It isn't often when Seattle welcomes a True icon (besides Cher) but when it does, all of Seattle's LGBTQA communities rushes to see it. Dame Edna is an Icon that is still going strong after 50 plus years.
Dame Edna is NOT a Drag queen in the sense of NW Treasure, Darcelle XV, (There are some similarities), but a Male (and 'Straight') Comedian from across the pond (Australia native and London presence), that just happens to be a caricature of the prim and proper royalty of yesteryear, as Seattle's Moore Theater was packed for Night One of of three night appearance.
The similarities with Darcelle, is the fact they still are working in their 80's (Edna is 81, and Darcelle is 84) and they both wear flats, (Edna's shoes have at least a 1/2 inch heal) but their longevity is the envy of so many.
Dame Edna, in "her" signature Purple wig, opens the show with a song and dance and goes to the audience for the material as "she" called Joan, Betty, Rich, etc. During the course of the night, Edna, looks up and taunts the paupers sitting in the balcony.
By Act 2, Edna comes out dressed like she has seen the Hindu Light and tosses one of "Her" Bracelets to an audience member and realizes the problems that could come as the result, and immediately asks for its return. Later Edna matches two of the most unlikely audience members and brings them onto the stage to perform a mock wedding and then uses a house phone and calls and leaves a message for one of the groom's friends in Canada!
After a quick change, Edna does one more production number of throwing flowers at the audience and leaves the stage as we are shown a montage of all the celebrities he has encountered other the years and then comes out as the Man under the dress, a Dashing gentleman of Barry Humphries as he proclaims, "you ain't the last of me" to a genuine standing ovation. As someone who first saw Dame Edna on a primetime special in my youth, I was in awe of Barry as I was with the Persona of Dame Edna!.
No comments:
Post a Comment