Dame Edna game in S.F.
IF you haven't seen that "megastar," Dame Edna, you simply haven't lived. Dame Edna Everage is the creation of Australian comic Barry Humphries, and he's lived the life of this female Doppelganger on stage and TV since 1963. In person, she (as Dame Edna deserves to be called) is sensational the way she works the room. She has a remarkable memory of names, and keeps returning to the same dozen or so people from time to time, commenting on some flaw in their character, much to the amusement of everyone else in the theater. I managed to see Dame Edna in the Theater on the Square in San Francisco where she began her "Royal Tour," and dressed in a spangly gown and her trademark rhinestone glasses, she opined rather grandly how nice it was to appear in such a nondescript little place tucked in the middle of nowhere, proclaiming it to be nearly as nice as being in a grand Broadway theater "with nicely dressed people." ...
'Fool's' golden
LOCAL theater folks will be happy to learn that Dame Edna helped me over my displeasure with "interactive theater" in which the performers involve the audience. That, and "Fool Moon," the wonderful evening of theater featuring David Shiner (of Cirque du Soleil) and Bill Irwin (of the Pickle Brothers Circus.) I caught the wordless pair at the Seventh Avenue Theater in Seattle where they'd taken their two-man show after runs on Broadway and in S.F., and never, ever, have I laughed as much at a stage performance. "Brilliance" isn't a word I bounce around freely, but that's what was in evidence with the two, backed by the wonderful, versatile musical group, the Red Clay Ramblers. In particular, Shiner's use of audience members he brings onto the stage for different bits was hilarious. All without speaking a word. If you get a chance to see either of these two shows, jump at it! I'd love to see a local promoter bring either show here ...SEATTLE is one beautiful city. I'd flown in from San Francisco to visit my son, Brendan, who's relocated there as have many ex-isle residents. (United quoted a price to fly there round-trip that was more than the Honolulu/S.F. round trip. Unhappy at that prospect, I called TravelUS, a "cheap ticket" agency, and saved $130.) Brendan and I drove to nearby Issaquah to visit my sister, Dorothy. My brother-in-law had just lost his long battle with Parkinson's, compounded by prostate cancer and finally a stroke ...
MY sister informed me that Dr. Milton Howell, former doctor in Hana and a confidant of Charles Lindbergh when he lived there, is still going strong and lives in the same retirement village she does. Mrs. Howell, however, died earlier this year ...
To the links, briefly
WE managed a quick drive to Olympia to visit with former Honolulu TV news anchorman Bob Sevey and wife Rosalie. Sevey is recuping nicely from surgery for an abdominal aneurysm. The Seveys reside in a lovely home in Country Club Estates, with a gorgeous view across Puget Sound and a picture window framed with majestic Mount Rainier. Sevey proudly announced that he managed to get in a hole of golf the day before, "though I was really tired when I finished." And what did he shoot? "A double bogey." He hopes next to get in two holes, then three and so on until he can return to an entire round of golf, his passion in retirement ... As for me, it's been a memorable trip, and as always, it feels good to be back. Now let's vote next week and get all those political ads off TV ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.