Priscilla and Friends

| Feb 21, 2007
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The stars of the film.

Angela Gardner, my editrix, sent me a lead about a stage version of the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert, that came out back in 1994. It was a nice little Australian film about three drag queens who travel across the outback for some reason. . .well, it’s lost in the ’90s now.

But it was quite the sensation at the time and in true Hollywood fashion was quickly copied with an American-ized version featuring Patrick Swayze (of all people), Wesley Snipes (before the tax trouble with the IRS), and a cute John Leguizamo, who had portrayed a Latino chick during one of his one-man stage shows–and obviously had some chops along that line.

But back to Priscilla. It had a great cast. Terence Stamp, who had been banging around in various states of fame since the sixties and truly found himself (I think) in The Limey, another film from the ’90s. Hugo Weaving, who later ensured some measure of immortality by playing Agent Smith in the Matrix films. And then, Guy Pearce, who played the playful, sexy, young “Felicia Jollygoodfellow'” in the film. Mr. Pearce continues his film career in a number of pictures, my favorite being the short-term amnesia victim in Memento.

I don’t know much about the staged version of Priscilla but the one scene I remember from the film was when a bored Felicia (Guy Pearce), adorned in a ridiculous drag queen get-up, strolled through a small outback town, entered a video rental store, and asked if they had the “Texas Chain Saw Mascara”.

That was a perfect combination of sight gag and wordplay. If you would like to see Priscilla on stage, tickets are 50 Australian dollars. . .airfare is $1,500 American for coach.

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Category: All TGForum Posts, Transgender Fun & Entertainment

dina

About the Author ()

I started crossdressing and going out publicly in 1988. I joined the Renaissance group in the Philadelphia area that year and later became chapter leader for two years in the '90s. I always enjoyed writing and wrote for the Renaissance newsletter and magazine throughout my membership years. I've been writing for TGForum for several years now. I also contributed items to LadyLike magazine and other TG publications before the advent of the internet. My hobby-within-a-hobby is singing live as my alter-ego Dina Sinatra and I have had the opportunity to do that with several accommodating performers and in a number of venues over the years since the mid-1990s. In the Diner column items here, I try to relate crossdressing or transgender themes (and my own pet peeves and fetishes) to the larger world -- and vice versa.

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