TORONTO - A musical based on the Oscar-winning film "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" will make its North American debut in Toronto next year.
"Priscilla Queen of the Desert -- the Musical," about a trio of drag queens in Australia, will open at an undetermined date and theatre in late fall 2009, Mirvish Productions announced Tuesday.
The stage show -- written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, and directed by Simon Phillips -- was a smash hit when it had its world premiere in Sydney in October 2006.
After touring Melbourne and New Zealand and then returning to Sydney, it took in a total of more than $90 million at the box office to become the biggest Australian theatre blockbuster ever.
The European premiere is set for the Palace Theatre in London's West End next March.
A Swedish production is planned for 2010.
Based on the 1994 film that won an Oscar for best costume design, the musical follows drag queens Tick, Bernadette and Adam as they drive their battered old bus nicknamed "Priscilla" to the Australian outback.
Songs performed by the trio include "I Will Survive," "Don't Leave Me This Way" and "Finally."
Anyone interested in auditioning for the Toronto production can submit a resume and photo to priscillacasting(at)mirvish.com.
Canadian casting director Stephanie Gorin will also travel across the country looking for actors in their 20s to their 50s "with exceptional singing and dancing abilities," Mirvish said in a release.
He's also looking for ensemble performers aged 18 to 40 and a young boy aged nine to 11.
