Priscilla finds Broadway Home

The production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert  is still running in London's West End at the Palace Theatre, but Priscillabus is also about to go on a worldwide trip. 

The musical will have a 12-week run in Toronto beginning in October before heading for Broadway with previews at the Palace Theater in New York starting  on February 28th 2011.

It stars Tony Sheldon, Will Swenson and Nick Adams as three friends who find love in the Australian outback.

Seal and Heidi Klum drag up at Priscilla Queen Of The Desert

The very alpha-male soul singer Seal showed off his feminine side last night when he and his and supermodel wife Heidi Klum joined the drag queens backstage at Priscilla Queen Of The Desert and donned multi-coloured eye masks with huge false eyelashes to give them a trannie look.

They watched show at the Palace Theatre in London's West End and couldn't resist getting into the spirit of things backstage afterwards.

New mechanic for Priscillabus

As previously mentioned, Ray Meagher who is best known for playing Alf Stewart in the long running Australian television soap Home and Away, will join the West End cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical at the Palace Theatre.

He is taking over from John Bowe as Bob the mechanic from 30th September 2010.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Access Performances

Below are the dates for Access performances of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert  for October and November 2010 at the Palace Theatre:

Saturday 9th October 2010 at 2.30pm - AUDIO DESCRIBED – Irene Richards

Tuesday 12th October 2010 at 7.30pm - CAPTIONED – Stagetext

Saturday 6th November 2010 at 2.30pm - SIGNED –  Donna Ruane, Theatresign

To book tickets for any of the above performances visit www.reallyuseful.com

Ben Richards in Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Saw Ben Richards the other night playing Tick/Mitzi in Priscilla Queen of the Desert on London's Shaftesbury Avenue.

He took over from Jason Donovan at the beginning of the month and his performance really is a tour de force.  It really is a long way away from his previous television jobs in Fotballers Wives and the Bill.

He first becomes Mitzi in full view of the audience changing into his full drag costume on stage and there really is an audible gasp at the transformation.  He certainly wears it well  - even though when he was first practicing wearing his high heels he described himself as "Bambi on Ice".

And it’s worth going to the Palace Theatre in London's West End to see the show just for the fabulously outrageous costumes.

Rebecca the musical heading for the West End?

Christopher Hampton’s musical version of Daphne du Maurier’s classic novel Rebecca has undergone a series of workshops and could now be heading for London’s West End next year.

Hampton has been very successful in his adaptations and is probably best known for the film and play Les Liaisons Dangereuses. He also worked with Don Black on Sunset Boulevard and Dracula the Musical.

The current rumour is that Rebecca with Maxim de Winter, Mrs Danvers and the famous Manderley could open at the Palace Theatre when Priscilla Queen of the Desert eventually drives off into the sunset.

The musical has a score by Hungarian composer Sylvester Levay and premiered in Vienna in 2006, but has since been reworked by operator director Francesca Zambello and director/actor Michael Blakemore.

Ben Richards on British Soap Awards Tonight

Ben Richards from the TV series The Bill is taking over from Jason Donovan in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre on June 1st. 

But he can be seen on ITV1 tonight at 19:30 presenting an award for best newcomer to Marc Elliott (Syed Masood) from EastEnders

Home and Away Actor to appear in London's Priscilla

Ray Meagher has played the role of Alf Stewart in the Australian soap Home and Away since the pilot episode in 1988, and is the last and longest remaining original cast member. 

But he is leaving Summer Bay for a while to take over the part of Bob in the musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert from September. The role is currently being played by John Bowe.

He has already played the role in Sydney replacing Michael Caton – but only for two weeks.  He is taking a six month break from Home & Away while he appears at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End.

Priscillabus Timetable Change When Ben Richards Hops on Board

As mentioned previously, Jason Donovan is leaving Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Ben Richards is taking over the part of Tick/Mitzi.

