WILTON MANORS, FL – Celebrity impersonator, Michael Walters, better known down here as “Florida’s Own Dame Edna,” went to New York earlier this week to participate in a workshop and audition for a possible musical version of Jackie Gleason’s mid-‘50s television show, “The Honeymooners.” Walters regularly does a Monday night gig with two performances at Alibi as Dame Edna.
Walters, however, had been doing impersonations of Jackie Gleason long before adopting the character of Dame Edna. Walter’s Gleason character has the full approval and is licensed by Gleason’s estate and has received the blessing of June Taylor, choreographer of Gleason’s various television series and his sister-in-law. Walters has also performed as Jackie Gleason in the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach. The rights to “The Honeymooners” itself is property of CBS.

Gleason, himself, had a history in South Florida. In the ‘60s, he moved his comedy/variety show from New York and it was produced in Miami in front of a live audience. Gleason was also an avid golfer and moved to Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill. There he hosted the old National Airlines’ Open golf tournament renaming it the Jackie Gleason/Inverrary Golf Classic, now known as the Honda Golf Classic.

Having no New York-based agent, Walters had to pull many strings and make many phone calls to be considered for “The Honeymooners” project. The producers are still working on getting investors and a viable script.

“This [impersonating Gleason] is something I put my heart and soul into it for a long time and I hope it pays off,” said Walters. “But that’s the nature of the business. When the opportunity comes, you have to jump on it. But there’s no guarantee.”

“They kept me for 40 minutes to read for both Ralph and Gleason,” said Walters. “I got big laughs. Then they had me sing again after which director Jerry Mitchell thanked me for a simply superb audition. Even if I don’t get this reading, they now know who I am!”
But, as Gleason himself would say, “How sweet it is!”