The room lights went dim. People sat and began hooting and yelling
with thunderous applause as the stage came to life. The Tom Jones tunes had been
replaced with high energy music. The backdrop on the stage was flashing and alternating
vibrant colors and patterns. The lights on stage were going every which way, out
to touch the audience and bring them into the action going on in front of them.
Then the sea of applause and cheering went crazy. A figure approached from back
stage right. Eddie sauntered out to center stage. Head- to- toe: "bed head" of
blond, flawless and fantastic makeup, (yes his eyes really are that brilliant
of blue), a tight fitting light blue blouse, gray / green fitting slacks, and
great brown heeled boots. He truly has a commanding presence on stage. He immediately
found out that his traditional "on / off applause" motion didn't really work with
this audience.
He absorbed our enthusiasm for a moment, and once he could finally
speak over us, he declared that there will be no more screaming during the show.
"... you can scream when we stop for the middle bit, and when it is over, ...
after that you can scream for the rest of your life... but no more for now..."
our wo - hoos immediately changed into laughter. His next, and first real topic,
was the weather around here recently. This was especially funny because the Moore
theatre does not have air conditioning "until tomorrow, which is helpful for us."
Eddie talked a lot more about himself in this routine than in
his other stand-ups, it seemed a bit more personal. He spoke about his past, how
he was born in Yemen and his father felt it would be safer to move away from there
when he was 7 ... to northern Ireland. He really didn't use hardly any of his
old material. There were a few minor mentions but nothing really aside from a
few previously established characters. He went on to talk about firemen and jellyfish.
"How do you know when a jellyfish is dead anyway?" Dentists and horses. "... horses
join stables so that they can wear children..." Old World medicine and dogs. He
spoke about 9-11 "...which confuses a lot of people over in Europe because they
didn't realize anything happened on November 9th." Superheros and Vampires. "...to
kill a vampire you have to put a stake through their heart, that is why Margret
Thatcher is still alive." He talked about Religion and foxes. He talked briefly
about George Bush and the evolution of man. Now I know these all sound unrelated,
I didn't list them chronologically, but the show was totally conversational with
a great flow. I can see how his shows are all different and evolving. He does
talk to the audience a bit and I know when I see "Sexie" again that half of it
will probably be different.
Two of my favorite moments which seemed special to our show, was
when he asked if anyone knew where Jeffery Dommer was - his expression and response
was priceless! The other moment was when he was talking about his experience with
acupuncture. "... I decided to go try acupuncture- as you have just heard demonstrated
by those women." I know when it is released that I will laugh just as hard and
often as I did tonight during the show, and I can't wait! He connected so well
with the audience and his material was great, fresh, and smart! I will say that
though the energy from everyone in that building was incredible, it really felt
personal, like you could have been sitting in a cozy comedy club. He wrapped up
the show, which flew by. (8pm curtain - 10:30pm -ish) The lights stayed low while
he took a brief bow with the music again booming and exited. The sea of approval
yelling and clapping growing instead of subsiding, he came out briefly for an
encore. Izzard demonstrated a new impression, which was really funny. "... the
reason my impressions are not great is because I don't practice... bad leg ...
but I will show you anyway." When he finished the music came back up, and Eddie
took his bows to a standing hooting yelling audience, and exited stage right,
strutting in his heels.
AFTER THE SHOW: I was amazed at how polite and chilled his fans
here in Seattle were. No pushing or shoving, very relaxed and patient. So many
of them were all quiet and intimidated. Makes me wonder what he was thinking.
Nearly all of them beautiful, or at least dressed to go clubbing. He was so cool
with the fans, as well as being quite humble considering all the attention. Yet
one more thing I respect and love about this guy.
Review of Sexie DVD
(thanks Kelli)
Well, after some initial difficulty, I finally got to view the
SEXIE dvd. It arrived the other day. It will NOT play in my dvd player. I never
had any problem
with Circle but SEXIE just wouldn't go. So, I changed regions on my computer and
watched it on, well, here.
I have to be honest, it didn't measure up to my expectations and it definitely
wasn't as good as the show we saw live in Cleveland. I mean, it was good in
its own right and it will most likely be better after a few more views (especially
when I'm not in the mind of comparing it to our live experience) but as of
right now, my honest opinion is that it was a bit of a let down.
As a dvd, however, it's super cool. Lots of fun colors and music and great special
features. It's an even cooler dvd than Circle and, in the end, may altogether
be a better show and all that jazz. From a reviewing perspective, even if the
show felt a bit pressured and rushed on the dvd, I would still very highly recommend
this dvd, especially for anyone who loves Eddie any where near as much I do.
Brighton Centre
Brighton UK
(thanks Dorene)
Life handed me yet another fortunate night with friends to see
Eddie live this weekend in Brighton and it was an eclectic/electric elixir ( of
alliteration?). And here's why:
It was a giant turn-on *!*
Turn-ons can be: sharing hilarity at life's daily foibles; at our human habits
and roots ( hair needing a root job? no! turnips? no, that's Baldrick - just me
still tripping, sorry)
The blood pumps and the heart races and the eyes sparkle when we can ride a building
wave of piss-taking at ourselves ( sorry for wave and piss in the same sentence,
eww) but you know - it's so great to have a squeaky, growly-voiced commentator
at the back of the class of planet earth wherein we are all stuck , cuz it can
be soooo boring ( and scary) at times. And just plain FUNNY.
And no one does it like Eddie can. His SEXIE show is so freeing when he not only
points out and has fun with crazy, stupid things that happen, to him and us all,
but when he suggests ( " suggestive text!") other ways things could have turned-out
in history, or takes an ingredient from science or archaeology ( vowels, much?)
and infuses it with something really silly, like ...well I won't pass on actual
bits, but that exhilarating, hilarious way he has of combining huge areas with
dippy ones. You know, like Medusa having her hair done and needing a shampoo from
the very reluctant Charlene. Or his version of Changing Rooms with Neanderthals!
Rocking and rolling, it was, as usual. A young man outside saw the big purple,
SEXIE/leggy-on-a-sexy bike, trucks that say "You rock We roll" and said - Eddie's
not rock!? But he does rock our world and rolls everywhere on the planet
doing it - with style.
And the way he brings bits further along into the routines, like distracting customs
by lightly fingering his bust - ier. VERRRRY sexie, and brilliant tie-in, when
he throws it in quickly on the big old Mexican runaway horse bit later.
So an OTT thank you and a happyhappy Cheers to the lad/lass of distinction and
allure who rocks our world and for his sexie brain. S/he made it slightly ( in
an understated Brit way) more magical that night and the high lingers.
Eastbourne UK
(thanks Spoot!)
Well a bit late but here is my report on Mr. I's gig in Eastbourne. I haven't
been able to organize my thoughts or start tapping on the key board, it just seems
too hard to do, which for me is strange since I used to post at the drop of a
hat. But so what, eh, just get to the damn Eddie thing will ya?
