A celebrity impersonator who last performed in Red Deer wearing dollar-store wigs and a Christmas garland, is returning to do her show right.
“I want my Red Deer fans to see how the show’s supposed to be,” said Bonnie Kilroe, whose Vegas Meets Vaudeville show is at the local Legion at 2810 Bremner Ave. on Thursday, Oct. 29.
The B.C. resident recalled having a “nightmare experience” when all of her luggage got left behind in Vancouver last summer, due to broken airport conveyor belts, just before she was slated to perform here on June 25.
The singer, who does impressions of Marilyn Monroe, Cher, Liza Minnelli, Patsy Cline, Amy Winehouse, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Tina Turner and Dolly Parton, among others, decided to go on stage anyway, after desperately asking show organizers to help her out by getting a list of items from a dollar store.
The items included various wigs, two large balloons for her Dolly Parton act, a feather boa, and two birthday party hats to simulate Madonna’s infamous cone brassiere.
“It was hilarious — I ended up with a silver Christmas garland instead of a feather boa and only one party hat. I had one cone boob that I had to hold in front of me,” when she sang as Madonna, said Kilroe.
To her surprise, the show went over better than usual. “It was the absolute best show I ever had.”
Kilroe said she will remain forever grateful for the Red Deer audience’s patience and appreciation. The experience proved that she doesn’t need to rely on props for her celebrity impressions. “It was a great lesson that the show was not about wigs and costumes — I am my own show.”
Kilroe still wants to give Red Deer fans the chance to see her show as it’s supposed to be performed. “Anyone who came to see the show last time will hopefully like it better this way — or maybe they’ll like it better the other way, who knows?”
Tickets for her 8 p.m. show are $15 ($10 for Legion members) from the Red Deer Legion.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com