Paying To Rub Elbows With The Stars

The Spectrum
July 31, 2009
Have a grand time with the Divine Miss M
BY ED KOCIELA
Crusin’ The Strip

Whether we admit it or not, we all like to brush elbows now and then with celebrities.

Thing is, there aren’t a lot of opportunities for that and when the opportunity arises you, for the most part, can’t pick your shot. I mean, although you might really want to bump into Mick Jagger in a one-on-one situation, odds are you’re more likely to come face-to-face with Donny Osmond. The party just wouldn’t be the same, know what I mean?

However, if you’d like to hook up with a celeb, there’s a guaranteed way.

Bette Midler is offering, for a limited time, an interesting deal. You’ll get a front-row, center ticket to her show at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace, receive a VIP escort into the theater, two drink vouchers, an autographed show program and be whisked backstage to meet The Divine Miss M and have your picture taken with her.

The cost is $1,000, Aug. 11 through Sept. 6. (Mister D: I think it’s been extended thru November 15)

Midler has this rep and image of the bawdy saloon singer with an outrageous sense of self-deprecating humor. Often lost in all that, however, is her immense talent.

Yeah, she’s brash and funny, but she’s also done some incredible cinema work, from “The Rose” to “Beaches” to “First Wives Club.”

While she can belt with the best of them, her songs are always unique in phrasing, power and passion.

I think one of the best live performances I ever witnessed was when she crooned, “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)” as Johnny Carson‘s last guest on “The Tonight Show.” It was not only a touching moment, but a tribute to Carson, who launched her career when he invited her to sing on his show in 1971. The performance earned her an Emmy.

This woman has won four Grammy Awards, four Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards and a Tony Award and has been nominated for two Academy Awards. She has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

She has done her “Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On,” at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace about 400 times during the past two years. It includes performances by The Staggering Harlettes, 20 female dancers and a 13-piece band.

The price tag may be steep, but this is, after all, Bette Midler.

Notes In The Desert Sand: OK, so you want something really unique? Pencil in Sept. 6 at The Cannery in North Las Vegas. Gary Sinise, from TV’s “CSI: NY” and the memorable Lt. Dan from “Forrest Gump,” will take the stage with his Lt. Dan Band for a show honoring military veterans and those currently serving.

The band, with Sinise on bass guitar, plays a wide range of music from Bruce Springsteen to Linkin Park. It does about 40 gigs a year, mostly for charity.

Also, if the really old classic rock bands are your thing, The Cannery has a ton of them on tap. The Little River Band is there Saturday; Alan Parsons Project on Aug. 8; The Three Degrees, Crystals and Chantels on Aug. 15; April Wine and Edgar Winter on Aug. 22; Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals and Tommy James and the Shondells on Aug. 29; The Pointer Sisters on Sept. 12; Herman’s Hermits and The Turtles on Sept. 26; The Guess Who on Oct. 3; Dionne Warwick on Oct. 10; and Rare Earth on Oct. 24. Tickets are reasonable, in the $20 to $35 range.