Puerto Vallarta

Edie – Las Vegas Showgirl Unleashed

November 12, 2021

She appeared here before the pandemic and now graces the stage with her wild, at times off-color humor, singing and flashing those gorgeous legs. Deep pleasure arose from her being as she chatted with the audience about being away from listeners for over a year due to the pandemic. She had never been out of work until the cast of Zumanity learned that their show was not going to reopen. It was a harsh revelation that her long-running show was over. Edie Entertainer (she prefers simply Edie) is Drag artist EDIE, and was the emcee of Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity for 12 1/2 years.

Opening the evening was a chat with the Canadian Comedy Distillery: Diana, Michael and Jacob, an Improv comedy group featuring interactive “back and forth” with the audience such that no show is ever the same. The fabulous Gouda Gabor joins the troupe bringing her fun and laughter to the skits. They will perform here the month of November.

Tonight, Edie is in total solo control of the stage from start to finish and quite ‘unleashed’. She welcomed everyone appropriately with “Viva Las Vegas” reminiscing when Elvis pounded the rooms there many times. But now Edie is back to our town bringing her brand of humor and flashy showmanship. She related stories of her path to “Stardom – I finally made it!” Dancing throughout high school in Portland, Oregon, joining a ballet company she learned her craft. But she had a dream, to be a chorus girl at Radio City Music Hall and Broadway.

Edie

Her plane flew east but it was not nonstop, she laughed. First, there was Chicago where she gained experience and professional creativity. Finally, in the huge beaming metropolis of New York, she landed a role in a 2006 “Threepenny Opera” revival starring Alan Cumming, Cyndi Lauper and Nellie McKay at Studio 54. Edie gave everyone a splendid “Mack the Knife”, which has become a jazz standard. Her body motions of arms and legs showed her star quality and self-assuredness and her voice was clear and solid.

From the author: Marc López – Jersey Boys

She promised the crowd a “Good Time” tonight displaying her “legs for days”. She called upon the great Shirley Bassey with “History Repeating”: “I’ve seen it before and I’ll see it again. Just little bits of history repeating.” She asked if it is coming or going, in or out. Edie is a rule-breaker providing stunning entertainment but fulfilling what is inside begging to be revealed. Dream upon dream.

A strong clever highlight was “Come Rain or Come Shine” as she twirkled herself under the “rain” wearing a colored floral dress with an umbrella which she used as a prop with stylish fashion. Roars were heard throughout the room, growing louder after each song or conversation. She established connections with the attendees, mixing laughter with serious thinking.

edie

She reminisced about her days out West and sang “O R E G O N” with the video showing the state’s emblem 1859. In contrast to some people who moved to the area, the rain did not bring her down since she saw it as life-giving, bringing green freshness to the land. The Broadway play ended its run and she had nothing happening which was unheard of in her career.

Out of the blue, the casting department of Cirque du Soleil called and asked her to come to Las Vegas and be one of the eight finalists for a show. She had not even auditioned but hopped a plane sensing that this was a sign of her new journey forward in destiny. She won the role and became the star/MC of “Zumanity”. The rest is history.

During break time, also known as dress change, two video screens provided behind-the-scenes preparations of her Zumanity family, from dressing to makeup, all the way to her entering the Las Vegas stage and announcing the start. That is our lady AKA Christopher Kenney. Edie talked of the Zoom call with all the Zumanity cast informing that due to the pandemic shutdown via Zoom that their show was not going to reopen, even for a curtain call or finale.

This was a harsh revelation that her long-running show was over. Edie thought, what now, and designed a new show with her chosen drag ladies “Faaabulous” which opened to great crowds. Dreams end, she said, so the time comes to create new dreams.

She is a “Polished Professional” to her followers and newly found fans. Her kicks emphasized those strikingly gorgeous legs. Sadly, her dear beloved assistant Jamie Morris was unable to make the trip down here this time. The sultry Peggy Lee provided “I’m a Woman”, W-O-M-A-N. Edie strutted back and forth singing the clever lyrics. She expressed happiness that her Family, in the largest sense of the word, was loving, accepting and living.

Edie’s message tonight to her appreciative fans was that once your dream has been realized, create a new dream and strive onward. In closing out, “What’s next? I can’t wait to find out!” One more number before departing. “Bye Bye Blackbird”: “Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me. Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low.”

edie