Priscilla is in Manila! Visit the Queens at Resorts World!

If you were alive in 1994, when the movie where the play was based was released, you have no excuse not to watch Resort's World staging of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.

The play follows 2 drag queens and a transexual woman across Australia to be able to perform "where no drag queen has gone before," according to Felicia. Scene by scene, adventures and misadventures come, padded with the music from the lively to the most heart-wrenching renditions of tracks that you've always loved. The soundtrack includes Venus, Go West, I Say A Little Prayer, I Love the Nightlife, I Will Survive, Shake Your Groove Thing, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Hot Stuff, Boogie Wonderland, and Always on my Mind.

Each main character adds their own endearing spice to drag you into the plot. Red Concepcion's perky and carefree Felicia would make you want to love and hate at the same time. Leo Valdez' anxious yet eager Mitzi is a gem of love and courage. Jon Santos' simply elegant Bernadette would outshine even beauty queens. 

The secondary characters are not far off. Most notable were Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Pinky Marquez, who give life to Mitzi's wife and a punk drunkard. The greatest delight was seeing them as part of the ensemble! The ensemble that never left you in want! Plus, The Divas were like angels who were always there to boost the current song a notch higher.

Costumes leave you in awe, but technicals could have been better. Lighting was good, except for some flickering lights that should have been steady. I found the LED screens to be too bright, even for such a flamboyant show. The show had to go on even if a panel was not perfectly showing images. Sound mixing, too, has room for improvement.

I went to my seat to be entertained, and despite the glitches, I received an ultimate throwback experience on a Thursday night! I write because you have to catch Priscilla this month, I write because these people deserve sold out shows for the remaining of the run:

Yes, it is hat tip to LGBT, but I assure you, it has something for everyone.

Chookas!

Pictures from: Rockymusic.org, PriscillaMNL, May 15 show.