Anyway the show was wonderful, the theatre on the small side and the seats were
almost at Eddieıs feet. I wonıt detail the bits he did, you canıt do them
justice and it just spoils the fun. But it was definitely an improvement
over Circle and the joy and delight in the air was palpable. Thatıs the strongest
feeling I got from that evening, pure delight, coming out of him and coming out
of the audience. Of course that is Eddieıs appeal, he can bring everybody
back to that long forgotten state of childıs play, when we could lose ourselves
in pretending and play all day.
When I first fell for Eddie and first saw him live, I was like an acolyte at the
altar of a deity, worshipping every move, every word, every pause. It was such
an altered state and there was no objectivity, or rather whatever
critical judgment I had was irrelevant, the experience of seeing him was too intense
for reason.
Now the fever has cooled, but I still donıt think I can see him objectively, though
I now see his technique, and the fall back tricks he uses when he feels he is
losing his audience. I can see the performer up there, plying
his craft, working the gag, at least in those moments when the comedy hasnıt made
me double over in laughter. So what Iım saying is that Iım no longer so
over the moon that my mind is gone.
But I still delight in the funniest things, things that make me know Iım still
a crazy Izzardite. Like the way his eyes start darting about chasing a bit
inside his head as he tries to control his grin. Or there was one bit
what got a little obscure, and even though the audience was still laughing, it
was more like fan laughter, with him in spite of the joke. At that point he looked
out on the audience muttering to himself about it being a joke
just for himself, which was true. He always says that he does it just to
amuse himself, and I saw that night how true that is.
I even like how he wears those skirts and spiked boots and my god, a bustier on
a chest as burly as he has! I mean most women wouldnıt dare wear that bustier
unless they are toned and 19 years old. We just couldnıt bring ourselves
to do it, knowing the flab and bumps and blemishes would be out there for all
to see. But Eddie, he flaunts it even if he hasnıt got it! Pure Chutzpah.
I watched him feeling that he was loving it, and happy to be there on that stage
in Eastbourne that night. And I was very very happy to be in the audience
watching him.
Eastbourne UK
(thanks Pete)
Eastbourne too staid or fuddy duddy for Eddie Izzard ?.....Don't
you believe it !!
Local boy....(well semi-local) made good...we loved him and he fully deserved
the standing ovation he got from us tonight.
After 4 years, shit he's still got it. It's all there....the themes running through
the performance.....off on those famous tangents and the ad-libs.....brilliant
!!
From Greyhounds to Medusa in an inverted 'Box Brownie' image, Eddie's mind has
produce some wonderus material in this show, and if you get a chance to see him
on his tour around the UK, make the effort to do so.....you won't be disappointed.
Shubert Theatre
Boston MA
(thanks AmyBeth)
Finally my chance to share my story of seeing Eddie on his opening
night in Boston! I do have to indulge in a brief prologue first. I missed Eddie's
Circle appearance here 3 years ago. I had only just discovered his genius through
my video store job, as my manager, Shawn, had brought in Glorious in response
to customers who loved D2Kill. Needless to say I fell in love and fell hard..and
this man I'd never heard of before was suddenly everywhere-Newsweek, the Daily
Show. Then he was coming to Boston. Shawn wanted us to go, but I demurred, saying
I thought it was already sold out, which I didn't know for sure, but you see,
at the time I weighed over 350 lbs, and was just starting to break out of the
denial that had trapped me for so long and was realizing how big I'd
gotten..movie theaters were just starting to get uncomfortable for me, and I had
no idea if I'd fit into these theater seats, and could not bear the thought of
that humiliation. I've always regretted
that as it was the only thing I'd ever let my weight stop me from doing. And I
vowed by the next time Eddie
went on tour, I'd be there wearing a little black dress (b/c another fan had posted
getting to meet him, b/c a stage hand asked her to an after-show party, and she
said "never underestimate the power of the little black dress) Since then I've
lost 155 lbs and while I am not yet thin, nor did I wear a little black dress,
I was clad in a little black outfit and the evening was everything I expected
and more.
We decided to go in style in a limo, me clutching my copy of Definite Article
that Shawn had given me for
my birthday at a time when those NTSC versions were tough to come by. I'd always
imagined it would be like
the opening of Glorious or Definite Article..lights and music and Shawn and I
would be the first on our feet when he arrived, b/c I'd always been impressed
by those people in the videos standing before he'd barely walked on stage...and
yes, it was exactly like that! Our seats were wonderful and the Schubert is the
perfect venue for Eddie's talent. He looked divine and like many other people
have said, it took awhile to focus on what he was actually saying...and even though
I am incredibly familiar w/ his work, he is so quick and brilliant, it was a challenge
to keep up with him..so overwhelming is the experience. I had to read other reviews
later to remind myself of some of those incredible bits. And what a challenge
it is to write a review of this work because it is something that just must be
seen and heard to be believed!..but many gems remain shining for me..from his
opening admission that he assumes the intelligence of his audience.."smartening
it up" rather than dumbing it
down "so if you are out there tonight and you're really not too bright..well,
just hush, ok?" There were other wonderful highlights as well..."slowly, slowly,
catchee monkey"....coming from ROW--the Rest of the World--as opposed to the arrogance
of America..the refusal of dentistry to embrace Eastern medicine..I mean really,
how does one capture that mime in written words? "let's let the Christians kill
the doctors" And his musings on mosquitoes.."do they ever get tired and worn out
and just go BZZZZZZZZZ...OHHHH...FUUUUUUUCK!" Now that is so unfunny in print,
but at the time I couldn't catch my breath for laughing so hard.
And when it was over, we were practically the first people in line at the stage
door to meet him (thanks to online advice from fans) and I could not believe the
graciousness of him and his management..wanting to get everyone in and out of
the rain quickly..we really only waited maybe 10-15 min. He was clearly exhausted,
but again beyond gracious. When I shook his hand, I must confess I kissed him!
I simply could not resist! And another thing I can't imagine doing at my previous
weight. I asked him if that gorgeous blue coat was from Unrepeatable-he thought
a moment, then said "no, completely different". And after rewatching that tape,
I don't know what I was thinking. I also gushed on as he was signing my video,
that we worked in a video store and have created whole shelves devoted to his
films, to which he responded "oh you crazy people, you" in that marvelous accent.
And as you can see, our picture together came out well. He looks rather deadpan,
although I've been reading that he doesn't fully smile in any of these shots..and
I'd like to think his eyes are smiling and that he was not annoyed
at this still-chubby girl who just took kissing liberties with him and then inadvertently
insulted his fashion sensibilities! The only thing I regretted was Shawn barely
got to say a word thanks to my blathering, and I wish I'd said something about
us being "Tuesday people" from Ambassadors, but I guess you can't have everything...but
believe me, what I had was delicious!
Thank you Eddie for an evening that was a dream come true on so many levels and
helped me celebrate a milestone in my own life. As the Boston Globe review states-
although you say "transvestites don't actually
help people", those who have spent some time with you might definitely think otherwise!
AmyBeth (my email is amybeth68@yahoo.com if anyone wishes to chat!)
Music Hall Theatre
Toronto Canada
(thanks Neil)
I too saw the show on Halloween and let me say the atmosphere
was absolutely electric. I had also seen the show in Minneapolis in September
so I knew somewhat what to expect, but the Minneapolis show (which was truly wonderful)
paled in comparison to this one. I wish this one had been filmed!
