The true heart of this jukebox musical lies not in Tick’s journey to fatherhood, or even in the threesome’s growing bond, but, perhaps appropriately, in the jukebox. PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures by The Times But it’s unclear why the Asian “mail-order bride” (Chelsea Zeno) of Bernadette’s love interest, Bob (Joe Hart), comes in for such a debasing portrayal. Homophobes and bullies may deserve what they get (although the source of the contempt directed at obese, mullet-wearing barkeep Shirley, played by Babs Rubinstein, seems to be not so much her intolerance as her unattractiveness). They acquire Priscilla during a dance sequence with much high-fiving and playful simulated intercourse (the original New York choreography is “re-created by” Joshua Buscher, just as David Hyslop’s direction is “based on” Simon Phillips’ New York direction). So Tick invites Bernadette (a lovely Scott Willis), a transsexual mourning the death of her lover, and Adam (the impish, winsome Bryan West), who performs leering Madonna homages under the stage name Felicia. Tick, in his dressing room after an act, gets a call from his estranged wife, Marion (Christy Faber), to say it’s time he met their 6-year-old son, Benji (Shane Davis alternating with Will B.) and why doesn’t he bring a few friends to perform at her casino in Alice Springs while he’s at it? (In fact it can’t, and knows it can’t - Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner’s Tony-winning costumes, manically evolving from outlandish to preposterous to outright silly, keep the audience in on the joke.)

You wonder if the show can possibly top this all-out razzle-dazzle. The opening presents three “divas” (Emily Afton, Bre Jackson and Brit West) dangling in midair and belting “It’s Raining Men” as our hero/heroine Tick/Mitzi (the goofily endearing Wade McCollum) lip-syncs in drag beneath them.

Priscilla queen of the desert play