Fabulous voyage: BPA brings ‘Priscilla’ to the island stage, bus and all

Published 11:30 am Thursday, October 5, 2017

The Outback, the most rough and dangerous region of a notoriously rough and dangerous country — why is everything in Australia out to kill you? — is the natural habitat of many strange and exotic creatures.

Drag queens, however, no matter how sassy, are not typically counted among them.

Until now, that is.

Move over, Mick Dundee!

The times they are a’changing, and the heartbreaking heralds of the new day are barreling down that Aussie highway in a fabulous — if failing — bright bus, trailing fun, glitter and revelation in their dusty wake.

First, though, a quick stop on Bainbridge is in order, as the cast and crew of the upcoming Bainbridge Performing Arts production of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical” get set to glam up Winslow.

Based on the landmark 1994 film, the musical likewise tells the tale of a performance group of two drag queens and a transgender woman who contract to put on a show at a resort in the remote Outback town of Alice Springs.

As they head out from Sydney, aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla, the three friends learn about each other and themselves, encounter strange characters — some friendly, some not — tackle social stigmas and push boundaries galore.

The show features a dazzling array of outrageous costumes, and a hit parade’s worth of dance floor favorites, including “It’s Raining Men,” “I Will Survive,” “Hot Stuff,” “Finally,” “Boogie Wonderland,” “Go West,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” and “I Love The Nightlife.”

The BPA artistic team behind this production features a trio of award winners: Seattle-based director, choreographer, performer and arts educator, director Jessica Low was the 2014 Gregory Award recipient for outstanding choreography for “The Wild Party”; musical director Brandon Peck received a Broadway World Award for music direction for his work on “Jesus Christ Superstar” and a Gypsy Rose Lee Award nomination for music direction on “Toxic Avenger”; and costume designer Barbara Klingberg received a Broadway World Award for best costume design for BPA’s “Amadeus” in 2016 and Reboot Theater’s “1776” in 2015.

Both Low and Peck agreed there was a certain amount of risk in doing the show because of the content and subject matter, which has only increased in the years since the film version debuted, especially given the country’s current political climate.

“I think the moral is we belong, that everyone belongs in whatever misfit way,” Low said. “Even though the world has changed a lot, it hasn’t. I feel like we’re backtracking and so the message is almost more important now.

“The message of the show is hope and love and acceptance and finding a family in people that you wouldn’t necessarily think that you had family with before.”

“There’s a bit of risk,” said Peck, who is making his BPA debut with this show. “There’s definitely a lot of adult language and concepts and humor, but in a lot of kind of universal storytelling. Unfortunately, the show isn’t for all ages, but the story is.”

Low said it was, in addition to a favorite show, also the chance she’d been looking for to work again with BPA.

“I got brought on later in the process,” the director said. “It actually was a different director [at first]. But I’ve been trying to get back over here to direct a show, so when [BPA] called, I love the show, so I was happy it was able to work out.”

Peck also was excited to get onboard.

“It’s a really great story to tell, so it’s always just been one that’s been on the list and I’ve been hoping and waiting for a theater to take a chance on it,” he said.

The cast is led by Troy Wageman (as Tick/Mitzi), Matty McCaslin (Bernadette) and Bo Mellinger (Adam/Felicia), and also includes Melissa Fleming, Hannah Knapp-Jenkins, Emily Welter, Ellen Dessler, Gregory Conn, Doug Knoop, Melissa Fleming, Joey Chapman, Trey Field-Bennett, Michelle Abad, Cailin Mackenzie, Shane Patrick Hoffmann, Mariesa Genzale, Andrea Ogg, Josh Wingerter, Ben Wynant and Derek Villanueva.

For those familiar only with the film version, Low said fans can expect to see all the same major scenes — plus some even better tunes.

“I think the biggest difference is the score,” she said. “They’ve layered in even more pop songs. The score is fantastic. Every song is familiar to almost every person that will be here, but repurposed.

“What’s nice is most of them, as opposed to some other jukebox musicals, most of these do drive the story forward.”

“Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical” appears at BPA Friday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Oct. 29, with evening shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinées at 3 p.m.

The run includes a pay-what-you-can preview at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct 12, and the opening night reception is 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13.

Tickets, $29 for adults, $24 for seniors, students, youth, military and teachers, may be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at 206-842-8569, or in person at BPA (200 Madison Ave. North). BPA Box Office hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and one hour prior to each performance.