Written by orange• July 28, 2026• 5:05 am• No Square Theatre, Review, Theater, Uncategorized

Priscilla Queen of the Desert @ No Square Theatre – Review

Photo credit: Modyman Photography

Written by Patrick Chavis

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is playing now at No Square Theatre in Laguna Beach, July 17 – August 2, 2026.

This sassy and touching story about friendship, finding a place to belong, and expression, along with its LGBTQ storyline, makes this quirky dramedy a rare musical in the OC, and it’s well worth a watch.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert follows three fabulous drag queens as they travel through Australia: They perform, connect, and survive.

Oh yes, they will survive.

Story:

“I Will Survive” is just one of the tunes featured in this 70s disco-inspired jukebox musical. It is backed by a live band of six members conducted by Joseph Mulroy on piano. The band handled the material more than adequately, particularly with sound levels that never overwhelmed the performers.

The show’s visual centerpiece was a large bus with the word “Priscilla” written on top. Three parts and ensemble members were needed to connect and reconnect it for various scenes, which was cumbersome. Still, the group did a fine job of getting everything together very expeditiously.

The show goes back and forth between light-hearted comedic and dramatic moments that seem to fly by pretty effortlessly, in between many well-known 70s hits like “It’s Raining Men,” “True Colors,” and “Shake your Groove Thing”.

Choreography/Dancing:

With an ensemble of 15 members in the production, many of the tunes have choreographed dances that get rather close to the audience. While fun, it’s not the most exciting choreography but definitely passable throughout. Some of the dancers can really bust a move, Kenneth Phuong, Allyson Blackstone, and Geo Herrera, to name a few.

Acting/Staging :

Since much of the staging is done so close to the audience, the viewing angles for some moments aren’t always great. There are some incredible performances in this show, particularly from Jason Pascual (Bernadette Basinger), who plays an older trans woman who, in her day, was rather famous in the drag scene. Pascual is the whole package. The acting, the singing, and the emotion Pascual expressed on that stage were, as I mentioned before, incredible.

Together, the three dragateers, Jason Pascual (Bernadette Basinger), Christopher Vournas (Tick), and Sawyer Reece Maier (Adam), bring out the heart of the story through their performances. Nothing was overacted, just good acting and connection among these talented actors.

Meg Rocha (Diva) vocals were full of feeling!

This is a rare musical you don’t often get to see staged too often, particularly in Orange County. I can’t remember the last time it was staged. This is a solid telling, and it’s well worth the drive down to Laguna Beach.