159 & 160. Star City and Priscilla Queen of the Desert

It’s been a while since the two of us have done anything together so we decided to get tickets for a show and as Priscilla had been showing for several months and was about to finish it’s run, there was only one choice. Many people I had spoken to recommended it and they certainly we’re wrong.

It was showing in the Lyric Theatre which is part of the newly built Star City which is glorious in its Las Vegas style tackiness. There’s a casino inside which seems to be fitted out in Flintstones-esque décor although we couldn’t see much through the doors so it may well have been totally different inside. Outside there are fountains and waterfalls all of which are lit up and add to the Belagio feeling of the place. Aside from the cheese-factor this place does have a couple of things going for it.

The first is the view. The skyline at night from the steps outside has to be one of the most breath-taking visuals of Sydney. There’s neon everywhere and above it all the Sydney Tower seems to float like a UFO. It is truly stunning.

The second thing that makes Star City worth visiting is the theatre. It’s an ultra-modern affair which is glaringly obvious by the fact that there are no pillars anywhere. Everyone, from the people in the boxes to those in the Gods have a perfect view of the stage. We were in the second row of the stalls close enough to see the make-up induced acne on the faces of the players and the experience was fantastic. That combined with a riveting, spectacular, comedy musical performance made the night wonderful.

The only down side was that there was several acts that involved many muscle-bound men prancing around in bondage or Budgie Smugglers and we were a bit too close for comfort. That said, Isla had a massive grin on her face betraying her enthusiasm for those parts of the show. Oh well, I like to think that I compensate for not having a body like Jean Claude Van Damme with my superior brain power! Haha, who am I kidding?