The Showgirl Must Go On

Bette Midler is wrapping up her final concert days after two years at Caesar's Palace. Yours truly was, at long last, able to see one of my all time favorite performers, live at the Colosseum in Las Vegas.


It became a trip of: "oh hell, let's just go." We had hoped to get more joiners but in the final count it was only my girl friend Suzy, from Velva, and Susan from Phoenix, who stepped up to the plate. Susan put her plans together about 48 hours before takeoff. Suzy and I did seal the deal seven days earlier. Do you realize how spontaneous that was for me?

We had wonderful seats, but not together. Suzy and I were part of the Caesar's package with rear orchestra. Susan went through Ticketmaster and had front orchestra. We did try to finagle an upgrade but no tickets were available. Through the package deal we had orchestra seating at upper mezzanine prices. It was very agreeable dollar wise. The view was perfect, but it looked like there really was no such thing as a bad seat.

Sitting from our premium seats we saw a show second to none. The Divine Miss M has an unbelievable stage presence. She can sing, dance, do hilarious comedy, (with humor directed at Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Tiger Woods, "I guess his wife did know he was playing 18 holes.") she can nail a punch line every time. The lady knows how to deliver.

The Staggering Harlettes, twenty Caesar Salad showgirls and her fabulous band all came together on a massive stage with lights, smoke, backdrops - there was a need for nothing.






She sang songs from her vast musical life: The Rose, Do You Want to Dance? Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, When a Man Loves a Woman, Wind Beneath My Wings, to name only a few. The show wouldn't have been complete without Delores Delago, the old showgirl mermaid and her fleet of wheelchairs. Bette, at 64, can move like a teenager; her lithesome figure is testimony - age is really only a number.



This following song I had never heard and was glad I bought the program (on sale for $10.00, reduced from $30.00 a great selling point for me) It was in the book that I could read the words to the song. Double click on the picture and you can read them. It is rather a poignant song for an old retired activity director, who knew the old and isn't exactly light years away from the scene herself!





What a show!

As with all bigtime performances - no cameras. I had to rob these from the sale bulletin so I could share with you. I hope I don't go to some evil place like National Enquirer hell or such.