THEATRE: FEATURE INTERVIEW
18 Oct'10

‘Priscilla’ actor takes a step back

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency

In the often topsy-turvy world of theatre, it makes perfect sense that one of the Canadian musical stage's most successful leading men is preparing to head to the Big Apple, lured there in no small part by the chance that he just might become one of Broadway's leading ladies And if that has you scratching your head, then maybe you haven't been playing attention to the developments at the Princess of Wales Theatre, where a Broadway-bound company is about to open the Canadian premiere of PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT: THE MUSICAL.

It is, of course, based on the hit movie PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, and if you check the chorus credits when it opens in Toronto on Oct. 26, you might be surprised to find the name Thom Allison there. Yes, that would be the same Thom Allison who has delighted Canadian audiences in a range of roles, from Cinderella's Prince Charming in the Stratford Festival's acclaimed production of INTO THE WOODS, to Carl Magnus in the Shaw Festival's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, to Darren in CanStage's TAKE ME OUT, to Adolpho in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Vancouver Playhouse, the Citadel and the National Arts Centre.

Allison doesn't see the fact that he's once more a chorus boy as a step down, but he admits it is a bit of a step backward -- as in stepping into the background. But he also sees it as a step in the right direction -- right toward New York. "Honestly, the deciding factor instantly was: "I'm going to Broadway!' he says. To get there for the March 2011 Broadway opening, taking a part in the chorus was a small price to pay. "And if I have to go into the ensemble at this point in my career, what a show..."

But the full truth of the matter is, while he's stepping back into the ensemble, he's also got an opportunity. Allison has signed on to understudy the role of Bernadette, the transsexual den mother to a pair of drag queens traveling across Australia on a broken-down old bus named Priscilla. It's a role originated in the Australian production by Tony Sheldon, who went on to earn a best-actor nomination for an Olivier Award in the subsequent London production. And although Sheldon is planning to stay aboard the Priscilla bus as it roars through Toronto on its way to its Broadway debut, Allison is not unaware of the possibilities Sheldon's understudy might face in the future, in a show that already has other international productions in the planning stages.

"It's a mix of trepidation right now," Allison says, "because I'm trying to learn (the part). Tony's incredible. He's been so generous about giving tips." But even if Allison never gets the chance to play Bernadette on the New York stage, he's still firmly on board for the move to the Big Apple, and happy to be there.

"A big part of New York for me is the cabaret scene -- and I want to explore that," he insists, adding that, while he still loves acting, he has an increasing fascination with that particular aspect of showbiz. "I love the idea that it's an evening about me, and doing what I want to do. That way I can be passionate about every song. What I love to do is be a singing storyteller. I love to weave a spell over an audience and take them on a ride."

For now, that ride is aboard Priscilla, but who knows where this bus will stop?

Walking the wild side not a drag for veteran actor:

Drag is no big thing for an actor such as Thom Allison -- and a good thing too. "I love transformation -- the whole male/female stereotype," Allison says as he prepares for the opening of PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT: THE MUSICAL, adding: "They're not always such polar opposites as people would think." In fact he welcomes the chance to get dressed up and walk on the wild side again, more than a decade after starring in OUTRAGEOUS.

"OUTRAGEOUS was about a Canadian (famed female impersonator Craig Russell), so there was a certain respect. It wasn't about doing drag, it was about the person," he says. "Now, it's just fun, because it's so chic. It's the jewel that people want to find out about. It's a wonderland. It's Alice Through The Drag Looking Glass."

And thanks to shows such as Priscilla, it's the audience that just gets more curious all the time, he says. "(This show) is a safe way to step out of their comfort zone," he says.