"No applause is needed in this show," comedian Eddie Izzard reprimanded the audience. "You can save that for the starving children..." After realizing what he just said, Izzard added, "That line is either really sick or really ridiculous."
Izzard, a full-fledged transvestite, performed his brand of stream-of-consciousness comedy to a sold-out Warner Theatre this Monday and Tuesday night.
Dressed in black nylons, tall black, high-heeled boots, a red corset top and a mini-skirt for the first half of the show, Izzard teased the very welcoming audience with a revised version of Greek history, among other things. It may sound weird. In fact, it was a bit weird, but somehow Izzard managed to turn every major historical Greek figure into something hilarious.
Since Izzard dresses in drag, one would expect him to spend the majority of the routine discussing the finer points of being a transvestite, but Izzard barely mentioned his gender-bending style. And after watching him march around the stage with better balance than most women could muster in such high heels, viewers forget any perceived difference.
Izzard's show, "Sexie," lasted for a good two and a half hours, including a 20-minute intermission. After intermission, he returned to the stage wearing the same boots and nylons, but in a tiny black dress and elbow-length black gloves instead of the skirt and top. And he looked hot. In fact, he looked hotter than probably any woman would look in the same dress.
Serious topics were also brushed upon throughout the night, including race, religion and the American lifestyle. Izzard, being British, gently mocked many things about America.
"I know maps of America here ... they have America, and then they have this large white area called the forbidden zone," Izzard joked.
He also touched on ideas of race and jokingly announced that racism is no longer trendy.
"The thing about racist people is that they are not as polite as smokers," Izzard explained. "Smokers say things like 'Do you mind if I smoke?' But racist people don't say 'Do you mind if I say something racist?'"
Izzard's stand-up comedy, which one assumes is basically made up on the spot, is brilliant and an experience sure to bring a large dose of laughter. Be sure to check him out the next time he comes through D.C. - hopefully he will be allowed to return.
"On my first day in Washington I forgot to apologize for burning down the White House," Izzard sheepishly told the audience at the beginning of the night. "The first one wasn't that nice, was it? A bit of a lean-to ... a hovel of sorts"
