This is the penultimate review I've seen so far...and she took no notes!!!!

Erica, Soulful BetteHead!
Rhode Island

The show began at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Ucasville, CT with sound effects that sounded like kids on a rollercoaster and music that sounded like something from 1940 or so...very nostalgic. The stage looked like an amusement park, the curtain was a mural of a bunch of people on a boardwalk which was gorgeous. The show began with the Harlette's dancing around and singing. I was 4th row on stage left side and my sister and I looked up and we could see a carousel horse in the shadows on our side of the stage. Katie was like, "LOOK ITS HER!" and she came out on a carousel horse and we all went nuts...she was wearing a cute sequined old fashioned sailor suit
complete with sailor hat. She was adorable...shimee-ing and waving and smiling as the horse brought her to stage right and lowered her back down. Which is when she started to sing the new song Kiss My Brass. It was a very cute song....uptempo and she danced around with her girls and the brass section of the band was right there with her as well.

In the middle of the song she gave us some classic Bette moments, ("I've returned! I'm FABULOUS! Don't I look it? Even I don't know how I do it!" "I'm not retiring...and YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!") and followed up with some local humor ("Mohegan Sun: Land of many quarters!" "I've seen so many people with OXYGEN tanks here! I want to say, 'WHY ARE YOU HERE!? How you gonna pay for your FRIGGIN' OPERATION!?'"). Thats when we all knew we were in for a special
evening.

Stuff Like That There was next...her vocals were flawless. Perfection. She did a little dance with the Harlettes and since this was her 8th performance her ticker was definitely at the right level. She looks great and she danced even better...what a lady she is.

After some humor about Christina Aguilera and other celebrities and politians of the day, she was talking about the birds that nested in Mary Tyler Moore's building, and as she was telling this story she spotted a man coming in late in about 3rd row center and she gave him the evil eye and said, "You're LATE! Oh now we're gonna fight
over which seat is yours, right?" and she proceeded to cross her arms in front of herself and stare at him, waiting for him to get settled. He apologized. She accepted. After that she finished her bird story and sang the song Skylark which was the first ballad of the evening and of course some tears were shed on my part. It's a short but lovely song (Skylark, have you anything to say to me? Can you tell me where my love may be? Is there a meadow in the mist where he's just waiting to be kissed?).

After that it was the "Song that started it all." Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. It was really well done, with 3 younger Bette's on the huge screen behind her singing the song circa 1971 or 1972. It was put together so well.

A "Judge Judy" montage was next, and in it she was getting sued by the plantiff (CBS) for putting such a hideous sitcom on television and was hearby sentenced to apologize to everyone who ever owned a television. She came out in a new outfit, as if she was coming up from Hell or something (she had sparkly red horns on her head and a tail) and sang the Brenda Lee classic I'm Sorry which she couldn't finish because there were definitely some people who have worst shows than her ("I won't mention any names Miss ANNA NICOLE SMITH!"), and that it was some pretty "FUCKED UP SHIT!" that Monica Lewinsky's show she was hosting didn't get cancelled but HER show did, and said that it was her fans that hated to see the show go by singing a variation on her themesong to her sitcom, Nobody Else But You which went right into Friends. I believe it was around this time when ANOTHER person came in late. "You're late. You're REAAAALLLY late! You missed a lot!" and she said, "You missed..." and she started to sing BWBB and she started to list the stuff he missed
then she said, "Are you a high roller?" and I guess he looked at her like "huh?" and she said, "Oh nevermind. I can see this conversation is going NOWHERE!" and he apologized and she said, "Good. Because you were really hurting my feelings!" lmao.

After that was the Rosemary Clooney section which included the songs Come On-A My House and Tenderly. During the latter song there were pretty photos of Rosemary Clooney on 2 big screens behind Bette. Very lovely tribute.

After coming out on a swan "tunnel of love" thing that worked like a bicycle and poking fun of many failed marriages like Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob, Liza and that weird guy, J-Lo and everybody....she sang Chapel Of Love with the girls. Very cute. After that she sang That's How Heartaches Are Made and made me like the song a lot more than the version on her album. It was beautiful and the Harlette's sounded particularly gorgeous backing her up on this one.