Jason leaves on Saturday 29th May and Ben appears on Tuesday 1st June.  If you’re wondering why there is a gap on Monday 31st May it’s because there is no performance.

This is because it’s the week when Priscillabus goes on to her summer timetable with performance on Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 19.30 and matinees on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 15.00 at the Palace Theatre.

Ben Richards from the Bill taking over from Jason Donovan in Priscilla

Ben Richards who plays PC Nate Roberts in the Bill is taking over on 1st June from Jason Donovan who is leaving Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre.  Donovan is involved in a huge arena tour of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds later in the year playing the artilleryman.

Ben Richards is known for his television work also playing bullying Bruno Milligan in Footballers' Wives, but he started his career in musical theatre and has played in Guys And Dolls, Grease, The Full Monty and Saturday Night Fever - to name just a few.

In 2006 he was a judge on Strictly Dance Fever which was hosted by Graham Norton with choreographers Stacey Haynes, Arlene Phillips and Wayne Sleep. He appeared in Holby City in 2006 as physiotherapist Justin Fuller. He also appeared on Celebrity Stars in their Eyes as Ricky Martin.

Don Gallagher and Oliver Thornton will continue to play Bernadette and Adam in the show when Ben arrives to play the part of Tick.

Priscilla Celebrates Her First Birthday

The company and creatives of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert has had good reason to celebrate this week as they got a costume design award at the Oliviers on Sunday and have also been in the West End for a year.  To celebrate their first birthday they  treated visitors to the Palace Theatre with specially designed Priscilla cupcakes.

Jason Donovan is proud to have been in the show for a year, but he will be hanging up his frocks and handing over his wigs on 29th  May, when he leaves the show to join the cast of  Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds Arena tour.

Brendan Cole - Live and Unjudged at Palace Theatre

Brendan Cole  (the bad boy of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing) is joined by special guests at Live and Unjudged the Palace Theatre on Sunday 30th May at 7.30pm.

Live and Unjudged is full-on high energy dance dynamite which is up close and personal as you might expect with Brendan. It offers some very glamorous costumes and championship dancers accompanied by a 14-piece band with Brendan doing some (surprisingly good) singing.

Joining Brendan are his brother Scott Cole and four former Strictly Come Dancing pros: Nicole Cutler, Izabela Hannah, Andrew Cuerden and Hanna Haraala.

The show offers every style of ballroom and Latin dance from Brendan and his dancers performing to music and songs from Robert Palmer, Michael Jackson, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Gloria Estefan, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Michael Buble, Kenny Rogers, Stevie Wonder and Robbie Williams.

Find out more  and book tickets here for Brendan Cole - Live and Unjudged

May Love Never Dies be "phantom free" tonight!

The curtain goes up tonight at the Adelphi Theatre on Love Never Dies which is the long-awaited £6 million sequel to The Phantom Of The Opera. It has been two years in preparation, and the question is with £9 million already taken in advance ticket sales can it emulate the success of Phantom? This show is  still running in London after 24 years, has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide and made a jaw-dropping £3.3 billion at the box office.

Love Never Dies has actually been in gestation since 1990 which is four years after Phantom opened with sell-out shows every night and theatres all over the world clamouring to stage it.

The lead up to the opening night has had its up and downs but seems calmer than the lead up to Phantom. I decided to have another look at Behind the Mask which is the Phantom of the Opera documentary that was released few years ago. It shows footage of the run to the previews and opening night of the show with interviews with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh and members of the creative team and original cast members as well as rehearsal clips and production hitches/disasters.

There were various hirings and firings with the sacking of the director Hal Prince in favour of Trevor Nunn until Les Miserables bombed when it first opened at the Palace Theatre and he was reinstated.

Richard Stilgoe couldn’t come up with lyrics that either he or Andrew Lloyd Webber were happy with and he was replaced by Charles Hart.

