Dame Edna Everage is never shy about proclaiming her achievements. The mauve-coiffed, rhinestone-spectacled alter ego of Aussie actor Barry Humphries refers to herself as "the incomparable international housewife, gigastar and guru," and anyone who's sat in the front row of a Dame Edna extravaganza knows it's futile to argue. (Think Don Rickles crossed with the Queen Mum.) But "investigative journalist"? That's on the list in the press materials for her latest, Dame Edna: Back with A Vengeance, and it certainly gave us pause at the Planet. Think of it: Edna at the Hillsborough County Commission, giving fashion tips to you-know-who. Edna singing along with Mayor Rick at St. Pete's Saturday market. Edna doing Redner (a profile, we mean). Your Dameness, you're hired! Through March 12, 2 and 8 p.m. Thurs. and Sat., 8 p.m. Fri., 2 p.m. Sun., Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, $37-$67, 727-791-7400.
This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2006.