After that the girls left the stage and she sang a beautiful rendition of I Think It's Going To Rain Today which is my all-time favorite song by Ms. Midler. She reduced herself as well as my sister to tears more than once during it, as it is one of the
saddest songs ever. She had me in awe during it. This was immediately followed by the most incredible rendition of When A Man Loves A Woman that I have ever heard. She poured her heart into the song with so much desperation and maturity that my jaw was on the floor the entire time. Her voice has only gotten better, and it brought the entire audience to its feet before the song had even ended. Definitely THE highlight of the night besides another song, which we're getting to...just bear with me.

The Harlette's came out in very cute old-fashioned beach outfits, surrounded by 3 different tents and sang the song Walk Right In which stayed in my head long after the show was over. They can really sing, those girls. I liked that song a lot. Bette came out in this odd-looking tunic and some weird wrap around her head (LMAO)
and told a whole bunch of Soph Jokes. Some were new, some were old ("Ain't ya got a vase?") and then disappeared into the center tent (the yellow one). The Harlette's kept singing until Bette popped out from the top of the tent, and the top of it became a ridiculous looking hat which fell off of her head right away. "Oh that GOD DAMN
HAT!" she shouted as someone came onto the stage and handed it back to her. "Oh you're going to make me put it on again? Well I have to put it on..." ::she looks at the audience:: "...YOU paid for it!"

After her hat fell off when she was on top of the tent, she said, "Oh wait I have to do one more thing!" and pulled her Tunic up and over the tent then said, "Now who else would do this for y'all!? You don't see CHER gettin' up here and doin' this for y'all!" It was a very cute moment, lmao.

The last song of the first Act was Shiver Me Timbers which is such a nice song and a perfect way to end the act as she, now in a cute dress that looked like a curtain print of some sort went back on her carousel horse, barefoot and sailed away on it backstage.

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The 2nd Act, as it usually does in her shows, began with the Delores Delago: Fishtails Over Broadway segment. It was about Delores wanting to make it out of the freak shows and onto the broadway stage. During this 25 minute long segment she sang variations on the broadway songs, I Had A Dream, Everything's Coming Up Roses,
Tonight, Cabaret, You'll Never Walk Alone, Tomorrow, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, All That Jazz (my favorite part of the entire segment), One Singular Sensation, Hello Dolly, Give My Regards to Broadway, and Oklahoma. She even changed mermaid outfits during it (she's never done that before to my knowledge), going from an almost black fishtail to a red one (she can change really fast lol). It was very entertaining, and I think my favorite part was when she messed up with her Poi Balls when it was time to bring them up in the air. They stopped doing their thing and she said, "OOOOH SHIT!!!" She tried to get them started again but made a face
like "Oh Fuck it." and just threw them away lmao. After that she was dancing around with the girls and I swear I thought she was just gonna crack up laughing at herself.

After the mermaid section was over she did a little tribute to Mr. Rogers, singing a touching duet with him called I Like To Be Told and by then it was 11:56 PM. She said it was 4 minutes until Midnight and then she said that we should all make a resolution to be kinder people, so next year we can meet up again on New Year's Eve, "Just us 7,000. And then we'll all come through the doors and say, 'After you! No, after you!" lmao. Then she said "Ok we got 3 minutes, does anyone have anything to ask me?" and someone said, "What's your bust size?" and she said, "What's my bust size?" and she made a face and said, "So does anyone have any questions for me?" LMAO. She's so cute. Then since she had a satellite set up in Time Square we got to see on tv when the Ball was gonna drop and Bette said things like, "Are ya drunk enough, yet? Get out those doobie's you've been savin..." and before the countdown she was like, "GO AHEAD! KISS SOMEBODY!" awww. And then the countdown began and YAY it was 2004! Like 1,000 balloons were let go from the ceiling and all of these streamers and confetti were shot into the air. It was gorgeous. And lots of people WERE drunk around me (the entire place smelled like perfume, beer and popcorn). Kissing all around, Bette was hugging the Harlettes...etc. Then she left the stage as everyone kept popping the balloons. Boy did that give me a headache after awhile (I saved 2 of those balloons, gonna keep 'em forever!).

