August 7, 2008
Bette Midler Is “The People’s Diva” In The Showgirl Must Go On
by Mara M. Mannella
“I am, after all, the People’s Diva!” Yes she is, and it shows in The Showgirl Must Go On taking place at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace. Bette Midler takes the audience on a wild ride through her career, all beginning with her rocky arrival via tornado to the showroom. For 90 minutes the Divine Miss M captivates the audience with a stage presence that is the perfect mix of Vegas glitz and genuine emotion.
Set in a plush and spacious venue, there is plenty to admire before the show even begins. The stage is set for Bette with a large video image of a billboard featuring the star erected in what looks like a rural Las Vegas desert scene. Comfortable rows of seats consistently fill the theater with fans, which is also home to Elton John and Cher. Don’t miss the opportunity to capture the memory of your evening on film, provided by feather boa toting photographers that circle the theater pre-show. The lobby lights flash and people move to their seats. The diva is in the building and the show is about to begin.
After a windy entrance on to the stage, Bette Midler welcomes her fans from all walks of life in her signature saucy manner. The show is non-stop entertainment not just from the diva herself but the gorgeous ladies who accompany her on stage. The Caesar Salad Girls, which drive home the fact you are bearing witness to a true Vegas production, are a talented group of dancers. Showcasing their skills from a full-blown kickline to graceful ballerinas, these ladies are also mean with a motorized wheelchair as you’ll see!
Gone are the days of strictly glitter and feather headdresses, these showgirls offer all that and more. The stage is also shared by The Staggering Harlots, Divine Miss M’s trio of bad girls, which she informs the audience she found all in the same lineup! Entertaining the audience with their antics throughout the show they add a spice to the already spicy program Bette Midler provides. A talented orchestra seated on stage guides the show flawlessly as it transitions from big band to symphonic and back again. The production gains depth with the inspiring and heartfelt vocal performance the timeless star delivers. As the blockbuster hits are performed the songs seem to gain new perspective and meaning to the audience whether it’s your first time seeing Bette Midler or your 100th.
The Las Vegas strip seems to have struck gold by adding a performer like Bette Midler to their catalog. The show, while not appropriate for a young audience due to some colorful language, has a nicely balanced array of humor and raw talent. The high energy show can be seen 5 nights a week at The Colosseum with dates scheduled until 2010. According to the singer Caesars Palace gave her “an adjustable mortgage”. Bette Midler is an icon and her show in Las Vegas is a perfect fit.
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He evaluates the audience as he goes, and adjusts to the audience. If you go and see shows on back-to-back nights you are likely to see 75% different material than you did the night before. What will you see when you go see George Wallace at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino? You will see a very funny show. You know that Wallace is going to talk about “I be thinking,” how he has been observing people and situations, and he will offer some common sense, but really funny suggestions and solutions.

The mood slows a little for Clintis original song, “1944″ about how his parents met. “Mom taught me how to sing correctly, Dad taught me how to enjoy it,” he proudly states. A personal trip into his upbringing is centered around his parents’ inter-racial relationship and a tribute to this controversial issue during such a time takes form in a piece from Broadway’s “Golden Boy,” sang by Clint and the lovely Natalie Caprano.
“I’m the king of Tra La La’s and Doo Wop’s,” Sedaka humbly confessed. It looks as though even after 4 decades of recording, Neil Sedaka is still able to make a rose-tossing full house at The Orleans cry and sing along to “Breaking up is Hard to do.” The truth is, no matter which age or demographic one belongs to; the heavy weight Pop pioneer will belt out some velvet anthem of which everyone knows the words.
He’s the ultimate showman. He’s the entertainers’ entertainer and he’s at Harrah’s on the fabulous Las Vegas Strip. Cook E. Jarr, King of America’s Lounges is performing at upstairs at Harrah’s every Friday and Saturday at Midnight. Get those dancing shoes on and get ready to party the night away with Cook E. Jarr!