ST JACOBS – Drayton Entertainment is offering theatre-goers “the ride of your life across the fabulous Australian outback” with the Tony Award-winning musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Based on the Academy Award-winning film of the same name, this stage adaptation launches the 2019 season in style at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse from March 13 to April 7.
“This is the most fun you can have at the theatre,” states Drayton Entertainment Artistic Director and CEO Alex Mustakas. “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is not only packed with dance floor favourites, it is a visual spectacle full of outrageous costumes, sequins and feathers, towering headpieces, dazzling dancing and more – all wrapped around a poignant story about love, acceptance and the meaning of family. Audiences are going to laugh, dance and cheer.”
The show follows three friends – Mitzi, Felicia, and Bernadette – as they set out on a wild adventure across the Australian outback in a battered old bus, lovingly nicknamed Priscilla. Travelling west from Sydney aboard their lavender bus to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs, the trio find themselves in a comedy of errors as their road trip develops into a funny and touching journey of self-discovery.
Featuring a score of classic disco hits including It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive and Hot Stuff, theatre officials state the musical is a “journey to the heart of fabulous.”
Director and choreographer David Connolly has helmed several other hits for Drayton Entertainment including Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, and many more. Connolly is joined by Music director Jeannie Wyse, set designer Stanley A. Meyer, costume designer Dariusz Korbiel, lighting designer Kevin Fraser and assistant choreographer Christine Watson on the production team.
The cast includes Broadway performer Patrick R. Brown as Bernadette Bassenger, a recently bereaved transgender woman and drag performer. Brown comes to St. Jacobs direct from the Great White Way having recently played the villain Jafar in Disney’s Aladdin. He previously appeared as Cogsworth in Disney’s Beauty and The Beast and Richard in The 39 Steps.
Robbie Towns takes on the role of Anthony “Tick” Belrose, a drag queen performing under the pseudonym of Mitzi, who accepts an offer to perform his act in a remote casino resort. Towns recently entertained audiences as Tony in Drayton Entertainment’s hit production of Shear Madness last fall. Other credits include Mamma Mia! at Edmonton’s Citadel, the West End production of Legally Blonde, the U.K. tour of Evita.
Billy Lake is Adam Whitely, a flamboyant and sassy younger drag queen who performs under the name Felicia Jollygoodfellow. Audiences may remember Lake from his portrayal of stepsister Atrocia in Cinderella: The Panto. Lake also spent 10 seasons with the Shaw Festival.
Tiffany Deriveau, Kelly Holiff and Stacey Kay display their vocal finesse as The Divas – a trio of sensational singers who narrate the story. Deriveau has appeared in numerous musicals with companies across Canada and was part of The Dynamites Trio in Hairspray last season. Holiff displayed her powerhouse pipes as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha and Ursula The Sea Witch in Disney’s The Little Mermaid last year. Kay is a YouTube sensation and recording artist known for her big, brassy voice; she was a finalist on America’s Got Talent and recently released a debut album.
Regular performance tickets are $48 for adults, $29 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for select Discount Dates and groups of 20 or more are $39. HST is applicable to all ticket prices.
Tickets may be purchased in person at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, online at www.draytonentertainment.com/priscilla or by calling the Box Office at (519) 747-7788 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