There was one guy in the audience who seemed to enjoy continually yelling out
the word "transvestite" for some odd reason. When Eddie came out at the beginning
of the second half, the same guy yelled "Whats it like being a transvestite?"
Eddies reply was, "Where the hell have you been? Ive already talked
about that."
On Friday night we asked one of Eddies crew if Eddie would be signing
autographs after the show. He said it would depend on how he was feeling, but
we could wait and see. We hoped to at least get a photo of him as he left. When
Eddie came out, he was very gracious. He initially said, "Im really exhausted
and dont feel well." We asked if he would sign our programs and take a photo
with us real quick." He hesitated and said, "Ahhh.....well, Ill sign things
but no pictures. Im in a hurry and want to go." He signed my program and
flashed his beautiful smile when he handed it back to me. He continued to sign
autographs while working his way toward the car and told people to "snap away"
while he signed autographs, but he wasnt posing for pictures. Mick said
that Eddie had swollen glands and needed to leave.
Saturday night we ate dinner at the pub next door to the theatre (which we
couldnt get into on Friday night.) We left the pub shortly before Eddies
show let out and decided to wait around to see if he was feeling any better. We
were told that Eddie probably wouldnt be signing anything because he wasnt
feeling well. When Eddie came out, he whispered that he wasnt feeling well
and that he was only going to sign a few things, which he graciously did before
heading to his limo. He had a few tired smiles but he didnt speak.
I loved Eddies show and all the energy, imagination and spontaneity that
went into it, but I am even more impressed by the man himself. In spite of being
ill, he still took the time to sign autographs. What a consummate professional!
I will continue to sing his praises and look forward to all his bodies of work
in the future.
Music Hall Theatre
Toronto Canada
(thanks Aimee)
I was fortunate enough to see Eddie in Toronto at the Music Hall theater
on Halloween night, and can I just say WOW! I suppose I should also
mention that I saw Eddie's "Sexie" show in Los Angeles in September, so I knew
what I was getting into - but WOW!
First off, I must say that the audience really made this show. With
such a small venue (only 1200 seats) the setting was perfect - the audience would
through thoughts up to Eddie, and he'd spit out 20 minutes of improv back!
It started right at the beginning when a man in the back yelled "LOUDER" and Eddie
proceeded to analyze this man's small ears and lack of lungs (which were eaten
by an Irish wolfhound, and isn't in interesting how you never hear of any other
kind of wolfhound? no spanish, hungarian, etc.....you get the jist!)
The show went on from there - he only did about 50% of his 'scripted' stuff, because
the audience was so receptive. At one point Eddie asked the audience to
calm down, because everyone was that hyped.
OH...but what he was wearing? We've seen the pictures in other shows
- first half was the now infamous blue coat with red trim, red bustier and mini
mini mini skirt. Second half was traded for the already infamous sequined
black skirt (someone stole a triangle!) and black boustier.
And since I've mentioned in...the second half was truly unique. Eddie
was (as he observed during the show) upstaged by a bat - which kept flying back
and forth across the screen behind him. The audience would gasp and Eddie
would turn (of course never seeing the bat, but going on a 10 minute tangent about
how they decided to design the stage for this tour and doesn't it look nice?
They thought they'd go for the batcave look and it seems as though the bats have
taken to it). He then made an appropriate comment to the audience to "stop
taking pictures of my ass!" as those who had smuggled them in had a field day.
Of course - I must mention the most important thing - which is NOT the show,
but Eddie himself. He's sicker than sick - swollen glands, pale and I'm
sure feverish. He was feeling awful after Friday's show and we thought for
sure he'd cancel Saturday's - but we went by the theater and could hear his encore
from outside. Knowing the material of his encore, we know it requires some
lung capacity and let's just say he didn't have it. The show was about 30
minutes shorter than his show on Friday and one of his roadies (I can't remember
his name, but those who have seen the documentary on Circle will know him as the
guy who mentioned "husbandry") came out afterward to say that Eddie would not
sign autographs or take pictures because they wanted to cart him off to bed.
Those of us that did stick around did get autographs but Eddie did not speak and
did not smile - not to be rude, but because he was so ill that he HAD no voice
left (plus you could SEE how swollen his glands were!) and he was so exhausted
and not feeling well that he didn't have the energy to say anything or smile.
He DID sign autographs though which made many a fan happy. When he
got into his limo after the show though, I saw his head flop back onto the
seat and his eyes close.
What I'm wondering now is, will he make it out of Canada?
You have to fill out a questionaire when you leave Canada that asks the following
questions about SARS:
1. Do you have a fever (undoubtedly YES)
2. Do you have any of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath
or difficulty breathing (judging from the multitude of breaths he took in his
encore, I'd say YES)
3. Have you been in contact with a SARS-affected person in the last
10 days? Well, we can't say for sure can we? He was only near
at least 3400 people in two days time!
So - he might very well be quarantined for a while - unless they can pull
a much needed "I'm a celebrity, get out of quarantine free" card.
In all though, I was very very very very happy and pleased with his show
- and more so, knowing how professional he is to still put on an amazing performance
even though feeling like death! Get well Eddie and keep up the AMAZING work!
Warner Theatre
Washington DC
(thanks Michele)
Well I'm just back in sunny South Florida after a two day whirlwind trip to the
chilly and soggy capital of these United States (a/k/a Washington DC). The sole
purpose of the trip was to see Eddie in concert. Was it worth the trip, you ask?
You bet your sweet ass it was - but I'll let you be the judge.
This isn't so much a review as a report of an experience. I won't spoil the content
surprise for those of you that couldn't see him live and will be buying the DVD.
We arrived for the October 28th show at the lovely Warner Theater which is just
a stone's throw from The White House. Oddly enough I didn't see G. W. "Shrub"
Bush at the show!
We couldn't have had better seats, A-1 and 3. Thank you Eddie for the advance
notice of the online sales!!!!!!!!!!
The show was a little late getting started but when he marched onto the stage
dressed in a blue frock coat with red trim, a dark blue pleated MICRO mini skirt,
fabulous fishnet stockings, 4" knee high boots and a RED bustier containing
a fantastic rack the audience went WILD!
He looked wonderfully trim and energetic and his hair was back to a perfect shade
of blonde.
Although the first set started a little slowly, testing the audience's reaction
I suspect to his "tits", with a discussion of his decision to have the "Clothing
Freedom Option" include breasts - that may or may not explode while flying
at 30,000 feet by the way - it soon picked up in pace and had the audience gleefully
going with the Izzard of Odd anywhere he cared to lead us.
But it was the second set, after about a ten minute break, that rocked the theater.
I hate to sound like a fashion magazine but his next outfit was spectacular! This
time he was in a black bustier, opera length black satin gloves, no coat, (beautiful
shoulders by the way) the same black boots and fishnet hose and a slinky black
sparkly skirt with a gold lame lining with a slit up to places I'd only dreamed
of before - I TOLD YOU I HAD GOOD SEATS!!!!!!
