‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ begins Friday

NEW BRITAIN » The Connecticut Theatre Company is staging the its premiere of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, opening Friday, July 7.

This hilarious and heartwarming musical is based on the Oscarwinning film and will run from July 7th - July 23rd at the historic Repertory Theatre of New Britain.

The local theatre company is the first community theatre in Connecticut to stage the show, with a book by Stephan Elliot and Allan Scott. The musical is filled to the brim with a dazzling array of popular dance hits by Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Kylie Minogue, Donna Summer, The Village People, and more.

The story tells the adventure of a trio of friends, Tick, Berna-

FROM PAGE 1 dette, and Adam, who take a bus they lovingly name Priscilla across the Australian outback to reunite Tick with his son, Benji.

The cast of 20 sing and dance their way through 40 numbers, wearing over 100 outrageous costumes designed by Rose Masselli Morse. Director Duane Campbell states, “It’s been an absolutely blast working with this talented team to bring this show to life. The challenges presented have been met with overwhelming positivity and creativity by the entire team, and I couldn’t be more proud to tell this story.”

The cast includes Kenneth Lautz (Bantam), Zachary Taylor and Erin Frechette (Bristol), Amanda Nelson and David Walls (Colchester), Deidra S. Jefferson (Hartford), Chelsea Derby, Jeanie Dorothy and Johnny Revicki (Manchester), Jessica Badowski (Meriden), David Nunner (Naugatuck), Erin Campbell, Nick Carrano, Hannah Rubitz, and Robert Williams (New Britain), Cecil Carter and James Hampton III (New London), Iesha M. Rose (Rocky Hill), Matthew Lombardo and Ben StoneZelman (West Hartford).

Individual tickets for Priscilla Queen of the Desert are $25 for adults and $23 for seniors and students. To purchase tickets online or learn more visit www.connecticuttheatrecompany. org. Tickets are also available at the door the night of each performance. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is no matinee on Sunday, July 9.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO From left, Cecil Carter as Tick/Mitzi, David Nunner as Bernadette, and Zachary Taylor as Adam/Felicia are in the Connecticut Theatre Company’s production of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”