stage. There was smart use of interior design, external lighting and graphics, and the famous scene on top of the bus was cleverly worked in.

Even though it uses a lot of popular music, the old test of a good musical still works, in my opinion–I left humming tunes from the show in my head. A musical should have a song that sticks with you and keeps you humming long after you’ve exited the theater. Priscilla sure has it.

Having spent some time in Australia, where the play takes place, I found the stereotyping hilarious. I think there were quite a few Aussies in the audience, because certain words and characteristics got some definite hoots and hollers and you had to know the references to find them truly funny.

Priscilla Queen of the Dessert is at the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. This is probably one of my favorite theaters due to the seating arrangement. I cant imagine there is a bad seat in the house!