There have been reports about Priscilla Queen of the Desert having been made more family-friendly for Broadway. But it’s hard to imagine that this musical, arriving here after successful runs in Australia and London, could have been any bawdier. For all its undeniably entertaining aspects, the overall experience is akin to spending two-and-a-half hours watching floats in the Gay Pride Parade pass by.

 Based on the successful 1994 movie written and directed by Stephan Elliott—he’s also co-authored the book with Allan Scott--the show concerns three drag queen entertainers traveling across the Australian outback on their ramshackle titular bus for a casino gig. It’s also an emotional journey for one of them, Tick (Will Swenson), who will be meeting his young son—he’s secretly married--for the first time.

The trio, which also includes the muscular, extremely flexible Adam (Nick Adams) and the older, transsexual Bernadette (Tony Sheldon), experience a series of adventures along the way, including violent interactions with unfriendly townspeople and Bernadette finding romance with Bob (C. David Johnson), a macho mechanic who impulsively decides to come along for the ride.

The show immediately establishes its stylistic aspirations with its elaborate opening sequence featuring a trio of drag queen divas descending from the heavens while belting out “It’s Raining Men.” The juke box score-- delivered both as lip-synched production numbers and characters songs-- consists of vintage, mainly disco-style standards from the ‘70s and ‘80s, including “I Love the Nightlife,” “I Will Survive,” “Boogie Wonderland,” “Shake Your Groove Thing” and Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff,” among many others. Not surprisingly, songs by Madonna are prominently featured.

The show’s vulgar, in-your-face humor is partially alleviated by some heartwarming elements, such as Tick’s anxious meeting with his young son and the tender relationship that develops between Bernadette and her unlikely suitor.    

But the evening’s real raison d’etre is the series of lavish production numbers featuring a relentless array of outrageous costumes designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardner, who won Oscars for their contributions to the film. (You may recall that the latter wore a dress to the ceremony made entirely out of American Express Gold credit cards.)

Your level of enjoyment will directly depend on your appreciation for the highest level of camp. For me, a little went a long way, with the proceedings eventually proving more wearisome than fun.

Still, there’s no denying the expertly executed aspects of the production, which has apparently been tightened and refined since its previous incarnations. Directed by Simon Phillips, with Broadway             veteran Jerry Mitchell credited as “production supervisor,” the evening moves along with the brisk efficiency of a DJ spinning records at a dance party.

The performers are all first rate, with Swenson quite moving as the conflicted Tick and Adams displaying his impressive physicality with joyous abandon. But the real standout is Sheldon, who has been with the show since it began and who nails every bitchy wisecrack with the precision of a veteran stand-up comic.      

Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway. 877-250-2929. www.ticketmaster.com.