| BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | flaguy 10:25 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Not sure if this is off-topic or not, but I think concerts by Bernadette Peters, etc., are sometimes discussed here, so ... SEMINOLE PARADISE HARD ROCK CASINO, HOLLYWOOD, FL -- I'm happy to report that Saturday night the second performance (having debuted Friday night) of Bette Midler's 'Divine Intervention' tour was sensational! Forget about her Vegas show. She was trapped in the middle of an overproduced nightmare, and it seemed to me she wasn't happy to be there. But last night she was back on tour again, doing HER kinda show, with a rapport between she and the audience that was/is unique in today's world of entertainment. And it was amazing to watch a real old pro like her work that huge (5,500-seat) auditorium. Suddenly this 69-year-old chick became 30 again, right before my eyes. And so did I! She was soft again, and all smiles again, and genuinely happy to be there. And she was YOUNG again, and filled with joy. And her joy spread over the room like Chanel #5. She's in great shape and she looks terrific. And her voice is also in fine shape. The show is both intimate and big. She's got a wonderful twelve-piece orchestra behind her, with plenty of trumpets, trombones and saxophones blazing away throughout the performance. She's also got a new set of Harlettes that are terrific in the singing-dancing-looks departments. And the whole show is framed with a series of various handsome projections that are suited to each song performed. Still, let's face it. The whole thing rests on her small shoulders, no matter how attractive the production is, no matter how good the Harlettes are, no matter how great the band is. And she delivered last night, in spades. Maybe two-thirds of the way through this two-hour intermissionless VERY FUNNY show she came out in a red sequin gown looking stunning, and she really got down to business, alone on that stage, singing 'The Rose,' 'From a Distance,' and - to end the show - a SPECTACULAR 'Stay With Me' which I had no idea she could still sing like that. It brought the house down. She came back for a couple of encores: 'The Wind Beneath My Wings' and, leaving the audience on a great high, 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.' Then she came back out for several more bows and, just when everyone seemed to sense it was over and the crowd's noise began to subside, OUT she came once more, for one more solo bow and to thank us all again for coming and to tell us all to drive home safely, etc. She did not want that performance to end. She had trouble letting us go. And it seemed to be a mutual feeling with the audience. It was so evident that she was so thrilled to be BACK, doing her thing again. And she seemed so pleased and proud of herself, that she could still get over 5,000 people to stand up and scream for her. I was so happy she was so happy, it made me cry. This is the first stop on a two-month tour, which I think ends in late June at Madison Square Garden. If she's coming to a town near you, GET TICKETS NOW! They're expensive. But she's definitely worth it. | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | tandelor 01:51 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - flaguy 10:25 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Going to see her tomorrow night in Tampa. You have me stoked all over again. Saw her first tour in 1973 and haven't missed one yet. How many 69 year olds can still pull off an area tour?! P.S. Just got The Rose on BluRay to review. Her interview alone on the extras is worth the price. Get it. Much better than the botched DVD release. | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | fidelio1010 01:10 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - flaguy 10:25 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Her last night in New York is in Brooklyn at the Barclay Center. I have my tickets and I'm counting the days! Does she have a warm up act or is it just two wonderful hours of her? I can't wait! | |
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| NO opening act in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | flaguy 05:28 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - fidelio1010 01:10 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Just Bette for a couple of hours. :) | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER -- the songs ... ... | |
| Posted by: | flaguy 12:32 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - flaguy 10:25 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Set List: ‘Divine Intervention’ ‘I Look Good’ ‘I’ve Still Got My Health’ (From ‘Beaches’) ‘Tenderly’ (Rosemary Clooney cover) ‘If It Belongs to You’ ‘Be My Baby’ (The Ronettes cover) ‘Tell Him’ (The Exciters cover) ‘He’s Sure the Boy I Love’ (The Crystals cover) ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ (The Crystals cover) ‘Bei Mir Bist Du Schön’ (Andrews Sisters cover) ‘Waterfalls’ (TLC cover) ‘Teach Me Tonight’ (The DeCastro Sisters cover) ‘Everybody Knows’ (Leonard Cohen cover) ‘I Think It’s Going to Rain Today’ (From ‘Beaches’) ‘I Put a Spell on You’ (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins cover, from ‘Hocus Pocus’) ‘Optimistic Voices’ (From ‘The Wizard of Oz’) ‘Bird in the Hand’ (included ‘A Visit from Soph’ Sophie Tucker jokes routine and ‘RIP Deloris DeLago: 1980-2014’ video interlude) ‘Beast of Burden’ (Rolling Stones cover) ‘Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most’ (June Christy cover) ‘Miss Otis Regrets’ (Cole Porter) ‘The Rose’ (From ‘The Rose’) ‘From a Distance’ ‘Stay With Me’ (From ‘The Rose’) ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ (From ‘Beaches’) ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ (Andrews Sisters cover) | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER -- the songs -- and NOTABLY MISSING IN ACTION, by the way! ... | |
| Posted by: | flaguy 05:31 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: BETTE MIDLER -- the songs ... ... - flaguy 12:32 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Her old theme song 'Friends' was not to be heard at opening or closing last night. :( | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER -- the songs ... ... | |
