Dame Edna was a laughing good time Dear Editor:

With the depressing and unpleasant Seattle winter weather upon us, I simply needed some distraction from suffering with my S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and to have a good laugh, which I got on Sunday, January 18th at the historic and recently renovated Moore Theatre on Second Avenue in downtown Seattle, by attending Dame Edna's Glorious Farewell Tour.

Although Dame Edna (aka Barry Humphries) is 80 years old (as am I) she was as hilarious and energetic as ever. The two handsome male dancers (and the two attractive female dancers) were terrific. And the costumes and sets were equally fabulous and impressive.

I was seated in the lower balcony, on comfortable cushioned seats, and my line of sight of the stage was excellent. Plus I had two very pleasant and conversant women seated on each side of me. And, it appeared to me that perhaps half of the audience was Gay. (What a surprise!)

Apparently, Dame Edna loves gladiolas, and grows them at her home in Australia. My mother also loved gladiolas and grew them at our home in Somerville, New Jersey. I only mention this because at the end of the show Dame Edna and her assistants must have thrown out at least four-dozen long-stem gladiolas out on the second level stage left, for which she received a great applause. After which a song was played wherein those who received a gladiola were to stand and sway back and forth following Dame Edna's direction. However, a few didn't keep up and were summarily reprimanded, with much laughter and hijinks.

And, of course, at the finale, she and the cast received a standing ovation. Then, there was about a 10-minute monologue slide show about Dame Edna, and when it ended a well-dressed gentleman stepped out of the darkened stage whom I didn't recognize. So I asked the young woman seated on my right who it was, and she informed me that it was Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna), which, of course, brought down the house with another standing ovation. After we settled down he spoke to us for a few minutes expressing his appreciation for the appreciation he (Dame Edna) had received during the four shows performed here in Seattle (January 15-18), where she had performed a couple time before. At that, the heavy maroon curtain came down and the house lights came up, and we exited the theatre around 5:25 p.m.

However, by the end of the show, which included a 20-minute intermission, my handkerchief was wet from wiping the tears from laughing so much. Frankly, I was afraid that I might wet by pants due to so much laughing, which would have been bad since I haven't yet started wearing Depends!

John Mark

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