Watt do you mean, there's nothing like a Dame?

Today I Saw "DAME EDNA, BACK WITH A VENGANCE!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Originally uploaded by spike55151.

On Friday night I went out with my colleagues and some other friends to see Dame Edna's Chicago show, "Back With a Vengeance". I had never seen the Dame perform a show of her own, but having seen her interviewing and BEING interviewed, I felt fairly certain that the show would be fun. And it was entertaining, but it just wasn't the show-stopping spectacle I guess I was expecting.

While Dame Edna is funny and the frocks were typically fabulous, and the mauve hair and crazy glasses were just as I knew they would be, I just didn't think the routine generally was all that great. The sections of audience participation were truly funny, and this is where I think Dame Edna really shines. Any opportunity to poke fun at a live "victim" and she just has a blast, you can tell. And I'm not sure how many other Aussies were in the audience, but full credit should be given to the Americans for being really good sports. For those few hapless souls that got dragged up onto stage (I was cringing 2/3 of the way back in the theatre, just in case she saw me), their spirit of adventure was really encouraging. And they helped move the routine along, even though they knew immediately that they would be the butt of the jokes.

Artistically-speaking, my Saturday was much more profitable. I went along to the Chicago premiere of a film called "Look Both Ways" by Australian director, Sarah Watt. The film followed a screening of Sarah's three animated shorts. Having effectively watched Sarah's entire film catalogue, I understand what people mean about Directors having a certain distinguishing style. You know how people always say that it's easy to pick an Alfred Hitchcock film (thanks to an appearance of the man in each), or those purists that can identify a Stanley Kubrick production (where you're left wondering how the hell you're meant to reclaim those lost 2 hours of your life). Sarah Watt's style reflects her love of the ocean, the freedom of seagulls, and the importance of family. Those themes prevail through her work and, as an Aussie expat watching her collection, I really picked up on them and identified with them. As a person, Sarah is really humble about how clever a storyteller she is, and I found that a really impressive quality. She's not a stuffy artist, full of her own importance or overly sensitive about her work. Rather she is an open, approachable person who answered our questions honestly and with a genuine interest in what we felt. The fact that her feature film, "Look Both Ways" was filmed in Adelaide, automatically gave her the gold star from me, but she expected that from me I'm sure.

Having immersed myself in art on Friday and Saturday, I took culture to new lows on Saturday night and threw myself into one of the biggest frozen margaritas you're likely to find. At an underground margarita bar no less. Honestly, this city has everything you could think of. And what you dare not think of, they put underground. Bless them.