The gams? Still shapely. The hair? Mauve-tastic, as always. And the voice? Well … um … Did I mention her great legs?

At an age when ladies of her class keep themselves busy by ordering around the help, Dame Edna Everage is entertaining the world. As an appreciative San Diego Civic Theatre audience learned on Tuesday night, she hasn't lost a bit of her bark, her bite or her bouffant.

Of course, things haven't been easy for Dame Edna lately, as an "E! True Hollywood Story"-style video revealed at the beginning of the show. The Australian septuagenarian might be involved in international terrorism (was that her in a Pakistani cave?) and her husband's death from complications of a noisy prostate was rather suspicious.

Then there's the unfortunate matter of her crotch-baring antics in front of paparazzi, which were possibly the cause of several cases of legal blindness.

But somehow, she managed to make it to San Diego on the 10th anniversary of her first show in the United States and perform before the unfortunates who unwittingly sat in the front rows (more on that in a moment) and the even worse off ("Hello, paupers!") up in the balconies.

And why not come to the United States? Michelle Obama, after all, is always calling Dame Edna for advice about the leftover barbecue ribs strewn around the White House. She enjoys hearing from American audience members, who lives in a stucco house in Pacific Beach and surprised Edna with the color. ("Beige. I'd forgotten about beige.") And what better place to be than "in San Diego on a Tuesday in the middle of a recession"?

This is not a show for those who are politically sensitive. Dame Edna can be a bit gauche at times, as shown by her comments about her adopted child (from the African country of Chlamydia) and the town of Rancho Santa Fe ("That sounds Mexican! Which side of the border is that on?").

And she doesn't stand for ceremony. When the crowd clapped for an audience member who was a teacher, Dame Edna promptly told people to stifle: "That doesn't warrant a round of applause. Come on!"

What she does do is talk, sing, talk and then actually put on an in-theater talk show with, as she puts it, ordinary people whose chances of actually becoming celebrities are nil. It's all hilarious.

Those who have seen Dame Edna before might recognize a few bits, such as her scolding of a latecomer. And someone needs to give audience members a microphone so she can better hear the answers to her questions.

Still, Dame Edna (the stage creation of Australian actor Barry Humphries) shows no signs of aging. She has an improv comic's quick timing and sharp wit, and the jokes at the expense of others (audience members, Madonna, George W. Bush) never sting more than a second. She's also a master at finding humor in those never-celebs.

Judging by her advance press build-up, Dame Edna doesn't seem quite sure whether she's a superstar, megastar or a gigastar. But one thing is clear: she's still in a galaxy all her own.

"Dame Edna's First Last Tour"

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, Third Avenue at B Street, San Diego

Tickets: $18-$71

Info: 619-570-1100

Web: broadwaysd.com