He prowled the stage with a hand mike making the poor lighting guys work for their
money, using it as a very effective tool in his dentist material - which went
on a little too long for those of us who have recently gone through that very
uncomfortable experience. He responded kindly to the occasional audience suggestion
- not heckles mind you, more in the line of "Will you marry me" and "We love you"
- which received a "No" and a "Thank you but I'm doing a show here" from the diva.
The material was fresh and wonderfully funny - belly laughs were more common than
not. I still feel his
"Dressed To Kill" concert is the gold standard but am pleased to say that "Sexie"
is a vast improvement over the tired and lackluster "Circle".
One suggestion to Eddie's production team - please use whoever filmed the HBO
special for your "Sexie" DVD. Their camera work was spectacular with lots of close
ups and excellent editing.
Now to the special part!
Dear man that he is, Eddie stayed in the lobby to sign autographs, posters, shirts
and take pictures for about 250 fans - me included. I haven't gotten the pics
back yet but will pass them along if they are worth a look.
We waited about 20 minutes in the comfort of a warm lobby and then he came in
and settled behind a desk at the end of the lobby. He had changed into street
clothes but still looked very shapely with his beautiful pair of breasts still
evident under the taut material of his black shirt and wearing a pair of black
jeans - I think. To be honest with you the whole scene is a bit of a blur to me.
We weren't rushed by any means and Eddie couldn't have been more charming and
patient but it did remind me of that movie "A Christmas Story" where the two little
boys go to see Santa and they are picked up, spun around, plopped on his lap and
after completely forgetting what they wanted to say they are shoved down a shoot
into a pile of fake snow!
I think I muttered something about enjoying the show and that I thought he looked
lovely. LOVELY!! Did I say lovely? Why couldn't I have said hot or sexy or even
beautiful - but lovely. Good God you tell your Great Aunt Emily that she looks
lovely and this was definitely not anyone's Aunt Emily. Standing before me was
the hottest, sexiest transvestite on the bloody planet and I told him he looked
lovely! What an idiot!
I tried to regroup by mentioning that we had had to travel to Washington DC because
he hadn't granted my personal request for a South Florida show. My lame attempt
at humor elicited a sweet smile from very tired blue eyes and him saying that
they had planned to book South Florida but they ran out of available dates.
"Oh, says I, will we see you next year then?" (I had heard he might do a southern
concert tour in 2004). "No, we won't be touring again for 5 YEARS", Eddie informed
me. My heart fell. Not another sighting for five years. The withdrawal started
almost immediately.
At that point I thanked him for the signed poster I had requested for a greedy
kid in front of me that had purchased four and needed a beard to get Eddie's autograph.
It had been announced that Eddie was only going
to sign one per fan. Actually he did sign two for "Greedy Kid" but the second
one got "Oh, all right" but with a much smaller scrawl at the lower left. Then
I find out that "Greedy Kid" didn't even see the concert, couldn't get tickets,
but worked across the street and came over after the show. He invited Eddie across
the street to the cafe for a drink after the signing. Eddie gave him a rather
noncommittal - "I can't promise, awfully tired, but thanks".
What was I thinking? Why hadn't I asked Santa out??????
Well I did manage to ask for a photo and he stepped out from the desk and put
his right arm around my waist - smelling delicious by the way - and I reciprocated
with a very sincere hug with my left arm around his corseted waist. I hope it
was as good for him as it was for me as it's going to have to last us both 5 years.
Damn!
And then it was all over. Down the shoot into the fake snow.
It was much too brief! Was it worth the cold rain drenching a leather coat, Ronald
Reagan Airport on a Monday morning, a $40 breakfast and a 24 hour turn-around
back to the real world in sunny South Florida.
You bet Eddie's sweet ass it was!!!!!! Now if I could just renew my passport,
make plane reservations and scalp some tickets to a sold out concert in England
I'd be gone again. But, that would be after I win the Florida Lottery on Saturday
night of course.
If you get a chance to see him live - do it - but if you plan to approach the
"Lovely Eddie Izzard" after the show I suggest you write your comments on a piece
of paper up your sleeve. Don't write it on your hand though - your applause will
smear it beyond all recognition because he is spectacular!
Cheers
Shubert Theatre
Boston MA
(thanks Billy and Pear)
This is for all the fans...and I hope you read it Eddie...my wife
and I traveled from Florida to Boston - afraid Eddie would not come South - desperate
to see him live after falling in love with him...we were not disappointed. In
fact, quite to the contrary - he was awesome! We both rolled for more than 2 hours
in the the theatre - amazed we were actually seeing him live. The show was fabulous.
And, it may be even funnier than our fave DRESSED show. It would be impossible
to point out all the highlights. There were literally too many. But, Medusa at
the hair dresser and the finale on horseback left us almost in tears.
The clothes were amazing and the timing was perfect. We had been
worried by early reviews that talked of wandering and getting the act together,
but it was clear to see that in Boston on the 22nd...the show was tuned to the
max!
Our only disapointment was the rain at show's end which made it
impossible to see if Eddie would greet his fans and sign atuographs. My wife had
her SEXIE poster (bought months before the show) and pen in purse - hopefull for
the meeting and a pic. But, the show was so enjoyable and perfect it was okay
in the end.
We turned our trip to see Eddie into a trip into history with
sightseeing in Boston, but the true historical importance of the trip for us will
always be...our dream come true to see Eddie live. Eddie...you made it happen
for us...and we thank you endlessly for a superb evening...PLEASE COME SOUTH SO
WE CAN SEE YOU AGAIN!!!
Allen Theatre
Cleveland OH
(thanks Kelli)
Eddie rocks Cleveland on a Friday night... and he rocks it hard.
The show was incredible. He really outdid himself this time. After seeing Circle
on video I thought he'd never again be up to the level he had been in Dress to
Kill. I'm so glad he proved me wrong. The show was refreshingly surreal in the
way that Circle never quite was. He was on top of everything, never a dry spot
and I never felt that he was dumbing down the humor for the midwestern audience.
Best show I've seen since I bought Definite Article in the boxset.
They allowed us flash photography during the show so I got a lot of pictures of
him on stage. His outfits (of which there were two, one for the first half and
one
for the second) were definitely SEXIE. I think I'll save the official fashion
report for when the pictures come back from getting developed. We did wait for
him outside the stage door. We were polite enough to go to the end of the line
when his security insisted we form an organized queue, the kind of decency the
rest of the crowd decided they couldn't afford so, at the end of the line we remained.
It was actually good luck because we got a little more time with him.
He was cold but more friendly and talkative than he was when I met him after Joe
Egg in NYC. Kristin (my best friend and roommate back at school) went ahead of
me and got my program signed for me (just for the sake
of having something for him to sign since she didn't care to have an autograph
of her own) and tried to
convince him to show his teeth when he smiled for the pic. I told her while in
line that he wouldn't cos he
never does. He told her no, I gave her a giggly 'I told you so' and he went on
about how he didn't like
to do it and he'd practiced in the mirror and still didn't like it and, "that's
narcissistic isn't it?" I
handed my camera to Mick, the tour manager, and told him I was with Kristin. I
was a little embarrassed to
be handing Eddie an enlarged picture of he and I to sign, expressing that by saying,
"Yeah, I know. Well,
I guess you know you've reached rock star status when you get approached with
one of these, huh?" He was a
little busy juggling the marker he already had, the photo I had handed him and
my unopened marker (which
he was trying to open) to really care too much. I had already taken a bit of his
time by asking whether he
wanted to sign before or after the picture. I think I kind of confused him (you
have my sincere apologies
Eddie, I know you were cold and in a hurry) but it was quickly decided.
