Bette Midler: Divine Intervention on tour
The Divine Miss M is back on stage and belting out songs the way only Bette Midler can. This iconic nymph brings a mix of intelligent banter to her time in the spotlight, and her fans are enthralled. On May 22, Las Vegas natives and tourists alike will be able to hear her live in concert, her first in over a decade. The Divine Intervention tour touches ground at the MGM Grand Garden Arena where she will be singing what she describes as vintage songs.
The tour coincides with her first album since 2006. The album, It’s the Girls!, that came out in November, showcases girl groups from the Supremes to the Shirelles. and includes her haunting rendition of “Come and Get These Memories” to “Teach Me Tonight.” Bette infuses the songs with pathos accompanied by a great sax and tinkling ivories.
This megatalented singer, actress, comedian, songwriter and producer has won a slew of awards such as her two nominations for Academy Awards for The Rose and For the Boys. She won four Grammy Awards for Best New Artist in 1974, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for The Rose in 1981 and the 1990 Record of the Year for the unforgettable “Wind Beneath My Wings.” In addition, she won Golden Globe Awards three times for The Rose, For the Boys and Gypsy. The American Comedy Awards numbered nine at last count. Just a few are for her roles in Ruthless People, Outrageous Fortune, Big Business and Get Shorty.
Divine Intervention is Bette’s 10th tour, and she is just as fresh and entertaining today as she was when she started out. This promotion of her 14th studio album, It’s the Girls, has some of our old favorites and is presented as a tribute to some of the great girl groups from over the years.
The set list for the tour is extensive and includes “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” made famous by The Andrews Sisters, “Miss Otis Regrets,” sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You.” They captivate when sung by the Divine Miss M, but there are no predictions on what her setlist will be when she appears in Las Vegas. It doesn’t really matter. If it is a song coming from Bette, you know it will be great.
Backed by a 14 piece orchestra and the amazing Harlettes doing backup vocals and a stage set design by Michael Cotton, the uber designer for numerous shows including those performed by Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Phil Collins and many more, this will be a night to remember.
At last check, there were still tickets available for the 8:00 p.m. show, ranging in price from $95 to $310.
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Midler will bring her show to the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. June 22.
I started to write because I developed laryngitis and needed to communicate or burst. It’s true. However, once I discovered the written word, I fell in love. I edited and wrote for my college newspaper and wrote articles for various journals after that. I am still working on the great American novel but I have yet to find the one among many starts I want to finish. Above all, I am fascinated with the world and the people in it. I have a dog who sincerely believes he should write instead of me but I steadfastly refuse to show him how to use the keyboard partly because of writer neurosis and partly because I hate his style.