National Post (Canada)
11 November 2003

Why did Lucy Lawless, a.k.a. Xena the Warrior Princess, grab me by the cheeks and tell me to "shut up" this week? ...

OK, Lucy Lawless: The Princess Warrior, in town shooting the WB series Tarzan, was one of the surprise guests at the rockin' Gilda's Club variety show at the Princess of Wales last Monday. It also starred Eric McCormack, Andrea Martin, Colin Mochrie and a Noah's Ark of other entertainers. Trouble is that Lawless got there really late and missed rehearsals. Trouble also is that when she arrived onstage, looking considerably less biceped and more soccer-mommed than she did as Xena, she started to sing a cover from the Barenaked Ladies but almost immediately forgot the words. Again and again. She stuck it out until the end, but eventually howled into the microphone, "The worst thing is I have my cellphone on, so the Barenaked Ladies could hear me. I'm so embarrassed!" Later on, at the reception, I confronted the screwy singer. "So, did you get any feedback from the Barenaked Ladies?" I asked, sorta-snarky. "Shut up!" she said. Then, grabbing both my cheeks, she shouted, "Shut up, you little man!" Under the circumstances, I have to tell you, it was the friendliest brush-off I've ever gotten.

Lawless joined McCormack and others for a very late-night rendezvous at Lobby on Bloor Street later on. Last seen, Xena was dancing up a storm with a bunch of drag queens who'd performed a scene from Hair Spray at the Gilda's Club revue.