Mister D: From the MSN Chat held on 12-21-2005….I must say it is so nice to see all these familiar names behind some of these questions. Congrats to everyone who made it through!!! 🙂
DishDiva says: Bette, thanks for being here!
Bette Midler: I can’t beleive we are all back here again! I am delighted. Happy holiday!
Bette Midler: I wish there wasn’t a transitstrike because my feet are killing!
Bette_Head in Onstage_1 asks: Hi Bette! Happy Hanukkah! thank you so much for being here tonight! I was wondering if you can clear up any rumors about touring or playing in Vegas. Thank you So Much! You have really touched my life, you give me and everyone else so much happiness! Bye!
Bette Midler: That is very sweet. I am thinking about going back on the road. “Kiss my Brass: was a great show. I did 87 agrena shows in the US and Australia. I would like to get to 100 before the show goes into mothballs.
Bette Midler: I took the holidays off. In January I will start looking seriously where I can go and probably it will be in the Spring.
NotWorthMyTears1 in Onstage_1 asks: How long did it take to make this new album?
Bette Midler: Well, Barry did most of the work. I was in Australia for 6 week. Barry put the arrangements together. He settled on the songs with me.
Bette Midler: He did what is called sketching and made demos. He worked on it for 6 weeks, we mulled them over and we went to las Vegas and we stayed in Elvis Preslye’s old suite. It’s like 20,000 square feet
Bette Midler: There was a hot tub for 40. We had a lot of laughs! We settled on the keys. He had done about 20 songs and I wanted to cut 11 or 12. Then he went ahead and did the tracks which was another week.
Bette Midler: He did the bulkof the work. I had taken a long time learning the songs but Barry did most of the grunt work. My part was about a week
Manolis_Varnasactor1 in Onstage_1 asks: mrs midler do you feel that your music style has changed over the years?
Bette Midler: I think my style ha changed but my taste hasn’t changed. I think I am more restrained than I used to be. I don’t take as much singing risks a I used to.
Bette Midler: I am more conscious of whether they are correct. My tastes have remained the same since I was a kid.
Bette Midler: I love songs that are humanistic. I love songs of hope.
Bette Midler: I also love funny songs, funny songs. I lok for strong melodies and strong lyrics
that tell a story. What has changed is my delivery.
Bette Midler: I have changed my bravado. These are all techincal things that most singers never talk about but you talk about this to other singers.
Bette Midler: It is one of my favorite things to talk about.
DishDiva says: How is the New York Restoration Project going?
Bette Midler: It is going great.
Bette Midler: We had our Hulaween Party and we made close to 2.7 million dollars.
Bette Midler: With my 60th birthday, people bought big tables. We had Elton John who was on fire that night.
Bette Midler: Even he didn ‘t know whappened.
Bette Midler: he came as a devil. He looked like a crazy baby in a funny way. He was playing like the devil was on his tail. Everybody walked out on air.
Bette Midler: We had crazy things on the table, fake noses, lips, everything was on the table. On top of everything else, we served Thansgiving dinner. People really dug deep.
Bette Midler: We kidn of like getting into the nutriotional aspect of growing kids
Bette Midler: We wanted to take kids to the gardens
Bette Midler: where they could see where the fod is coming from and they could see what is fake food versus real food. We have a great team and great enthusiasm from all teh areas we serve.
SketchupsUK in Onstage_1 asks: good evening bette-what would you say has been your worst fashion disaster? love, sarah, aged 18, England
Bette Midler: I have had so many!
Bette Midler: My worst fashion disaster, I did the Oscars one year.
Bette Midler: We had this Norma Kamali dress. It was greenish gold. My friend said “This is my dress and these are the colors it comes in.:”
Bette Midler: the 70’s were the bottom for most people but the 80’s were the worst for me.
Bette Midler: The costume i wore on the “No Frills” cover was my worst public disaster I would
have to say.
DanaA24 in Onstage_1 asks: Hi Bette! I’m Dana from Virginia. Your new CD is a hit with my 2 year old niece. Any possibility you might do a children’s CD?
Bette Midler: I think about doing a children’ album all the time. I know a lot fo really odd songs.,
Bette Midler: I tought about it. I thought about it too when my daughter was yong but she is now 19. I really liks kids and I like them when their imaginations are just waking up.
Bette Midler: My daughetr is still singing Baby Beluga. Thank you Raffi!
LizaDelLago in Onstage_1 asks: Hey Bette here’s a good one. I saw you in Salvation! How about that???
Bette Midler: (laughs) Oh my God!
Bette Midler: You are the one!! (laughs)
Kate_somers1 in Onstage_1 asks: Hey Bette – any chance you will write anymore books?
