Mercury's 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert', a fun and funky disco revival, is no drag
If disco is dead, then it was given a momentary resurrection on Thursday night at Mercury Theater Chicago’s opening of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Audiences came ready to groove, many dressed in 70s-inspired garb with a rowdiness appropriate for a story with drag performers at its center.
Based on the film of the same name by Stephan Elliot, the disco jukebox musical centers on two drag queens, Mitzi and Felicia (known out-of-drag as Tick and Adam), and a trans woman, Bernadette, as they travel across the Australian outback in a decked-out camper van dubbed Priscilla. While they begin as an unlikely trio, glued together only for their love of performance and in support of Tick, throughout their journey they uncover the true depths of their friendship, and discover love and understanding amongst themselves and in the world around them.
Directed by artistic director Christopher Chase Carter, Mercury’s production sports a fun and colorful set (by Jonathan Berg-Einhorn), bolstered by over-the-top projections and lighting, and, yes, complete with disco ball (by G. “Max” Maxin IV). Costume design by Bob Kuhn really shine through the drag performances, showcasing immense creativity, humor, and artistry, with obvious support from Mercury Theatre’s talented drapers and costume crafts teams.
The cast delivered altogether a strong, high-energy performance, really rounding out the 70s outback setting.Shaun Whitegives a stand-out performance as the “capital F” Fierce Miss Felicia Jollygoodfellow. White never missed a beat, whether it be giving his all (in true Felicia fashion) in fun, energetic choreography—also by Carter— or while tossing off Felicia’s seemingly unending list of quips and comebacks, he always draws attention in the best way. And of course White's lip-syncing is on point; Felicia’s take on the aria "Sempre Libre," had the audience in stitches.
Rounding out the trio was widower Bernadette, portrayed by Honey West, who is also Mercury’s Venus Cabaret Director. West brings a classic, elegant energy to Bernadette, which is cheekily subverted by her sharp insults and off-the-cuff jokes and juxtaposes White’s constant eccentricity nicely. This especially comes through in the dance numbers and a few tender moments that the script allows.
I would be remiss if I did not dedicate a paragraph to the three divas, Heather J Beck, Lydia Burke, and Jessica Brooke Seals, whose voices bolstered the production as they embodied all of the great voices of 70s disco with precision, grace, and style.
Although, as it seems to go for jukebox musicals, the book seemed secondary to showstopper after showstopper, Carter and the cast handles it well, especially in the second act, where touching moments are given time to permeate the space despite the sustained high-energy camp. Altogether, Mercury's fun and funky production ends with a happily-ever-after that makes for a cool and sweet dose of escapism in all this heat.
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert runs through September 11th, 2022 at the Mercury Theatre, 3745 N Southport Ave, Chicago. For tickets or more information, please visit the the box office or mercurytheatrechicago.com.
Photo by Brett Beiner.
