A Sold Out, Fun-Filled Night In Ft Lauderdale

Ms. M demands notice - and she gets it
By Sean Piccoli
Pop Music Writer

Photo: Spark St. Jude

February 29, 2004

SUNRISE · People have gotten so used to Bette Midler the movie actress, it is easy to forget her origins as a live entertainer.

But Midler quickly re-establishes her bawdy, singing, high-strung self whenever she goes on tour.

A sold-out performance on Saturday night at the Office Depot Center was no exception.

"I opened the door for trashy singers with bad taste and big [breasts]," Midler said between numbers, asking aloud why younger idols such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and, of course, Janet Jackson never call or write.

Midler laid out her pioneering credentials in an outsized and engaging show full of wisecracks, gaudy props, burlesque bits and pop favorites drawn from several decades.

Whether singing from atop an airborne carousel horse or slinking about in snug catwear, the restless Ms. M demanded attention from the 16,000 people on hand and worked hard enough to guarantee they would.

This audience got jokes about local life that suggested Midler does more than keep up on current events. There were very specific references to Miami ("Gateway to Haiti") Boca Raton ("Where are my Boca Jewesses?") and Davie ("Shake your mullets!") and something unrepeatable about crusading South Florida lawyer Ellis Rubin. Midler clearly has spent time here.

"Good evening Cubans, Jews, gays, retirees," she said by way of greetings. "Did I leave anybody out?"

No one should have come here expecting to be moved, as such, by the woman who sings The Rose with such a convincing aura of hurt and Wind Beneath My Wings as if it were more than greeting-card copy. The comedic segues and the Coney Island-themed set design of Midler's "Kiss My Brass" tour put such a cheerful, show-bizzy gloss on the proceedings, even Midler's most piercing ballads on Saturday were more about melodramatic fireworks than bittersweet expression.

Midler sang Johnny Mercer's Skylark with whispery ease and Percy Sledge's When a Man Loves a Woman with gusto.

But the latter suggested that Midler also opened the door to a generation of big-voiced, power-ballad queens such as Celine Dion. But then, Midler never claimed to be subtle, just entertaining.

The Palm Beach Post
03-02-2004
THE ORIGINAL 'TRASHY DIVA' BETTE'S ALL CLASS
BYLINE: CHARLES PASSY\, Palm Beach Post Arts Writer

Photo: BaltoBoy Steve

Note to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson: Bette Midler wants her reputation back.

After all, you may reveal the skin, but you can't capture the true essence of showmanship. As Midler reminded her plentiful audience at the Office Depot Center on Sunday evening - the second night in her two-day run - she originated the "trashy diva" aesthetic three decades ago. And she did it with a lot more style, grace and good humor than these contemporary stars have.

At 58, Midler is still a wondrous thing to watch onstage, cleavage-revealing outfits and all. She hasn't lost a measure of her signature sassiness, but she's added a layer of world-weary wisdom. The result is as fully realized a concert performance as you're bound to witness, a show that plays not only to what Midler jokingly refers to as her "tribes" - namely, Jewish and gay audiences - but to just about anyone with a heart and soul.

But what's equally remarkable about the "Kiss My Brass" tour is that it's a big show and yet the spectacle only serves to accentuate Midler's artistry.

The premise is Midler is taking her audience back to the heyday of Coney Island.

She sings, of course. Using her trumpet of a voice, she sails through numbers old and new - Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, the new tune Kiss My Brass, and a Rosemary Clooney medley - with the feistiness of a bargain-basement shopper spotting the last dress on sale.

But she also saves her strength for a few perfectly paced torch songs: To hear Midler sing When a Man Loves a Woman is to know how so many other balladeers get it wrong. She doesn't give it all away in the beginning. She waits for the emotional payoff.

In the end, Midler has that rare ability to bring all the parts of her persona together and relate to an audience one-to-one. She closed with Friends, an anthem of camaraderie that speaks to her big-hearted spirit. Ain't nothing trashy about that.

Mister D

I was at the Sunday show in Ft. Lauderdale along with Barry....and it was another enjoyable and eye-opening evening of entertainment. This was my third go round but it still seemed like the very first time. So many visuals to take in and so many nuances missed in the past. There is no other entertainer like the Divine Miss M....and if you don't believe me then you can...KISS MY BRASS!!!!! TEE HEE