Bette Midler
All Set for a Higher Stage

At 62 years young, the 5’1” Bette Midler has a larger-than-life personality and plansto fill a 4,100 seat theater with her new gig, The Showgirl Must Go On at Las Vegas’ The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The stage, at 120’ wide and 60’ deep, is the biggest stage in Bette’s career and a place that she jokinglycalls, “the house that Celine (Dion) built.”

“I’ve been hoarding feathers, fans, sequins, rhinestones for the last 50 years, and I’m throwing ’em all on stage,” she says. She is probably going to need a couple of elephants as well, but the electrifying Bette Milder, better known as Ms. M, will no doubt keep the 100 shows a year fresh with witty numbers peppered with her incomparable wit and brash sense of style. She and her entourage of talented performers, which includes a 13-piece band and 20 dancers, will feature an enchanting repertoire and include some of Bette’s favorite characters such as the wheelchair mermaid and Soph, the oldest showgirl in Las Vegas.

With a stunning background that exemplifies her love of Broadway musicals and an IMAX type video screen, Ms. M will no doubt impress spectators and fans alike with singing, dancing, cursing and raunchy jokes. Apart from the outrageous and what some may consider X-rated material, she considers herself to be a lady who never takes herself too seriously and insists that laughter is a part of what keeps her going.

“If I didn’t laugh, then I would rather be dead,” she says.

When asked what she thinks people want in a show, Bette replied: “They always want glamour and glory and gold. And they want lots of color. And they want the latest in fashion. And they want really wonderful arrangements and a great band … and we try to do that. I have a couple of characters that I drag with me everywhere, and they are very funny. And women and crowds love those terrible jokes that they always tell.

“And, um, mostly it’s a lot of fun! It’s a full evening’s entertainment. It’s not just a concert, it’s a show.”

While most people in their 60s contemplate retirement, Bette was still touring to sold-out audiences with her show, Kiss My Brass. Her career achievements include two Oscar nominations, four Golden Globes, three Emmy’s and four Grammy’s. And she has sold about 15 million albums.

Although thankful of the fame andglory, Ms. M considers being a devotedwife and mother her most important role. She has been married to Martin Von Haselberg since 1980; they have one daughter Sophie, 22, who looks exactly like her famous mom. At this stage in her life, she also practices Tai Chi to keep her body fit and is very health conscious about what she eats. She admits that the thought of doing five shows a week can be a little tiresomeon the body. But she bounces back by saying: “You have to watch what you eat and exercise. Otherwise, the food will take over and eat you up alive.”