NEW YORK – Bette Midler will haul down about $300,000 for three weeks of doing her “ trash with flash” act at the Palace Theater
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Ias Vegas salaries have come to New York. That’s $100,000 a week. Six shows a week, $10.HOT a show. .Jimmy Nederlander, the personable proprietor of the Palace, said as we watched the unbelievable opening night lobby scene, “ Bette Midler is the biggest grosser in the history of the Palace.”
“ I was here in 07 when Judy Garland came in and I think this is bigger,” I agreed
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We watched the remarkable people shoving in, some normals, some celebrities like Dvan Cannon, Peter Boyle, and Julie Newmar . . . some bearded ladies, men in gowns, a bare-backed man who stood up and waved, one who had to lie hauled off stage.
But Judy Garland had cultists too. people with a revival meeting fervor.
“ You paid Ii dollars'” shrieked the fiercely energetic 28-year-old redhead who said she was the only Jewish girl in a Samoan neighlxirhood in Hawaii.
“ You could have bought three gallons of gas for that kind of money.”
She got several standing ovations.
Had the greatest stage presence, warmth, and personality of any new performer in years.
