Interview: Michael Walters Brings Brash, Funny Dame Edna to the Triad Theater

Cabaret singer Michael Walters, who has the distinction of being the longest-running Dame Edna tribute act in the world, is making his off-Broadway debut with the character next month at New York's Triad Theater. He'll be performing his new show, Overdressed for the Apocalypse, at the cozy cabaret venue on Saturday September 7th. The fully produced show will feature original songs and material, plus that special brand of Dame Edna humor. If you've never heard of Dame Edna before, she was a character created by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, who performed as her all the way from 1955 up until he passed away last year.

Read an interview with Walters about the history of Dame Edna, his relationship to Humphries and the charcater, and what to expect from his show next month. (Walters is also a contributor to BroadwayWorld's cabaret section.)

How did you first discover Dame Edna?

Like many people in the States, I first became a fan when I saw her on TV in the 1990s. I was watching one of the cable channels like Ovation or maybe Bravo – in those days they had more than just reality shows! Anyway, this celebrity talk show came on called The Dame Edna Experience. I was a little perplexed, but mostly enthralled, by this fabulous lavender-haired showbiz doyenne who hilariously steamrolled over her guests. I had been working as an improv actor, so I was amazed watching her shoot top-notch zingers and politically incorrect anecdotes straight from the hip, barely letting her guests get a word in edgewise. I mean, imagine having Lauren Bacall or Charlton Heston on your show and making it all about YOU! Outrageous! Actually, I was so taken by the whole act that I believed this was a real mad woman who somehow became famous in the UK. When I found out this was a character played by Barry Humphries, I fell even more in love. That’s when I turned from fan to student.

You have the longest running Dame Edna tribute act and have been touring with it all over North America. What keeps you coming back to this character?

I can’t lie. It’s the laughs. I love to hear an audience laugh. It’s a drug. I mentioned I was an improv actor in the 90s, and it was at a Murder Mystery theatre in Orlando… just one of many gigs in those days to pay the bills! They gave me a new character which was really supposed to be Julia Child, but this character was also psychotic. A couple of actors had tried it, so I knew I had to dig deep into my bag of tricks. I was a funny person, but I really considered myself mostly a singer and musical theatre guy. I hoped if I could approach it with some Dame Edna flavor it might just work. Well, they bought me a purple wig and some cat-eye glasses, and voila! The character became a hit.

This is when I found that not only does Dame Edna get laughs… she gets an especially addictive kind of laugh. It’s a laugh that says, “I can’t believe what I’m hearing, but oh God it’s funny!” I didn’t have any plans to “do” Dame Edna long-term, but people started asking me to perform at parties, and years later a producer asked if I had a full show. I lied and said yes! I wrote the first version of the show and here we are many versions later. Besides the laughs, the other addictive part is authenticity. My partner Doug directs me and handles most of the costuming and visual stuff, and we make it our mission to constantly finesse those things to be as faithful to Dame Edna as possible. It’s kind of like building a ship in a bottle. We just keep tweaking the details. Replica gowns, sourcing her actual glasses, the wigs, the shoes, the jewelry… don’t get me started! 

What are you looking forward to about your NYC tribute show at the Triad in September?

It’s my off-Broadway debut and the first time the character has been done at an off-Broadway venue since Barry Humphries first did it here in 1977… long before she won the TONY in 2000. I can honestly say the show is a celebration of the character. Having performed as Edna for so long, this NYC debut is going to be a wonderful new animal. We’ve collaborated with the brilliant writer Rick Crom on some hilarious original songs and a lot of new material to complement the kind of comedy people know and love from Dame Edna. He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever known so I roped him in as my comedy “fairy Godfather.” My musical director is David Maiocco, which is like a dream for me because he’s worked with so many of the most legendary cabaret artists. He and I have surprises cooked up which incorporate some talents you definitely aren’t expecting from Dame Edna.

If anyone interested in coming isn't familiar with Dame Edna, how would you describe the act? What would your pitch be?

If you don’t know Dame Edna, watch her on YouTube. You’ll be hooked like I was!

Now, newcomers may not assume she’s a real woman like I did. Drag is so mainstream now, as is purple hair! I’m a huge fan of drag, but I don’t see her as a drag persona per se. Before there were characters like Tyler Perry’s Madea and Martin Short’s Jiminy Glick, there was Dame Edna.

Think of the crazy matriarch at the family reunion. Edna can do and say things no one else can because it’s this wild persona that people feel so comfortable laughing at. We know deep down it’s nothing more than a very convincing façade. Just don’t tell her I said that!

She pushes the envelope, and she’s an equal opportunity offender. No one is safe! As the Aussies [and] the British say, “she takes the piss.” You just have to strap in for the ride.

What do you think Barry Humphries, Dame Edna's creator, would think of your act, if he could see it?

We did unfortunately lose Barry after a record-breaking career in 2023. He actually does have the Guinness World Record as the longest running character portrayed by the same actor, at over 62 years! I’m so lucky because Barry knew me and was always very complimentary of what I do. When he told me my Dame was “spectacular” it was like being blessed by the comedy pope. I never did my show anywhere he was touring for obvious reasons, but we did meet up backstage at most of his shows and at other events.

I think he truly appreciated that someone was paying homage in the first place! He did have an ego, as do I, so it’s not a bad thing! But I will say that I think being impersonated was one of the trappings of celebrity he was tickled by. Barry ADORED funny people and talented people, so I think he’d appreciate what I bring to the character in my shows. He actually used to do his pre-show warmups to my voice; the first CD of showtunes I recorded. He told me “If I could sing like you, I would never have put on a dress.” And I said, “If I were as funny as you, I wouldn’t have to sing!”

What have you been listening to lately?

A recording of myself doing the script on a loop! Actually, I try to keep up with every cast album that comes out. I’m a collector. The new Cabaret album and Gatsby are high on the list right now. Oh, and Shoshana Bean in Hell's Kitchen? Forget about it! I’m obsessed.

What's coming up next for you after this?

I have a cabaret show in the oven that I’ve contemplated for a couple of years that would feature the music of Robert Goulet. That’s still rolling around in my mind, but who knows where it will go? I’m also taking the Dame Edna show to The Red Room in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in February. This will be the fourth or fifth time I’ve done my shows down there and I adore it.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Just that I’m grateful for the reaction we’ve gotten in New York so far! People here really love Dame Edna from her Broadway shows, so it feels like they’re hungry for it.

---

Tickets to Overdressed for the Apocalypse on Saturday September 7th are available on Michael's website at www.dameednashow.com.

Header photo courtesy of Michael Walters

To post a comment, you must register and login.