Day 17: Queen of the Desert

  For almost one hundred years the sun never set on the British empire. Despite the loss of the thirteen colonies that became the United States, England's territories on virtually every continent kept some part of the kingdom in daylight for most of the nineteenth century. At it's height this small island country ruled the largest empire in history, and the spoils of it's dominion fill the halls of the British Museum. Sarcophagi and their mummified contents once stowed safely away in Egyptian tombs now lie encased in glass for all to see. The marble remains of the Parthenon which once lay upon a hillside overlooking Athens are now carefully reconstructed in an enormous gallery. These and many more magnificent and wondrous treasures are available for consideration to anyone who enters one of the worlds most amazing museums.

  Today I steeped myself in it's beautiful antiquity: ancient pottery and armor, sculpture carved in every manner of stone, drawings straight from the hands of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Degas, and the Rosetta Stone were all examined in turn. So it was a little surprising that, despite all the amazing things I saw, I left feeling a little small and sad. All those objects seemed to be desperate attempts to escape mortality, and the sheer age of them was a reminder of how fleeting life is. I needed something to lift my mood. Luckily Greg had procured two tickets to tonight's production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

  The theater where Priscilla is performed is smaller than my old high school auditorium. Two levels of box seat form concentric circles above the main floor stalls. The fronts of the boxes are elaborately carved wood panels complete with cherubs whose arms stretch out over the audience. For the current show little mirror balls have been hung from their chubby fists. Looking up from our seats the effect was a host of angels welcoming you to disco heaven. There's nothing like watching a bunch of men dressed in women's clothing lip syncing Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer songs for two hours to give your spirits a boost. The show was a campy, over the top production complete with a neon pink bus, showstopping musical numbers, and confetti explosions. We give it two snaps up.

Day 17 Photostream