He loosened the cap and held the marker out for me to take the cap off. I didn't
know that he had loosened
it so when I went to pull the cap off, I did it with a little more force than
necessary and ended up juggling
it till it finally fell to the ground. Eddie was like, "Hey, you're throwing things."
I just sort of giggled
and picked the cap up.
By then, he had my pic signed and was ready for the photo. He opened up his arms
for Kristin and I (who I
think just before then was asking him about his coldness, to which I think he
responded by going
"brrr") and held us against him while Mick took the picture. Sneakily, I rested
my head ever so slightly
on his bosom as the camera flashed. He's very soft. I hated to leave his side,
he felt so nice.
Anyway, we thanked Eddie and I told Mick how I recognized him from the dvd cos
he was hella cool. The
folks behind us, including my mom and stepsis and the folks we talked to before
and after the show that were
awesome, got their pics and stuff and then we got a big group pic with all the
cool Izzardites. We said
goodbye to Eddie and thanks one more time. Kristin wanted to follow Eddie's limo
but I was all like,
wasn't this whole thing stalker enough for one night? I think she was joking anyway.
Leaving Eddie to his limo, Kristin and I went out to a hip martini bar called
Fusion and I got sloshed. The
rest of the weekend was just as awesome. My stepsis, mom and I went to the Rock
'n' Roll Hall of Fame on
Saturday. Cool stuff I didn't see the last time I was there, several years ago:
Freddie Mercury's outfit
from the concert at the Rainbow and a bunch of Bowie's outfits from the seventies
and eighties. Kristin and I
went bowling that night. We made it back in time for karaoke on Sunday night and...
I have food cooling as
I type so, this is where I'll stop. What's most important is that I got to spend
a great night seeing
my favorite person with some of my favorite people in life. We had a great time.
Thanks to Eddie it was
definitely an experience of the SEXIE kind.
Wiltern
Los Angeles CA
(thanks Jesse)
I saw Sexie in Los Angeles, and I swear to god that for certain
points during the show I could not breathe I was laughing so hard. In my opinion,
there is no one funnier on earth that this man, and he has gone from an almost
cult following to recognizable name. I've followed Eddie forever, and I'm almost
annoyed that 'my discovery' as been discovered by so many others. Anyhow, go buy
scalped tickets, since there are no shows that aren't sold out I've seen yet,
because Eddie RULES!
Pantages Theatre
Minneapolis MN
September 26/27, 2003
(thanks Lori)
I went to see Eddie on September 26 and 27 in Minneapolis and
he was magnificent!
He opened by pointing out that he had big tits, and he certainly did. I found
them a bit off-putting at first, but he got lots of comedy mileage from them and
by the end of Friday's performance I had gotten quite used to them.
As always, each performance had a basic skeleton of topics that remained consistent
from night to night--the dangers and uses of fake breasts on airplanes--firemen
and slidey poles--the decorative habits of Neanderthals--Eastern medicine vs.
Western medicine, etc. (Just say the word "sirens" to me now and I'll chuckle
every time.) And, as always, Eddie meandered off into various different side-topics
each night. On Friday night he did a brilliant imitation of a Neanderthal newsman
on CNN trying to figure out the "crawl" at the bottom of the screen. I'm sure
he did unique things on Saturday night too, but that whole evening is a bit of
a blur, and I'll tell you why.
He started Saturday's performance wearing a pair of light-colored satiny trousers
and a snug-fitting blouse. During the intermission he changed into the infamous
sparkly black skirt that's split from the hem all the way up to God's country.
I was like a deer in headlights for the rest of night. I will never forget the
moment he knelt down and showed an absolutely heart-stopping expanse of his inner
thigh, but I was apparently so mesmerized by his leg that I can't really recall
much of what he said. I've dubbed this phenomenon "gam-nesia." Beware of it.
On Friday night, prior to my attack of gam-nesia, I did stand in line for an
autograph. This process was handled in a very efficient and business-like manner.
A security guard posted at the stage door let in three or four people at a time.
We lined up inside and slowly worked our way toward Eddie, who was standing in
the middle of a long hall looking drop-dead gorgeous despite a long evening in
those dominatrix-like boots. When my turn came I said something vaguely coherent
about various awards Eddie has won and lost, got my program signed, got my picture
taken with Eddie, took my friend's picture with Eddie, then headed home kicking
myself for not thinking of anything clever to say. Ah well, maybe I'll have thought
of something by the time I see him in Washington.
Wiltern Theatre
Los Angeles CA
September 19, 2003
(thanks Sarah H.)
The Wiltern Theater is in a less-than-lovely area. (Surprising
amount of litter on the sidewalk and lots of street people wandering around.)
Wilshire Blvd. only gets hinky for a couple of blocks and, wouldn't you know it,
the theater was right in the middle of it. The theater itself is a preserved art
deco place with a massive neon marquee that proclaimed "Eddie Izzard Sexie. Sept.
15-20." (Pshaw, he's been sexy a lot longer than that.)
The layout and seating inside were a bit odd. The loge and the
balcony had normal theater seats. The Orchestra only had velvet-covered banquet
chairs lined up. (Very narrow banquet chairs. I was so crammed in, I looked like
a seal when I applauded.) I know the Rolling Stones have played the place, so
they must remove the chairs for general admission concerts. We were in the first
row which was in an area that would serve as an orchestra pit for musicals. Our
area consisted of five or six rows which were a good five steps below the rest
of the first floor. The bad news was we had to crane our necks to look up at Eddie.
The good news was that when he twirled around in his slit skirt we got added value
for our $60 ticket.
We got there nearly an hour before the show started (roughly,
8:20pm) and were "treated" to Tom Jones music on the P.A. the entire time. The
actual show starts with thunderous electronic music, swirling lights and wild
graphics - per usual. It really whips the audience into a delightful frenzy. Then,
in the midst of all this chaos, Eddie comes strolling out as calm as can be in
what looked like a blue-gray polyester blouse (slightly frayed around the bottom
and the usual size too small), black boots, a black skirt with silver sparkles
(and the aforementioned slit which rose to about three inches below his waist)
and a black bra just peeking out of the blouse. The breasts inside the bra (which
I suspect was actually a lycra teddy judging from the lack of bra lines in the
back) were very good fakes and well proportioned to his physique.
After careful reflection, however, I've decided the outfit didn't
work. Seeing Eddie in true drag wasn't the issue. It was the size of the slit,
the obviousness of the boobs, the precariousness of the fabric. The outfit would
have been inappropriate on any female standup - unless her intention was to distract
the audience from her material. Eddie does too much physical humor, too much miming,
too many character pieces to wear such a diverting, in-your-face ensemble. I shouldn't
have been worried about 'minding the gap' on the skirt - I should have been marveling
at the mime. I should have been carried away with the content of the humor - not
the content of the pantyhose. I think it required an extra effort on the audience's
part to lose themselves in his brilliantly conjured imagery. But, of course, we
found a way.
