Dame Edna, uber-megastar, told a packed house in Washington's National Theatre that she had been eagerly looking forward to performing in "the intellectual capital of the United States" -- but, unfortunately, there wasn't a venue available in Baltimore.
That was just one of the early, hearty laugh-inducing salvos in "Glorious Goodbye: The Farewell Tour," a typically selfless, kind and caring gift from this grandest of Dames to her adoring fans, otherwise known as "possums" or, if they can only afford the cheap seats in the balcony, "paupers."
She has been at this game since 1955, back when she was just Mrs. Edna Everage, an average Australian housewife living in Melbourne. There was no mistaking the talent even then, the star quality, the aura that would soon help her conquer the civilized world and eventually earn a dame-hood. (No official record of the investiture seems to have survived, but how could Queen Elizabeth have ever resisted bestowing the honor?)
For decades now, this uniquely endowed entertainer has been holding court on major stages everywhere, including Broadway, where "Dame Edna: The Royal Tour" earned a Special Tony Award in 2000 and the followup a few years later, "Back with a Vengeance," got a Tony nomination.
Like any true diva, Dame Edna knows when it's time to give a farewell tour -- and keep on giving. I caught one of the earliest manifestations in 2009 in Fort Lauderdale, a show that was, on balance, a little fresher and snappier than the one experienced Tuesday night in the nation's capital.
But no matter. There is still plenty of great material here. Even if you know the lines, the jabs and the set-ups for the inevitable, often wickedly funny audience interaction segments, it's worth enjoying all over again.
For me, the best part of "Glorious Goodbye" is the real, not-to-be-missed goodbye that -- spoiler alert -- comes after Dame Edna leaves the stage and there's a disarming appearance by Barry Humphries.
He's the man who created Edna and has become so closely identified with her that it is easy, if not compulsory, to think of the dame as a real, live woman -- one with naturally mauve hair, eyewear so substantial as to justify her designation "face furniture," and gowns that could light small cities with their sparkle.
At the 2009 farewell show, Humphries only took a silent bow (a clever film was used as cover for him to change from gown to suit). On opening night in Washington, the now 81-year-old actor and writer stayed to deliver a curtain speech that Oscar Wilde would have admired, if not envied, for its wit and charm.
"Glorious Goodbye," directed by Simon Phillips and designed with economical pizazz by Brian Thomson, recycles lots of material from Dame Edna's earlier productions.
A long, barely amusing segment about a pit bull-raising daughter, for example, should have been jettisoned a long time ago. And some of the "Eat, Pray, Laugh!"/Dame Edna meets Bollywood things in Act 2 don't fulfill their all their rpotential.
Speaking of Act 2, that's when these shows typically feature unsuspecting audience members dragged onstage to carry out business with the Dame. The current shtick, involving an arranged marriage, is OK, but not quite up to some past versions (on Tuesday, the two victims certainly played along with everything very well, including a live phone call home to Omaha for one of them).
On the other hand, there's the never-fails routine that starts when the Dame's penetrating, petrifying gaze picks out helpless women in the audience and grills them on such personal details as the decor of their bedrooms (shy or thin-skinned types should never book seats in the first seven rows).
It seems impossible, but Dame Edna can make that stuff hilarious time after time. Then again, as she has been known to boast, she was born with an ability to find humor in the misfortunes of others.
She also has an innate knack for capitalizing on any curve thrown her way, such as the "retired poet" singled out on Tuesday, and the (presumably unintentional) plethora of women whose names turned out to include the root "Paul."
Dame Edna may have occasional lapses or hesitations in her delivery, and may move a little slower these days, but she still commands the stage as only genuine entertainment royalty can. She even gamely goes through a few steps with four animated dancers who pop up periodically (choreographed by Eve Prideaux).
And if her singing voice has a bit more gravel in it, the Dame's delivery is as delectably dauntless as ever in the show's occasional songs backed by the stylish musical director Jonathan Tessero on the piano.
There is still nothing like the comic electricity Dame Edna can generate, and this production offers an abundance, right through to the traditional gladioli-filled finale. Some great video clips from the Dame's enviable career add to the revelry, and the bittersweet sense of nostalgia that hovers in the air.
For those of us long-smitten with this gorgeous creature, it's not easy to believe this could really be goodbye. I, for one, look forward to many more years of glorious farewell performances -- including at least one in the intellectual capital of the United States.