America West Arena
November 27, 2004
| It's
no secret that I love Miss M. I even do her in my show! My character,
Barbra Seville (www.BarbraSeville.com)
has been described as a cross between Bette, Barbie, and Suzanne
Somers. You can imagine how happy I was because we got to see
her this weekend. Walking in to America West Arena, we peaked
at the set and I got so happy. No matter that I have seen her
in concert 4 other times. No matter that I saw this exact tour
just 10 months ago. It was exhilarating to see her set and know
that she would be there in a short while. (Turns out that the
Divine runs on drag time, too. She started almost 1/2 hour late.) In fact, she is running for "Queen of the World." According to the Divine, she is not sure she could fix all of the problems of the world, but she is sure she could not PHUCK it up any worse! I think the Broadway medley is overly long. I also think that the show turns the corner at that point and almost starts to drag. I was watching the show with a new perspective, though. My friend Nathan went with me, he is a fan of Bette's, but I do not think he recognized most of the songs or some of the references. I could be wrong, though. There were also a few times in the show where I thought she sounded really canned. I was surprised by this, because she usually tells a joke like she is telling it for the first time. It only happened a few times, but I definitely got the impression that she was tired a few times. (Heaven knows she has every right..pushing 60 and doing a show that FEW could handle. PLUS singing her own songs (take that Ashley, Britney, and co.) Her
voice. Her
final songs of the evening were just amazing. I was expecting
a few other songs, based on what I had read on-line and from seeing
the last show. She did not do the video clips from "The Rose."
She did not close with "Friends/Cool Cool Cool of the Evening."
And I think (not sure, though) she never wore the pretty black/red/burgandy/brownish
dress that is in the program. At that point they called her out and hit her with
a spot light. Kinda cool. Bette is Divine in Phoenix
I think it was a moment of divine insanity when I bought a ticket to the Phoenix show. It didn't occur to me at the time that I would have to fly on Thanksgiving weekend with the masses. With all the flight delays I was convinced I was going to miss the show but it all worked out. I never knew that it could take people so long to get on and off an airplane! So on to the show. Bette was as always beautiful, sang and danced her heart out and sounded great. There was the local Phoenix humor which I didn't get not being from the area. The audience was okay but didn't have a lot of energy. They were at times slow to react to a joke or comment. They clapped readily and gave her a few standing ovations. The seemed to take the Bush bashing pretty well. Early on some yelled out happy birthday which Bette kind of blew off as not yet. She lost a poi ball into the audience during Delores. As usual the audience sang a pitiful rendition of The Rose (although this group sounded better than some). Bette finally said "Quit It." She pointed out the guy right in front of her saying he was enthusiastic but way off key. She took over from there. Bette also mentioned that Stevie Nicks was in the house. She said she never points people out but she was going to this time just because. She tried to get a spotlight on her but didn't know where her seats were. She joked that if it was her being pointed out she would be running to her car. The house lights didn't come up immediately after The Rose so I had hopes for an encore but that didn't happen. It seems that those that are first time KMBers think The Rose is the encore. For those of us that have seen it more than once know that there is more if the audience shows enough enthusiasm during the evening. Encore or not Bette is by far and away the best live performer going. She truly gives her all and appreciates her fans. Thank you Bette for another wonderful evening. A Phoenix Review, And A Few Choice Words!
Saturday night, at around 8:30, as the light dimmed
in the America West Arena, in Phoenix, something happened, something
good, even great. Bette put on another big show, in hopes to astound
the audience, and send them into a sate of awe. She did just that.
Belting out her novelty number "Kiss My Brass," and
so gracefully intertwining it into the classic "Big Noise
From Winnetka," she had a strong beginning. Going from one
number to another, stopping every now and then to comment on the
world today, in true Bette fashion, she took my breath away. I
had seen her in February, for the first time in my life, and it
was awesome. This time, if a dare to say, was even better! Mostly
the same show, with a few new songs, and jokes, made this night
the ultimate experience. My favorite number was her soulful "When
A Man Loves A Women," in witch she sang with all she had
in her. I tell you, I laughed the most during her Sophie Tucker
bit. Joke, after raunchy joke, she had me in stitches. My favorite
part in the show, would have to be her "Fishtails Over Broadway"
medley, a new twist on an old character, Delores DeLago, The Toast
Of Chicago. She wrapped the evening up with a string of hits,
and left several in tears with the best version of "The Rose"
I've heard. All in all, I had the time of my life! My Night Of Peace and Harmony My heart raced and my hands shook from the adrenalin rushing through my veins. I was in the same room as The Divine Miss M. I knew it and I could feel it. The show is supposed to start at 8:00, but I know how She likes to be fashionably late...8:30. It seems it takes forever to get there, but I know that once it does there is nothing I can do to stop the time. The lights go dim, and all I can feel is my throat pulsing and my breath heavy. It's funny, rather than racing my heart is skipping beats, now. Here She is. Making Her memorable entrance. Riding a carousel horse down to the stage shimmying with every bing bang boom of the brass. For one brief moment all I could see was Her, and all She could see was me. She sat five feet away from me with her beaming smile and Her famous chest. She stared at the audience, and I turned around. There were thousands of people with a gleam in their eyes. We were all different people from different places, but there for the same reason, and she brought us together. The show went on. We laughed, we cried, and mouthed
the words to every song. But the last one, everyone sang along.
The Rose. The song that started it all and shared new beginnings
was our end, and we knew it. I wanted to close my eyes and just
dissapear, but I nor anyone could take their eyes off this incredible
singer, songwriter, comedian, entertainer, wife, mother, daughter,
sister, woman, friend. And she couldn't take her eyes off of us.
Sitting at the edge of our chairs and tears streaming down our
cheeks, she Thanks, My night started with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe
with my mom and her friend. We got to Phoenix 4 hours before the
show so we deffinately had time to waste. After dinner we headed
to the arena and took our seats. Let me tell you, those were the
longest 2 hours of my life.
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