I doubt his shows will ever be in the Unrepeatable, Definite
Article, Dress to Kill mode again. He hasn't the luxury of performing his shows
month after month as he once did. So things are now less polished, less perfected,
less verbally buffed. But that isn't to say it isn't dazzling and uproarious.
His mind is just as inventive, just as agile, just as Concorde fast as it ever
was. It's the "Eddie Experience" - exhilarating, thought provoking, hilarious
and utterly charming.
And I'm not alone in those opinions. In the two nights we saw
the show, we spotted a few celebs in the audience. What an eclectic mix: Ken Howard
(The White Shadow and 1776's Thomas Jefferson), Paul Reiser, Richard Schiff (the
West Wing's Toby), Alyssa Milano (even prettier in person), brilliant character
actor David Rasche, Tim Conway, Mel Brooks, his wife Anne Bancroft, and Jim Carrey.
(Carrey was there with his teenage daughter. It looked like he had bought her
every souvenir in the place). It's no coincidence that some of the world's funniest
human beings love Eddie Izzard. These folks know funny. I just remembered reading
that Mel Brooks is working on a musical version of Young Frankenstein as a follow
up to the enormously popular Producers. Hmmmm
I wonder if he was scouting for
a suitable replacement for Gene Wilder? It would put a whole new twist on one
line: "Look at those knockers!"
Wiltern Theatre
Los Angeles CA
September 16, 2003
(thanks Tlbisme)
The LA show on September 16 was great...no surprise there. What
was a bit surprising was the audience. I had no idea that Eddie's appeal was so
broadly based. I saw Stewart Copeland and Rebecca DeMornay...Brekin Meyer and
the lead singer from "Men at Work". The real stunner, though, was the elegantly
dressed woman in front of me....Barbara Sinatra ! And who did she run into at
the intermission ?? How 'bout...Angie Dickinson !! They were chattin' up a storm
and seemed to enjoy the show...and what's not to like. The light show and music
pre-show sets a great mood and the closing song was Tom Jones doing some material
I didn't recognize, but boy it sounded great. As for Eddie, top form, looking
great in his shiny, slit to the crotch, full length skirt, fishnet stockings,
and oh yea, "breasts".
Wiltern Theatre
Los Angeles CA
September 16, 2003
(thanks Maria)
Last night I attended the first of the two performances I'll
be going to of Eddie's new show "Sexie" in L.A. Sold out theater, a great seat
(third row), only one complain - the merch booth was not set up for credit cards,
which is, IMHO, a big mistake. I'll make sure to bring cash with me Saturday,
as I'll be attending his last show as well.
The show is great - he came out wearing a skirt with a huge slit over the left
leg and very sexy stockings, and his first words were, "Yeah, the skirt thieves!
They come 'round, and take a triangle out of it..." There was no jam anywhere
in it, but Steve, Jeff and tigers were featured prominently. Even Pavlov showed
up!
Many, many jokes were made about his new breasts, and although sometimes the show
did not quite flow like
his previous ones, it was still 100% Eddie. I left the theater with my jaw and
my throat hurting from laughing so much.
In conclusion, if you can, get thee to a show in this tour, you won't regret it.
Besides, better to catch him now than to have to wait five years until he comes
around again...
Moore Theatre
Seattle WA
September 4, 2003
(thanks P. Lynn)
He had on pretty much the same outfit he had on in Portland I
guess, cool black spike heel boots too! Before he came out, there was an opening
of psychadelic images on the screen at the back of the stage, with loud, cool
music which REALLY got the crowd psyched channting "Eddie!". We felt like we were
at a concert, it was AMAZING! The stage was decorated in army camoflage, which
had differant lighting and effect thru the whole show, cool images on the screen
behind him. His hair was kind of spiked, didn't have a whole lot of jewelery on.
He was talking about how Seattle got it's name, and asked if it was after Captain
Seattle, and we all were yelling "Chief Seattle!" THEN..he walked closer to us,
and actually made eye contact with us and asked what we were saying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That made my night!!!! He's not a real tall guy, but trim and cute, looked good,
even wiith his bra and boobs!!! He did some great bits on being born in Yemen,
and a little on his growing up...of course going off on hilarious tangents within
each subject. Really funny bit on Medussa and how she must of managed her snake
hair!! A great bit on seeing eye dogs, and riding horses, some of his standup
in french, a bit on cavemen, and fireman sliding down poles, being TV and his
fight in Cambridge. Just hilarious typical Eddie man, I had tears in my eyes from
laughing! I wish I could go again tonight and tomorrow night! His encore was a
bit short, but it was so damn hot in that place...no central air!! He was really
sweating, as we all were, but he endured for all of us!!! The encore was an impersonation
of Christopher Walken, damn funny watching him do that!!
Newmark Theatre
Portland OR
September 2, 2003
(thanks Becky)
We got there 2 hours early because we were having dinner
two blocks away, and saw him walking down the street with an assistant. Just my
party of four, and Eddie with someone. My friend Pat said, "Hi Eddie! We're here
to see you!!" and he replied, "Hmm, Goood" in a voice that was deep and purr-like.
We felt like not invading his space so let him walk on, but in retrospect I wish
we'd gotten a picture, of course. A little eye contact, though... that was good.
He looked great, wearing a denim mini, black v-neck long sleeve shirt, heels, and
full on makeup.
The show opened the way others have described it on the cod site, but I must
mention that in the second half I noticed some of the images on the screen
behind him looked an awful lot like fake boobs! It was great.
At this show he was wearing a tight lite grey or white shirt, open to
see the black bra, and beautiful tight grey trousers that had pleating and
gathers along the legs, making them look scrunchy and very cool. My friend Charlie
said it looked like they zipped up the inseam from the ankle to the knee.
They were really, really, ridiculously nice pants. And the pointy high boots.
Nice makeup, dark red lipstick, dark nails, and some silver bracelets and gold
post earrings.
He did some funny stuff in the beginning about Portland, how it's a, uh,
port, but not on the ocean like other port towns like LA, SF, Seattle.
Talked a little with the audience about how Portland got it's name (coin toss). The
boob topic came up a lot in the show, and I particularly appreciated his initial
comment, which was that they just get in the way sometimes, like when you're holding
a mic. You can't really hold it here, or here, and this just looks stupid, so
you just kinda have to squish it in so you can hold the mic normally.
It went by quickly and I won't recount everything, but he did some hilarious bits
about firemen (why have the pole? why not just be on the first floor?) dentists,
growing up in Yemen, childhood in N. Ireland and Wales, working at a kiosk, superheros,
sirens, cro-magnon man... you know, a lotta stuff that shouldn't be related but
he always makes it come full circle.
My favorite part was a bit about speaking Arabic, and how one says "in-shah-allah"
(which I obviously have no idea how to spell), which we know to mean "god willing."
But the example he gave was, "Saying in-shah-allah is the equivalent of us saying
'Get outta the car, Steve, ferchrissakes!"
