Bette swings back to ’50s in Cleveland
By JOHN PATRICK GATTA ,
Morning Journal Columnist 01/06/2004
Bette Midler still swings with the oldies. She launched retro-’40s chic back in the early 1970s, and, some three decades later at the Gund Arena last night, she launched retro-’50s chic.
But don’t confuse Bette’s 1950s with anything that has to do with ”Grease!” Elvis or poodle skirts. This is the 1950s of Rosemary Clooney and the 1950s ”Hit Parade” of big-brass renditions of great jazz standards.
Longtime Bette Midler fans may have feared that all the sophistication embodied by her recent album, which covers material made famous by film and music star Rosemary Clooney, changed the ”Divine Miss M” forever into a more sober soulful chanteuse.
But last night’s concert at Gund Arena set such thoughts aside. Sure, the Divine Miss M respectfully performed numbers from her recent release ”Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook.” But she displayed her sassy, humorous self during a delightful two plus hours.
During the rousing opening number, Midler said, ”How ya doin’ Cleveland? I’m doing fabulous!”
Deftly handling the songs from the 1950s while showing the randy spirit of the past is a testament to Midler’s abilities and breadth as an entertainer. In typical wink-wink fashion, she dubbed her current set of dates the ”Kiss My Brass Tour!” The playful name makes a cheeky reference to the horn section that backs Midler.
The audience members’ familiarity with Clooney could be based on their ages. For the mostly older crowd who made up the bulk of the 12,000 in attendance, Clooney was popular as the film and music star who appeared in the classic 1954 musical film ”White Christmas” as well as charted a number of hits before rock ‘n’ roll took over the music scene. To another generation, she gained a reputation as a jazz singer. For those who know her only as actor George Clooney’s aunt, Midler’s admiration for the deceased diva’s work has put a spotlight on her lengthy career.
Not surprisingly, the show was a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. The stage was adorned to mimic a Coney Island park during the early part of the 20th century. The eye-popping site featured Midler riding a carousel horse onto the stage, driving a swan from the Tunnel of Love around the stage and singing in front of three large video screens.
She was wonderfully supported by a 12-piece band, which included a sizable horn section as well as three back-up singer-dancers (to whom Midler referred as ”my girls”).
Also in attendance was Midler’s friend and joke provider Bruce Vilanch of ”Hollywood Squares” fame.
Throughout the evening, Midler provided wisecracks and asides about a number of headline makers, including Saddam Hussein, George Bush, LeBron James, Rush Limbaugh, Britney Spears and Cher.
Of course, she didn’t disappoint by bringing out one of her most memorable characters, Delores DeLago and the infamous mermaid routine.
Besides offering a tribute to Clooney (”Tenderly”), Midler sang such favorites as ”Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” as well as the punchy ”I Think it’s Going to Rain Today” and ”When a Man Loves a Woman.” (The latter number as well as the ballad ”Skylark” were a few choice surprises for the faithful.)
One of the best and most insightful aspects of the show, however was the running gag about her career. At choice moments in a couple of songs, Midler threw in the line, ”I’m not retiring, and you can’t make me.”
It doesn’t seem as if anyone at Gund would want her to do so.
