Review Roundup: PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT on Broadway

Following smash hit productions in Australia, London and Toronto, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL began previews on Broadway on February 28 and opened on March 20th. PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL stars Tony Award® nominee Will Swenson, Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon and Nick Adams as the trio of friends on a heart-warming, uplifting road trip of a lifetime 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. 

Were the reviews all that the show dreamed of as well? Let's find out!

Charles Isherwood, The New York Times: The most rewarding role belongs to Mr. Sheldon, who brings an authentic note of dignified grace to his performance as Bernadette. His mothering of both the troubled Tick and the potentially self-destructive Felicia feels honest, and Mr. Sheldon has a way of inflecting the book's litter of catty zingers with refined nuances that make them feel smarter and fresher than they probably are. But any flickers of warmth and true human feeling in "Priscilla" are either obscured by another onslaught of gyrating dancers or squashed flat by a giant platform heel. After a while even the festive parade of outlandish costumes, among the show's more reliably entertaining diversions, begin to feel stale and overworked. At the extended curtain call - aptly set to the catchy '90s dance floor anthem entitled "Finally" - you are likely to feel slightly dazed and stultified, as if you'd been conked on the head with a disco ball.

David Rooney, Reuters/Hollywood Reporter: What "Mamma Mia!" did for Abba, director Simon Phillips' stage adaptation of the 1994 Australian road movie does for a foot-tapping mega-mix that lifts primarily from '70s disco and '80s pop. There's A LOT going on. While much of it is gaudy, fabulous and funny, it's not until act two that the aggressively high-energy musical calms down enough to allow emotional investment in its characters. This comes largely via the anchoring presence of Sheldon's divine Bernadette. She's soft and vulnerable one minute, maternal the next, yet always ready to dispense an acerbic put-down. Elegant and dignified, the Australian actor could pass for Cate Blanchett's mother. Sheldon has been with the show since its earliest Sydney incarnation in 2006, which accounts for the deeply etched back-story he brings to the role. 

Steven Suskin, Variety: Priscilla, a tricked-up tour bus with a shoe on the roof, rolls onto the stage of the Palace Theater to roars from the audience, and proceeds to turn, twist and light up pink and purple. And then does it again (and again and again). So goes the brashly good-natured Aussie musical to which the bus lends its name, "Priscilla Queen of the Desert," which, born from Stephan Elliott's 1994 film, seems destined to follow the path of "Mamma Mia!" Inartful here, crass there, this rollicking crowdpleaser in sequins nonetheless packs enough heart to leave the masses enthralled.

Jeremy Gerard, Bloomberg News: So what if Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott's crude book, based on Elliott's film "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," panders to a crowd that doesn't need winning over? The first act works too hard and Will Swenson's voice seems to be on the verge of going on strike. Nevertheless, he's pretty winning as Tick; so is Nick Adams as Felicia. A cut above, for bringing tremendous heart to a predictable role, is Tony Sheldon as the touching Bernadette. Hats off too to C. David Johnson as lovable Bob, the man of Bernadette's dreams. Bring your dancing shoes.

Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly: The nylon-thin plot is mostly an excuse to set up the classic tunes on the soundtrack. As fans of Glee know by now, there's a certain pleasure in the truly unlikely segue. It's natural for Tick to begin 'Say a Little Prayer' seated at the mirror: 'The moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup...' But you can imagine the narrative lengths to which the creators must go to introduce Jimmy Webb's 'MacArthur Park,' which memorably begins: 'Someone left the cake out in the rain.' Needless to say, the show is campier than a tentful of Boy Scouts (working on their choreography merit badge). And there's a dance-party atmosphere that helps compensate for the show's plot implausibilities and clunkier moments. Among the three leads, Adams seems the most solid and comfortably over the top as a bratty young provocateur. Sheldon is not the strongest singer, but brings some touching pathos to his role as the aging diva. The weakest element is Swenson, who seems a bit ill at ease as Tick/Mitzi (and the actor's shaky accent often seems closer to Eton than Australia).

Joe Dziemianowicz, NY Daily News: Will Swenson plays the insecure Tick and appears unsteady both vocally and in the high-camp drag numbers. The writers do him no favor by soaking father-son scenes in gooey sap. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner (who won an Oscar for their work in the film) share credit for the real star attraction: the 500 costumes. At their best, the clothes are truly awesome. At their worst, they are dehumanizing. Throughout "Priscilla," the three leads don't look male or female but like bizarre aliens. Call me a party pooper, but that was enough to make this supposed frolic a drag.

Elisabeth Vencentelli, NY Post: But what really sustains "Priscilla" is the chemistry between the three leads. And here the triangle's lopsided. At the peak is the remarkable Sheldon. The Australian actor, who created the role in Sydney, nails the balance of vulnerability and toughness, pathos and pride that keeps Bernadette going. But Swenson, likable as he is, doesn't have a campy bone in his body, and seems miscast as Tick. Meanwhile, Adams' Popeye biceps are incongruous. When Felicia gets bashed by yahoos, it makes no sense: She looks as if she could easily flatten them all.

Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press:Some people -- many people, likely -- won't be able to get enough of "Priscilla," which opened Sunday at the Palace Theatre, a gaudy, bawdy, corny, campy and good-naturedly vulgar jukebox musical that's been one of the most anticipated Broadway shows this season. Others may be put off by its relentless naughtiness in the name of fun, and humor as broad as the Australian outback that its main characters traverse on their rickety bus. Those seeking refined wit and subtlety should look elsewhere.

Robert Feldberg, NorthJersey.com: "Priscilla" will do anything to try to entertain - even stooping to dragging audience members on stage for a dance number - and it succeeds often enough to be appealing.

Scott Brown, NY Magazine: By all accounts, Priscilla (already a venerable hit in England and Australia) aims to be a family-friendly drag-musical that's edgier than La Cage, and less edgy than, say, Kiss of the Spider Woman. I'm not sure the show's less focus-grouped moments - its second-act musicalized gay-bashing scene (set, with questionable finesse, to "Hot Stuff"), its many F-bombs, or its plentiful anal-sex double-entendres - are going to further that cause with the average tourist.

Michael Sommers, NJNewsroom: A wildly flashy musical version of a 1994 cult film, "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" sashayed into the Palace on Sunday, all fun, fantastic frocks and fabulousness - but not really all that much heart.

Linda Winer, Newsday: 'Priscilla' gives a cheerful ride on stage

Howard Shapiro, Philadelphia Inquirer: Priscilla is so sound, so right, and after seeing it, I can't imagine it any other way. Just give yourself over to its giddy theatrical turns. It is, after all, about acceptance.

Chris Jones, The Chicago Tribune: But "Priscilla" has a pulsing theatrical heart and soul, not least because its characters are inveterate creatures of the stage. As directed by Simon Phillips, who has been on this bus for years, the tone is warm and inclusive. "Priscilla" has a rich dynasty of queens, unfazed by any desert and very much at home on Broadway.

Matt Windman, AM New York: "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" is not so much a normal musical but rather a loud, oversized karaoke party and midnight drag show. You really want to have fun, but it is so aggressively campy that it soon becomes irritating and too much to stomach.

Michael Musto: The Village Voice: In the cast, Tony Sheldon gives a warm and funny star turn as Bernadette, while Nick Adams (above) is zesty as the "Madonna-be" Felicia... Is it Mary Stuart? No, it's not even Mary Poppins. Do I recommend it? Sure.

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