Bette Midler: I have been asked but I don’t look forward to it. They want to know the dirt and there is not that much dirt I would want anyone to know. I don’t think so. It is a lot of work.
BetteinTurkey in Onstage_1 asks: I’m Emre from Turkey.You’re multi-talented star and diva(real one) what do you think about to direct your own movies?
Bette Midler: It has crossed my mind. It is right up there with books–a lot of work. It is years and years and most of it id sone in a dark room. I don’t think so. It is too hard and when you put it out if you don’t have a hit in the first weekend it is gone forever.
Bette Midler: Fo rme, it is not an efficient use of time. I hate to say it.
DishDiva says: What is your favorite song from the new CD?
Bette Midler: My favorite song is “Is That All There Is”?
Bette Midler: My dad was very much like this character- a dyed in the wool cynic.
Bette Midler: When Peggy lee recorded it, she got bad flack. It was a song that was hopeless. She thought it was a song that had hope in it.
Bette Midler: I think it is a song about hopelessness. There is a moment that you throw your hands up in despair.
Bette Midler: That is an accurate description of how a person can feel sometimes
Dave18475 in Onstage_1 asks: Hi Bette!!! I’m a HUGE fan!! You have brought so much insperation into my life!!! i’m doing a Girlscout project, now that i’m aG.S. Senior (12) years!!! I was wondering if you had any advice. I wanted to do something that would give back to the community.
Bette Midler: Where are you located? City?
Bette Midler: There are so many things.
Bette Midler: I will tell you. You need to do something that you feel a calling for. Go on your computer and look up non profits in your city. Do you like kids>?
Bette Midler: Dp you want to pick up garbage. Once you start looking you will br shocked but ho wmuch of a need there is.
Bette Midler: I am fond of the environment.
Bette Midler: You can always be a candy striper and help the nurses, bring cheer to people who are sick. There are theatrical groups that you can volunteer for.
Bette Midler: You need to ask yourself what you really love and I am sure you will find a community service that is in line with that
visur11 in Onstage_1 asks: Dear Bette, I’m Eze, from Spain. You are so talented!!!. How much of it is natural, and how much is hard work?. Love you SO MUCHHHHHH
Bette Midler: Thank you, Eze.
Bette Midler: I want to say I have to give hard work an awful lot of credit. Also luck. You also need someone to believe in you. If you have that person who eggs you on, that i sthe best things.
Bette Midler: That makes up for a lot of it. That is what can put you over the top, I have found.
Dave18475 in Onstage_1 asks: I’m located in Florida.(port Saint Lucie)
Bette Midler: Is that near Miami? They had a terrible time with the Hurricane. I went to a museum there that was pretty battered by the hurricane. They do a lot of chidlren’s programming.
Bette Midler: i am sure down where you are that there is hurricane damage that you might be able to help with.
Rapturella in Onstage_1 asks: Who is it that has believed in you and egged you on over the years? *Hugs and Love* from: ~Leigh
Bette Midler: Well, I have been very luck. When I was very young I met people who believed in me and gave me the necessary guidance.
Bette Midler: The first time I can to NY there was a guy named Tom who gave me my frist job off off Broadway. I gradually worked my way from Chorus to Lead.
Bette Midler: I had a wonderful friend who used to play things for me. He would play wonderful records. I was from Hawaii and did’t know anything about music or movies.
Bette Midler: For years, he was a dear friend of mine. Every night we would find a movie theatre and see great Fellini movies and Italian post war films. He played Marlene Dietrich movies for me.
Bette Midler: He played music for me I never heard before. I was very lucky.
Bette Midler: Lots of times people don’t share stuff with you but this guy did
Bette Midler: He showed me there was an enormous world out there.
Bette Midler: I knew show music, rock and roll and Hawaiian music. He introduced me to soul music, opera, ballet, performance art, modern dance. .
Bette Midler: It all took hold. After I gathered all this information, as an artist you were allowed to be many things. That was a big step forward for me.
Bette Midler: Everyone has some talent.
Bette Midler: People have to be honest with themselves about what their gift is and what they
like.
Bette Midler: You have to put yoruself up against other people and be honest with yoruself.
Bette Midler: Somewhere in your world is something that you do better than anyone else.
Bette Midler: There is nothing more illuminating than someone who shows you their soul.
DishDiva says: Bette, thajmk you so very much for coming back and chatting with fans about the new CD “Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook”
Bette Midler: I love doing this. It is one of the most interesting things that I do.
Bette Midler: Thank you to everyone from around the world who is joining us tonight.
Bette Midler: Happy holidays.
