by Nick Divito
Bette-heads, rejoice! The Divine Miss M is as salty, ballsy and brash as ever in her 90-minute show, The Showgirl Must Go On, at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Fans will undoubtedly chirp with delight—as they did during a recent performance—when Midler trots out old characters from her repertoire, including Delores Delago, a wheelchair-bound mermaid, and Soph, the oldest living showgirl in Las Vegas with a mouth that could make a sailor blush.
Do those characters go too far back for you? Not to worry. Bette also throws down some of her more memorable tuners from the past few decades, including “The Rose,” “Wind Beneath My Wings,” “From a Distance” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Her version of “When a Man Loves a Woman” proves that the 62-year-old still has the pipes. And the body to maneuver that huge stage.
We didn’t, however, find the bit with the American Idol judges all that amusing, especially when they were turned into sea-dwelling cartoon characters on the huge screen onstage.
But whatever. Soph would be proud: Midler found her light. Not that she ever lost it.
Caesars Palace, Tuesday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m., $95, $140, $175 and $250. Tickets: 877-723-8836