Midler tour likely to skip Islands
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
DATELINE NEW YORK: Bette Midler, born in Hawai’i, is embarking on a major tour that starts Dec. 10 in Chicago, and she’s been rehearsing in New York and Los Angeles. The production will be directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, a familiar name in the local theater community for his earlier ties with “Les Miserables” and “Miss Saigon.”
Over dinner at Carmine’s in the heart of Broadway, Jay-Alexander said Midler summoned him to her apartment for a summit and signed him on after she fired her original director. “Ask her to come to Hawai’i,” we suggested, since Honolulu is not part of the announced itinerary. “She’s doing the big halls,” said Jay-Alexander, so it would have to be Aloha Stadium. But since the Divine Miss M hates to frolic in front of her hometown crowd, a gig is unlikely. Meanwhile, Web sites list prime tour tickets going for $800 to $900 — a very pricey proposition. …
Jay-Alexander has directed Barbra Streisand’s and Bernadette Peters’ concerts and seems to gravitate to folks whose names begin with B; he’s at the helm of Barry Manilow’s December gig at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