Oh, yeah. It was a great show. Lots of comments from the crowd, some of which
were fun, but they got a little annoying after a while, but of course Eddie
handled them with the greatest of ease. He did make fun of a whistler who whistled
at a most inappropriate time, which seemed to get him off track. It was all
in good fun, but I'd rather hear Eddie speak!
I could say a lot more, but if you're going to see the show you don't really
want it all spoiled, do you?
Lovely evening. Wish I had bought tickets for tonite. And... WHY? Did? I?
Not? Get? A? Picture? AAArgh!
Asb Theatre
Auckland, NZ
August 6, 2003
(thanks Maxine | Copied from the Guestbook)
I have just returned from seeing Eddie in his Sexie show in Auckland,
New Zealand, awesome in the true sense of the word. He looks absolutely beautiful,
slim, trim, those blue eyes. We were only 5 rows from the front. Auckland is sold
out 3 nights (originally only one was planned) and the audience loved him. He
talked about Greek history, scientists, cavemen discovering fire, working in a
kiosk aged 15 & eating the goodies, bits about local things, oh god I cant remember
it all because it was all so fast - but I'm going tomorrow night! He had flat
shoes on (comfy man!) black flares, a tight blouse opened to his B cup black bra,
and "wrote" on his hand a few times. So lucky to see him. I wont sleep for hours.
He talked about his diet now, his dad, riding horses, he talked about being TV
a few times. I know he doesnt approve of using the word "awesome" loosely, but
it truly does apply to Eddie Izzard. Please look after yourself Eddie, this is
a long tour and we are privileged & honoured to see you in New Zealand. God love
you, darlin'!!
Melbourne Concert Hall
Melbourne, Australia
July 16, 2003
(thanks AC) | From the Beehive
Eddie looked fucking sexy! Are we suprised yet? lol. He was wearing
a light grey shirt. Longish and quite fitted. He had fake boobies on. I don't
think they were the Uma ones. If they were he didn't mention it. He said that
he bought these breasts in a shop. He was wearing black trousers. Quite tight
and slightly flared at the bottom. Boot-cut I think you'd call it. He was wearing
high-heeled black boots with pointy toes. His hair was sandy-blonde and short,
fairly spiky. He had on lipstick, and bugger-it I can't remember what colour.
He had light coloured eye-shadow which went out in lines from the corners of his
eyes out to his hair line. The make-up looked quite subtle from where I was sitting,
but I think up close it may have been heavier. His body looked great. I think
that working-out he's been doing has really done him good. He looks slim but not
too skinny (and not overweight) He looked younger to me now than he did when he
was in Australia 3 years ago for the Circle tour - and I think that's because
of the weight he's lost. He looked very fresh faced and happy and healthy. Oh
and I noticed he had some jewelery on. A bracelet I think. And one more thing
- he told us that he thought his shirt was a bit strained over the boobies and
he said he would try to do something about that.
The stage itself was very simple. Just some army-type camouflage
netting draped on either side of the stage. And at the back was a large projection
screen which took up the entire back wall. Just before Eddie came onto the stage
there was loud and dramatic (and slightly dance-ish) music and lots of really
whizz-bang lights flashing all around in different directions and different colours
and swirling about and shining different patterns and stuff. Pretty impressive.
Also a smoke machine running at this time. Then on the screen at the back of the
stage was projected lots of fast moving patterns and shapes and colours. Reminded
me of a video- clip to a techno song. BF said it looked like the start to the
animatrix video. He also said it was the first time he'd been to a live show which
had a "Flash" intro (ha ha)
Then Eddie came out onto the stage. While he was doing his show,
there were images projected onto the screen behind him. It must have been a rear-projection
screen because you could never see Eddie's shadow on it or anything like that.
When he started the show, the image behind him was of the ocean. It was absolutely
gorgeous. It was the moon in the sky at the top of the screen and reflected across
a gently wavy sea. And the image was moving, so the waves were slowly and gently
going up and down. It was such a great image - as though Eddie was standing doing
his show in front of a lake or an ocean. This image gradually changed during the
course of his show. Next it seemed like it was at the bottom of the ocean looking
up at the surface. And there were reeds waving gently at the bottom. And at some
point it was like it shifted back up and we were seeing the sky. In the second
half of the show there were images which were like drips of water falling into
pools. Then it got more abstract and there were some more techno-like images.
One was all in reds and oranges and was almost like lava. Some were very geometric.
Really interesting. It looked great. The lights gradually changed throughout the
show too. They were mainly set to match the images behind him.
When he first came out on stage he was talking about the big intro
with all the flashing lights and the projections on the screen and the music and
all that. He was saying how it was really hard to follow an intro like that. He
said "All that stuff on the screen! I hadn't seen it until now! And I'm stading
out the back watching it going, fuck!" He made a few jokes about how he's always
had that intro ever since he started out in street theatre. He was also saying
that it's too hard to have such a huge opening and then walk out and just stand
there and say "ello" .
After this he started talking about Melbourne (which is the city
where I live - ie the city he was doing the show in) I won't go into too much
detail about this bit because probably none of it will make any sense to people
who don't live in melbourne anyway. I will mention a bit though. He was talking
about having seen a statue of Captain Cook here. Then he was talking about how
pigeons always poo on the heads of statues. He was saying that if you ever want
to have a statue of yourself you should be holding up your hand or something too
- so that half of the bird poo can go on the hand of your statue and only half
on your head. He said you should have a statue made of yourself wearing boxing
gloves (even if you never did any boxing in your life) because that would give
the birds a large area to poo on apart from your head. lol. Anyway, after this
he went more on to the proper show.
The majority of it was really about Eddie! It was mainly stories
from his life, things about being a kid, all that sort of stuff. I can't remember
it all but I'll try to list what I can remember. He kind of started from the beginning,
talking about being born in Yemen (and went off on a slight tangent about how
he wants to go and do a gig there in Arabic) and then being a small child in Ireland.
He talked about how he had an Irish accent when he was about five years old. Apparently
his mum was not impressed. Then he talked about moving to South Wales. At this
point he mentioned to us that South Wales is really not a nice place, it's all
industrial and yuck. And he said that New South Wales (which is the name of a
state in Australia) is a really stupid and ironic name.
Then he started talking about living in Bexhill on Sea. He talked
about how everyone there was so old (some of you might have heard some of this
stuff - I think he talks a bit about it on "club class") and he talked about how
he worked at the self-serve cafe (or whatever it was) and that one summer they
got him to work in the ice-cream kiosk which was right down the end of the pier
and he ended up eating all the ice-creams all the time. He reckons that's part
of the reason he has a weight problem.
Then he talked about how wearing fake boobs makes your stomach
look smaller and it looks like you've lost weight. So he was recommending that
lazy couch potato guys should get themselves some boobs to look thinner. He talked
about his dad giving him the "Little Chef" map when he was cycling to Wales and
how he stopped at every one and ate all the time. He also said that he thinks
the reason his body is the shape it is, is because in his ancestry he was a hunter-gatherer.
Then he said that no he thought really he was a hunter but not much of a gatherer.
