The closest thing to enjoying Dame Edna Everage's outrageous comedy on Broadway is to laugh 'til you cry over Michael L. Walters' Dame Edna. You may even find yourself (like my husband) enjoying his royal romp more. Not only is it every bit as funny, but at the Golden Apple, it's more intimate. While kinder to audience participants, the show still plenty edgy. In the second half, Dame Edna uses actual questions from you -- no canned come-ons or predictable answers. But clever ones. Walters makes you confident s/he has heard it all. Yet, being in a new context, everything's fresh.
Feathery and in flaming red sequins, the purple-haired Royal Dame enters radiating charm as well as abundant rhinestone blazes. Despite her warm glow toward her "possums" (audience), she doesn't lack discipline. Use your phone, while she's creating "my masterpiece ... lovely show ... all about me," and she'll find you, then "facilitate your ejection from the theater."
Like her sturdy, spiked, but multi-bloomed trademark gladioli, Dame Edna sways possums from the audience, most likely those in "first class" seats, to be objects of her humor. She brings some onstage, perhaps to benefit from her work as a "certified marriage counselor" or make an unexpected phone call or take part in a contest. Whatever Don Rickles would make into an insult becomes kidding from Dame Edna. And acceptable. Maybe welcome!
No wonder Michael L. Walters is the only impersonator approved by Barry Humphries, creator of Dame Edna Everage, to portray her. Having seen her show on Broadway, I was surprised by Walters' singing voice at the Golden Apple. When his Royal Dame supposedly imitates the leading black male singer of "Old Man River" in Show Boat, Walters displays his own pipes, and they're spectacular.
If you like clever adult humor, yet would welcome a respite from scatological attempts at it, you won't find a better start to your New Year's theater-going than Michael L. Walters' granting A Royal Audience with Dame Edna.