Steve Harley was replaced by Michael Crawford as the Phantom despite six months of preparation and contract negotiation

The original MD was replaced and Michael Reed brought in.

Michael Crawford was referred to as Joan Crawford by the cast and backstage crew and was feared because he was such a perfectionist and would go into a rage as he could not tolerate mistakes.  He would arrive at Her Majesty’s Theatre at lunch time and take six hours to get into costume, make and character for the Phantom. 

We have heard about Sierra Boggess’ virus on the Saturday night before the official preview of “Love Never Dies” began and how brilliant her understudy was.  This is similar to Claire Moore going on with no costumes and rehearsals and being sublime when Sarah Brightman was off with a throat infection.  Both of the leading ladies returned the following day ready to reclaim their roles.

Then there was the remote controlled “phantom” gondola that went out of control whenever a fire engine passed nearby Her Majesty’s Theatre as the radio was on save wavelength as local fire brigade!
I am sure a lot of stories and backstage dramas will come out after the opening of “Love Never Dies” tonight.  I just wish them all well and hope it can at least part follow the success of “Phantom”.

Priscilla Heading for Broadway

At Sunday’s Whatsonstage.com Awards Concert Gary McQuinn who is the producer of Priscilla Queen of the Desert confirmed  the Australian musical is planning a Broadway transfer in 2011.

Priscilla opened at London's West End Palace Theatre last March and won a Whatonstage.com Awards  for Best Set Designer (Brian Thomson) and Best Supporting Actor in a Musical (Oliver Thornton).

The company,  including Jason Donovan and Tony Sheldon, closed the ceremony very colourfully with renditions of “Colour My World” and “I Will Survive”.

Latest Casting News for Priscilla Queen of the Desert

John Bowe will be taking over the role of Bob from Clive Carter in Priscilla Queen of the Desert with effect from 8th March 2010.

Bowe has some impressive TV credits including George Marlow in “Prime Suspect”, Duggie Ferguson in “Coronation Street” and Dr Morgan in “The Cranford Chronicles”. Theatre credits include “Terms of Endearment”, “The Lady from the Sea” and many productions for the RSC including Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It and Hamlet.

The show is playing at the Palace Theatre to packed houses and the cast now confirmed from 8th March are Jason Donovan (Mitzi/Tick), Don Gallagher (Bernadette), Oliver Thornton (Felicia/Adam), John Bowe (Bob), Portia Emare (Diva), Emma Lindars (Diva), Charlotte Riby (Diva), Newley Aucutt (Miss Understanding), Yvette Robinson (Marion), Steven Cleverley (Farrah and Young Bernadette), Daniele Coombe (Shirley), Tristan Temple (Jimmy), Kanako Nakano (Cynthia), John Brannoch (Frank)

Jason Donovan to start OX5 Run

Jason Donovan, who is currently appearing in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, is to start this year’s OX5 Run on Sunday 18th April.

He started the five-mile race around the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock three years ago was delighted to be asked to do the honours again this year. Although he might not take part in the run itself because of his performance schedule:  he is on stage at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End for 2 ½ hours eight times a week

Later this year he is to go on a three month arena tour of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds which kicks off in London on 20th November.

Fundraisers are hoping 1,000 runners will take part this year and raise about £65,000 for new toys and equipment for Oxford Children’s Hospital. Jason lives in Oxfordshire and is a keen supporter of the local hospital visiting children on the wards and performing a concert for the nursing staff.

To sign up for the OX5 Run, call 01865 743444 or click on the link to enter online.

Tony Sheldon leaving Priscilla Queen of the Desert

After more than 1,000 performances as Bernadette, Tony Sheldon is leaving the cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.at the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue.

The role will be taken over on 8th March by Don Gallagher who has previously appeared in the The Producers and Les Miserables in the West End. Jason Donovan and Oliver Thornton will continue in the roles of Tick and Adam.

Priscilla is also doing Sunday performances this summer from June 6th to September 5th.