Jennica McCleary Brings ‘Divine Deception’ To Home State Ohio

Dan Kane: Jennica McCleary bringing Bette Midler tribute
Jennica McCleary as Bette Midler
By Dan Kane
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted May 21, 2010 @ 07:00 AM

Specifically, Canton native Jennica McCleary will be performing her direct-from-Vegas nightclub show, a tribute to the Divine Miss M, Bette Midler on May 28 and 29 at 8:15 p.m.

“It’s funny, it’s foul, it’s the best Midler moments from the last 30 years,” the Vegas-based McCleary, 29, promises.

About two hours including intermission, the show includes “From a Distance,” “In the Mood,” “The Rose,” “Friends,” “Wind Beneath My Wings,” and lesser-known Midler gems like “Doctor Longjohns,” with plenty of Bette’s bawdy banter in-between.

“The thing about Bette is, she can have you in stitches one minute, then have you in tears the next,” says McCleary, who has studied hours of Midler live tapes to get the walk and other nuances down.

She uses backing tapes for accompaniment. “I’m not a million-dollar, multimedia production!” she insists. “It’s just me up there, me and my ”˜girls.’”

A Fairless High School graduate, McCleary made her mark locally in musical theater, appearing in “Jekyll & Hyde,” “Children of Eden” and “Cabaret” at the Players Guild, and “Man of La Mancha” at Kent State University Stark Campus.

She launched her Midler tribute in May 2007 at the Aruba Hotel in downtown Las Vegas, a place she describes as “dank, musty and perfect, like when Bette was starting out in the bathhouses.”

Asked about her Vegas audiences, she says, “It so varies. I get a lot of surprisingly older crowds that I think will get up and walk out, and they love it! I’ve had young kids because their parents brought them. There’s nothing like dropping an F-bomb in front of a 10-year-old on Palm Sunday. True story!”

Just as McCleary was getting established with her Midler show, the real Bette came to Vegas for a two-year stint at Caesar’s Palace. “So I backed off of it and went back to my usual Vegas gig, which is singing with three bands and two vocal groups.”

She also attended three of Midler’s Caesar’s performances. “For 64 years old, that woman is absolutely incredible. She never stops moving!”

Last November, McCleary decided to revive and expand her Midler show and take it on the road, including her first hometown appearances. Theatre 8:15, where she performed as a teen, “has the essence of the beginning of Bette. I like that kind of intimate setting.”

McCleary’s gala May 28 performance of “Divine Deception” includes hors d’oeuvres and wine before and after, with tickets priced at $20. Tickets for the May 29 show are $13. To reserve tickets, call (330) 896-0339. Theatre 8:15 is at 4740 Massillon Rd. (Route 241) in Green.