Oh, when he came out for the encore he was talking about doing
impressions of people and how he's not very good at it. He did an impression of
Christopher Walken which was very funny.
Just on a general note. The first part of his show went for less
than an hour. I thought it started really well but then petered out a bit. Then
there was an interval for about 20 minutes and then he came back. I thought the
second part was much stronger. That went for about one to one and a half hours.
He had one encore. Oh and they were selling T-shirts after the show. There were
black ones with a white impression of Eddie on the motorbike (you know, from the
publicity shots for the tour) There were loose black t- shirts and those "skinny"
black t-shirts Then there were white ones. The loose white one had a coloured
pic of Eddie on the bike and the "skinny" white one just said "SEXIE" across the
front. The guy selling them said they had tour dates on the back. I didn't buy
one. I have no idea why.
Enmore Theatre
Sydney, Australia
July 29, 2003
(thanks F)
I t was a cold, cold night. We arrived at the theatre entrance,
it was already buzzing. Taxi after taxi brought more and more .......finally the
doors opened and you could hear, umm, is that Tom Jones? A counter selling a concertinared
postcard story of SEXIE, Dress to Kill video and three t.shirt designs (no sign
of the Mac lipstick). All were seated and at 8.15, the lights went down. Music!
Captivating visuals fill the room. At the back of the stage, a sequence of animations
draw us in. Catherine wheels spin in mid-air on either side of the stage. Light!
Light marches through the house front to back, back to front. Music! Only one
person could walk on during this - Eddie. Rapturous applause, whistling, clapping.
The room erupts as Eddie moves onto the stage.
Wearing stilletos, tight fitting black flared trousers, a black top with a
tight fitting white thin pinstripe(?) shirt , and his breasts, he was moving freely.
Silence. The room is stilled as the music ceases and the visuals settle. A
soft sun sits above an horizon. A gentle rolling, rippling sea in the foreground.
The shift takes your breath away. "Two pigs walk into a bar".
And then...................... he started as he always does, by talking about
our city, teasing us. We loved it! .........the journey begins..........let's
get to basics.........this breast wearing is not easy........try walking thru
passport control in America with 'born in Yemen, full make-up and breasts' "and
what is your occupation?" " I'm a comedian' .... "um, we have no catagory for
this , ok go thru......" Get 'jiggy' with the breasts they are here to stay.
"transvestites are like super hero's.........................."
Badgers,fish, pigs, dogs, kangaroos.
Medusa at the hair dressers rings for an appointment "ummm, we're fully
booked","I'll turn you into stone!", "How about 10.30?"........
,"Charlene, Medusa for a wash and dry........fancy a perm?"
There had to be day when fire was invented. 'What are you doing?','I'm rubbing
sticks together' ,'Come and eat your salad','No, I'm inventing something','And
what are you going to call it?', 'Ouch.'
And for the rest of the show he morphed stacks of favourites with new stuff.
He had a few chuckles to himself ...... proof this is a work in motion.
And a new immitation...Christopher Walken.........it was saved until the very
end, the encore, and I thought I would die with laughter.
Eddie is just the same, funny, lovable, honest, humble. He won the audience,
of course he did.
The atmosphere was "warmth" and then we disappeared into the cold, cold night.
(Outside, we were filmed by his crew who are collecting impressions from his
show for the next DVD/look out for that.)
These were taken from an Aussie Message Board (thanks Spoot!)
Name:Lisa
Eddie Izzard was gorgeous last night. And he had a pretty good gimmick...He
was wearing false boobs - and high heels,though these are rather expected by now.
No dress, just jeans and a nice girly shirt. He pointed out how the shirt gaped
and buttons strained where the boobs were and I wanted to say "Welcome to the
trials of being a well-endowed woman, boyo". A girl shouted "Show us your tits"
and he said "I could send them to you!" Someone shouted their address in the front
row and he said "I could send you one each!" I thought he handled the heckling
very gracefully. Avoiding insulting his audience and saying to the girl who was
shouting too much "You'd better shut up or the rest of the audience is going to
kill you" which was perceptive and sounded protective of her rather than attacking
her. Great show where he told his own life history along side mankind's history
in a very relaxed, mixed-up way. It was 'spot the comedian' in the audience and
I was extremely impressed to have better seats than John Clarke - he was 2 rows
behind me. (I was very excited to be in His Presence and heard his laugh)I also
noticed Dave Callan, Lawrence Leung, Penny Tangey, an old soapie star and a couple
of other young comics I cant put a name to, Also Wombat and I bumped into friends
I haven't seen for a while. In short, it was a great atmosphere and I had a fantastic
night!
Name:Critic
I thought he was scattered and not in a good, miraculously bring all together
in the end kind of scattered... just frustratingly scattered. Having paid the
princely sum of $65 to see Mr. Izzard I was dissappointed to see him going off
on tangents that, in laughter, were not worth the detour. On countless occassions
Izzard had to be reminded where he was... not necessarily a bad thing, but to
me it seemed he never got over that "just warming up phase". I was waiting for
him to make us (the audience) explode... it never happened. I dunno maybe it was
just tour opening nerves. I hope he gets better. He's sure as hell capable of
it.
Name:Lisa
I enjoyed the scattered nature of it, though stopping and trying to remember
what comes next, did rather spoil the flow. And was amazed that he looked at a
piece of paper once! It was just like being at Vibe! Didn't bother me, but it
may have upset others. I laughed a lot and had tears flowing quite a bit, so I
got what I paid for!
Name:casey the hedgehog
"It's Izz-ARRRRD you pillock! Get it right!!" - concert hall full of fans
SEXIE I was certainly surprised at the use of a piece of paper on stage. After
specifically pointing out on Rove that Melbourne was not strictly the first time
Sexie had been performed to then resort to an obvious reminder *shakes head* -
I did expect more professionalism.
The first half of the show had few laughs - a glimmer every now and then to
remind us how he managed to sell out at Wembly Arena later in the tour. It did
seem to meander too often with little pay-off for our patience. An audience member
behind me couldn't see what the fuss was about at all, commenting that Eddie has
sold so many tickets due to his 'gimmick'. in his opinion everybody was obviously
there to see this transvestite comedian who does some acting. Yes, I could have
slugged this cro-magnon (and wonder why he had bothered to come to Eddie's show
in the first place) but after the first half there was really no defence, no positive
proof of the comedic talent shown in previous years.
The second 'half' however, changed all that. Eddie was back in form, barely
a moment to stop for breath between the laughs. Meandering still but with better
pay-off, hurried links, dancing on the spot as he revs up memory, all familiar
and appreciated. And, although I do get a laugh out of the guises James Mason
& Sean Connery generally appear in during Eddie's shows, was very glad to see
that he discussed the act of impressing (?!?) instead and didn't rely on the impression
itself as a quick gag.
Interesting to see how he could take some of his previous material (such as
the Cambridge punch-up, his grandmother) and find a different path new jokes.
Ended with his trademark sudden finish - a shock of cold water in the warm
bath of jocularity.
Very disappointed at the encore - only because it was so short. We wanted MORE
MORE MOOOOOORRRRRREEEEEEE!! *contented sigh*
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