| Posted by: | BwyDan 01:05 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: BETTE MIDLER -- the songs ... ... - flaguy 12:32 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Beast of Burden!!! Now, if she only also included All I Need to Know.. | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | MarjorieMae 11:59 am EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - flaguy 10:25 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Glad to hear this. If my finances were in better shape I would have considered getting tickets but at least I have wonderful memories of Bette at the Palace, Clams on the Half-shell, Copenhagen, Radio City, Forest Hills, and Izod Center. I was able to catch her tv special from the UK which she did last Christmas and she looked and sounded fabulous on that, doing numbers from her new album. I also had 2 personal encounters. When she was autographing The Divine Miss M album at Alexanders and years later, walking down W. 55th Street, when I peeked into the restaurant Michael's, thinking, "What power lunch is going on in there now?" And there she was sitting at the front round table. I wanted to scream out and tell everyone but I knew better to respect her privacy and just kept walking with one of the biggest smiles my face has ever produced. So, my grapes are a little sour since I won't be able to see her again but at least there were extraordinary past performances. Go girl! | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | flaguy 12:14 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - MarjorieMae 11:59 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| In our youth (Bette's and mine), I worked for 'AFTER DARK Magazine,' so I saw her many times early in her career, including her performances at: the Continental Baths (her final performance there); solo at Carnegie Hall; in concert at Central Park; on New Year's Eve at Lincoln Center; in Paramus, New Jersey (at the Bergen Mall, where her opening act was the Ace Trucking Company); in Pasaic, New Jersey (at the Capitol Theatre); in Chicago (at the Blackstone Theatre? - who remembers?); down in the Village at The Bitter End (with Melissa Manchester, an original Harlette, still doing backup for her); and on Broadway -- at the Palace Theatre (where her opening act was her young accompanist, Barry Manilow - and I still have my "I SAW BETTE AT THE PALACE!" button!), at the Minskoff Theatre ('Clams on the Half-Shell Revue'), at the Majestic Theatre ('Divine Madness!'); as well as her recent gig in Las Vegas ('The Showgirl Must Go On') and then back in New York on Broadway in the one-woman play 'I'll Eat You Last' (twice.) And I, too, got her album autographed at Alexander's! Or was it Korvette's? ;) Anyway, this performance last night was truly special. Glad we both have other memories of her, as well. | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | MarjorieMae 04:25 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - flaguy 12:14 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| It was definitely Alexander's. And I still have my Bette at the Palace badge too. My friend just showed me his too. I guess a lot of people have them, so there goes my hopes of making a killing on auctioning it! I also still have my "Torch Song Trilogy" badge as well as a couple for "Little Shop of Horrors" | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | AlexanderKat 01:59 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - flaguy 12:14 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Back in the very early seventies I had a friend who was a DJ in San Francisco who had been given freebies to see a new singer and invited me to go along. She was playing in the Berkeley High School auditorium and I wasn't really expecting much. The show opened with a young man playing the piano and singing named Barry Manilow who later introduced and accompanied the featured performer "The Divine Miss M". Needles to say I was overwhelmed by this incredible one of a kind performer whose smile alone lit up the theatre. I remember at one point she asked Barry to play a bit of "that thing" she loved from GYPSY and briefly broke into "Rose's Turn". I sure wish she'd consider doing a limited run in a musical some day soon. | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | Thom915 (thom915@aol.com) 11:14 am EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - flaguy 10:25 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| So glad to hear she is in good form. After her most recent album, I sensed a return to form. I have tickets to see her at Madison Square Garden the Thursday of Gay Pride Week. THAT should be some show. (I hope there is sufficient cause for her to sing Chapel of Love.) Her tour actually ends the following Monday at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn. There are still some seats for that including some on Gold star. I may go a second time to see her. I hope this energizes her so she sees again what it is like musically before a live audience and interests her in returning to Broadway in a musical. If a commercial enterprise is too much, I am sue Roundabout would be glad to mount a show for her. | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | fidelio1010 01:13 pm EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - Thom915 11:14 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| I bought my tickets through Goldstar. I've never used the service before. Will I be behind a pole? lol | |
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| re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... | |
| Posted by: | BwyDan 11:52 am EDT 05/10/15 |
| In reply to: | re: BETTE MIDLER, last night in Florida! ... - Thom915 11:14 am EDT 05/10/15 |
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| Flaguy, thanks so much for this wonderful, loving, detailed account. I've seen Bette several times since the early 80s and she's always been extraordinary; my favorite may've been Experience the Divine, at Radio City MH when she returned to concerts. I don't have tkts for this one, dammit, but am thrilled to hear that her 70th birthday year will be celebrated in style! And I love the new album. | |
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