Spencer, McGowan, Gurr, Marsh & Metzler Complete Pre-Broadway PRISCILLA Cast!

Complete casting has been announced for the pre-Broadway North American company of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical, written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott and directed by Simon Phillips.

Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon ("Bernadette"), Tony Award® nominee Will Swenson ("Tick"/ "Mitzi") and Nick Adams ("Adam"/"Felicia") star as the trio of friends on a heart-warming, uplifting adventure 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.

Ashley Spencer ("Diva"), Mike McGowan ("Frank"), Christopher Gurr, Ellyn Marie Marsh and Jeff Metzler complete the cast of the spectacular new stage musical that will begin performances at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto for a twelve-week only, pre-Broadway engagement beginning October 12, 2010 and officially opening October 26.

With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and featuring a score of dance-floor classics, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL is a sensational journey to the heart of fabulous.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical will open on Broadway in Spring 2011 at a theater to be announced.

Earlier this year PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL won the Best Musical Award, voted for by Whatsonstage.com readers.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical will also feature C. David Johnson ("Bob"), James Brown III ("Jimmy"), Nathan Lee Graham ("Miss Understanding"), J. Elaine Marcos ("Cynthia"), Jessica Phillips ("Marion"), Steve Schepis ("Farrah"), Keala Settle ("Shirley"), "Divas" Jacqueline Arnold and Anastacia McCleskey and Thom Allison, Kyle Brown, BRyan West, Tad Wilson, Joshua Buscher, Susan Dunstan, David Lopez and Eric Sciotto.

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL, adapted from the Academy Award® winning film "The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert," starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, is written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott. Direction is by Simon Phillips, choreography is by Ross Coleman, musical supervision and arrangements are by Stephen ‘Spud' Murphy and set design is by BrIan Thomson. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner have re-created their Academy Award® winning costume designs, which were originally designed for the film. Lighting is designed by Nick Schlieper and sound design is by Jonathan Deans. BAFTA Award winning make up design is recreated by Cassie Hanlon.

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL had its world premiere in Sydney in October 2006 and has subsequently wowed audiences and critics alike in Melbourne and New Zealand, becoming the most successful Australian musical of all time. Following a return Sydney season last year due to popular demand, the London production recently celebrated its first year in the West End at the Palace Theatre. Along with Toronto and Broadway, further international dates are also in discussion for productions in Brazil, Scandinavia and Germany.

Along with winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Costume Design for Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, the musical was also nominated for Best New Musical and Tony Sheldon was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical.The Evening Standard raved that Priscilla "Takes you out of yourself and into daring places your wildest fantasies might never have dreamed of visiting," and The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Evening Standard, and London Paper all gave the production "Four Stars!"

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL is produced by 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, Terri and Timothy Childs / Ken Greiner / Chip Meyrelles, Bartner Group LLC, Chugg Entertainment, Bruce Davy, Michael Buckley, Stewart F. Lane / Bonnie Comley, Thierry Suc and Volcano Project /TS3.

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Ashley Spencer (Diva). Broadway credits include Grease "Sandy Dumbrowski" and Hairspray "Amber Von Tussle." Regional - at Pittsburgh CLO: "Ulla" in The Producers, "Nikki Harris" in Curtains, "Eponine" in Les Miserables; at the MUNY: "Amber" in Hairspray. Ashley was a finalist on the reality TV series "Grease You're the One that I Want!"

Mike McGowan (Frank). Broadway: Ragtime, Grease, The Apple Tree, The Producers. New York: Bernstein's Mass, soloist (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Naxos recording), Thou Swell (Lincoln Center and London's Coliseum), The Body Beautiful (York Theater, recording), Grey Gardens (Playwrights' Horizons), Ringling Bros. (Ringmaster, Madison Square Garden), Macbeth (Macbeth). Regional: Kiss Me Kate at Paper Mill Playhouse-NJ Outstanding Actor in a Musical-and Music Theater of Wichita), Carnival (Goodspeed), Candide (5th Avenue), Master Class (Paper Mill), Jekyll & Hyde (Jekyll/Hyde, Sacramento Music Circus), Wonderful Life, A Little Night Music, Tommy, MUD, Life's a Dream, Cabaret. Film: The Producers. Television: "The New Electric Company," "Delocated," "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Christopher Gurr (Ensemble) recently appeared in the North American tour of Monty Python's Spamalot. Regional performing credits include: Copenhagen, 1776, The Lion in Winter, Twelve Angry Men, Measure for Measure, Ostrovsky's A Family Affair, Candida, Trask & Fenn and The Boys Next Door. Regional directing credits include: Camelot, Die Fledermaus, Guys & Dolls: In Concert with Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Billy Bishop Goes To War, Wesley Middleton's Tomato Plant Girl (director/composer), James Still's Meet Me Incognito (director/composer) and the world premier of José Cruz Gonzáles' Earth Songs. He has been an artistic associate with GeVa Theatre in Rochester, NY, The Theatre Building in Chicago, and Metro Theater Company in St. Louis.

Ellyn Marie Marsh (Ensemble). Broadway, national tours, and regional credits include: Enron, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Urinetown, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, Grease. 2010 Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle award for best Choreography for Tommy. www.ellynmarsh.com.

Jeff Metzler (Ensemble) made his Broadway debut in 2007 in Mary Poppins. He has also been seen touring across the U.S. with 42nd Street, Fosse and with The Rockettes in The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Other credits include North Shore Music Theatre (Camelot, Singin' in the Rain), Walnut St. Theatre (Hello, Dolly!), Gateway Playhouse (42nd Street), Merry Go Round Playhouse and Broadway Theatre Project. Film: David in The Big Gay Musical.

For tickets, schedule and performance information on the West End and Toronto productions visit: priscillathemusical.com.