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Main >> Previous Updates >> October 2004 >> October 15, 2004 >> Article ID 6776
 She's Bette-r than ever | Type: Internet Article |
| | She's Bette-r than ever | Oct 15, 2004 | by David Sprague
Summary:
An article about Bette Midler. Christina mentioned.
Although she repeated a fair bit of shtick - notably petulant snipes at Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera - Midler's punchlines were by and large on target, connecting on such topics as Billy Joel's driving skills and Dubya's debate wardrobe malfunctions.
Read on for the whole article. |
Summer may be over, but there's still plenty of time for camp.
That message was delivered loud and clear last night as Bette Midler blew through Radio City Music Hall accompanied by a coterie of dancing mermaids, zoot-suited horn players and enough cleavage jokes to stoke a year's worth of Dean Martin roasts.
Swinging through the metropolitan area for the second time on her oft-extended "Kiss My Brass" tour, Midler showed none of the wear one might expect from a performer who's spent most of the past year on the road. In fact, the roadwork has probably sharpened her up even more - particularly the comic timing that's such a central part of the two-hour show.
The yuks flew fast and furious, particularly during her trademark channeling of the ghost of Sophie Tucker - who mastered the art of working blue before Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor were born. Midler threw herself headlong into the set's raunchiest material, but, typically, seemed equally at home singing "I Like to Be Told," a duet of sorts with the late Fred (Mister) Rogers.
Mood swings were the order of the night, with Midler changing personae as readily as she did costumes - donning sailor-girl threads for a sassy set of early hits such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and segueing readily into a Rosemary Clooney tribute (highlighted by "Tenderly") that saw her decked out in perfectly demure cabaret threads.
Although she repeated a fair bit of shtick - notably petulant snipes at Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera - Midler's punchlines were by and large on target, connecting on such topics as Billy Joel's driving skills and Dubya's debate wardrobe malfunctions.
More importantly, Bette hit paydirt with her voice, an instrument surprisingly undimmed by the passage of time, as evidenced by versions of "Skylark" and "Chapel of Love." While she spent a bit too much time delving into the intricacies of her Delores Del Lago character, the digressions into that fictional second-tier Broadway Baby go a long way toward illuminating Midler's character.
Delores, like Bette, is happy to go the extra mile to entertain, but self-aware enough to stop before she becomes a total caricature. That's a tough line to walk, but even as her peers opt for retirement, Midler manages to tiptoe along it with a gymnast's agility.
Here's to the harlot with a heart of gold and the grace of a ballerina. |
 Source: NY Daily News | |
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