Dame: A female ruler, superior or head; the ‘lady’ of the house, the mistress of a household, a housewife.
The Oxford English Dictionary must have had Dame Edna Everage, the fabulously self-styled sparkplug with trademark “natural wisteria-colored” hair and vertigo inducing sequined frocks, in mind when defining the word. If you ask Edna, she’ll tell you she’s as superior as they come – this self-styled housewife-turned-megastar is a national icon in her native Australia, as well as a talk show host, children’s book illustrator, advisor to British royalty and investigative journalist, guru and legend — and she’s undoubtedly the woman who’s calling all the shots at the Colonial Theatre. Dame Edna has returned to Boston with a vengeance in this extended tour of her hit show, A Night with Dame Edna: The Show That Cares.
Fresh from a successful Broadway run, an international tour and the acceptance of a slew of prestigious awards, Dame Edna is poised to reclaim the stage and share her advice and opinions with the world. Before she waxes philosophical on politics, the nature of celebrity and proper home redecoration, though, the lady of the house lays down a few guidelines with her audience. Dame Edna is not to be questioned. Ever. Always look directly at her when she’s speaking to you. Applaud loudly and often — she loves her accolades, and isn’t afraid to give cues for thunderous applause or a standing ovation. Most importantly, you must remember that underneath her political incorrectness and barbed, brutal honesty with audience members (“You remind me of myself when I was younger. I used to try to make my own clothes too!”), Edna truly does care for each and every one of her little possums.
The Dame’s not-quite-one-woman-show features musical interludes, zany audience participation and tons of pure Edna excitement. She loves to dish about her severely dysfunctional fictional family: her dead husband, Norm, whose life was sustained by the world’s only iron prostate, her 93-year old bridesmaid Maude, her mother, who “peacefully resides in a maximum security twilight home” and her son Kenneth, a haute couture designer and antique collector with ambiguous tendencies. The recently bereaved widow also relishes her triumphant return to the singles’ market, confessing that celebrities from Brad Pitt to Ben Affleck to Ellen Degeneres all want a piece of her Highness. Not all of Edna’s anecdotes are inaccessibly glamorous, though. In a particularly telling moment, Edna invites two members of the audience to join her onstage — the hilariously quaint conversation that ensues over a glass of wine and dinner typifies the familiar, relaxed feel that Dame Edna’s show captures.
After an intimate night of cozying up to this celebrated, world-renowned personality, only one question remains: does Edna realize that she’s not quite the dame she imagines herself to be? Though she relentlessly flaunts her cartoonish femininity, — from the upper mezzanine, Edna’s purple coif resembles a sugary fluff of cotton candy, her rhinestone glasses might be described as high-tech face furniture, and this formerly dowdy housewife looks like the world’s most disorienting fashionista, a fast-talking, wisecracking Bob Mackie nightmare vision — this lady is actually a dude. Edna is portrayed by her “alter-ego,” Australian actor Barry Humpries, who originated the character over 30 years ago and claims she is no more than a beloved creation. Edna, of course, speaks contrary and denies any vicious claims made against her.
Though Edna’s confusing sexual identity may provide awe-inspired moments (how does he manage to sashay around the stage in those heels and that slit-up-to-there gown?), the focus of the show never strays from the Dame’s quicksilver wit and impeccable timing. In an age of potty-mouthed, sexually explicit comedians who laundry list their lovers and bedroom habits to achieve the easiest laugh possible, Dame Edna is a refreshingly reserved, old-fashioned, subtle comedic presence. So what if the star of the show is a cross-dresser that’s old enough to be a grandparent? The irony-free antics of Dame Edna Everage will leave even the most disbelieving audience members positively sore with laughter.