After that, on the big screen came that scene from "The Rose" where the guy says, "Whatever you do, don't say Mother Fucker, alright?" and she went on the stage and said, "HIYA MOTHER FUCKERS!!!" (yes, I screamed it with her lmao). She came out in an outfit similar to one of the costumes she wore in "The Rose" and sang Keep On Rockin' and everyone was on their feet the whole time. It was great fun. We had
finally calmed down enough when she introduced her band and the Harlette's and then toasted us all with some Champagne that Bette Sussman opened (Bette was like, "Are you SURE you know how to do this?") and she toasted to the men overseas and to everyone here, pretty much downing her glass of Champagne. Then she said, "Two's my limit. So I'm going to go get my SECOND one right now!" lmao and she
almost forgot to drink that one and said after placing it down, "OH I FORGOT TO DRINK IT!" then she downed it in one gulp (YOU GO GIRL!).

Then she said, "Ok...this one always puts 'em in a COMA." and that pretty intro began to The Rose as an incredible montage from the movie was shown behind her. I really lost it during this song...I was shaking with sobs. I haven't cried like that in quite some time. It was probably one of the biggest moments of my life. It was incredible. My sister was crying too, not as much as me but she was crying. She got another standing ovation after that one. She left the stage then and we were all on our feet and came back out and then she said, "Ok you've waited all night for it." and sang Wind Beneath My Wings which I of course sang along with her (she said we could lol). Another standing ovation followed this (even the idiots behind me shut up during that one), and she left the stage again. She came back again and thanked us all and said, "One more...and everyone loves it." and sang Friends and that, my dears...was the
end. It was one of the most memorable nights of my entire life. I'll never forget it.

I also really liked how at one point she pointed to the left side of the audience and said that "we must be from Providence" and Hey...that's where I'm from! Good guessing! The ONLY disappointment was that 3 songs were omitted from this show due to the countdown portion ("September", "Do You Wanna Dance?" and "From A Distance"). She also did not include "Big Noise From Winnetka" in this performance...not sure if that is a permanent change or not. But it really didnt matter because it was worth every penny...the whole $250 dollars. She made eye-contact with me twice...which is enough for me. I wasn't even left with a sad feeling when it was over...it was just a joyful experience all around. So thank you Bette. You
rule and I love you to pieces!

Bette Midler Show: Big, Brassy And Blue
By DONNA LARCEN
Courant Staff Writer

January 2 2004

What better way to welcome the new year than in a packed arena watching The Divine Miss M - Bette Midler - count down the seconds to midnight while standing in front a giant television screen with a live feed from Times Square?

(Photo: Laura Farr)

As the 7,000 fans at the Mohegan Sun chanted "5-4-3-2-1," balloons, ribbons and confetti floated down from the ceiling and Midler's large band played "Auld Lang Syne." The effervescent singer turned serious, toasting the crowd and praying for kindness, "our boys and girls overseas" and peace in the world. It was a special moment in an over-the-top, 2½-hour performance on her "Kiss My Brass" tour, which played again in Uncasville on New Year's Day.

Midler is a performer with a big voice, big ideas and big production values, and she worked all the facets of her public persona: brassy broad; Hartford's own blue comedian, Sophie Tucker; tender chanteuse; and rock star. Midler has enormous talent and she crams everything into the act.

Her opening number had her riding/flying high on a carousel horse that landed center stage in a set that recalled Luna Park at Coney Island. "I'm back, and don't I look fabulous" she announced as she launched into the swing tempo "Kiss My Brass." Midler powered through "Stuff Like That There," from her movie salute to USO tours, "For the Boys"; a quiet version of "Skylark," the Johnny Mercer/Hoagy Carmichael standard she recorded 30 years ago; and the jump-jive "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy."

Midler was supported by a seven-piece band and five brass players under the direction of Bette Sussman and a new group of backup singers, The Harlettes: Kyra Da Costa, Kamiliah Martin and Nicolette Hart.

The show made ample use of giant video; as Midler ducked out for a costume change, the audience watched a film of "Judge Judy's" court show in which Midler was being sued by the CBS giant eye for the poor ratings of her canceled television series. The butt of the joke, she slid out to sing "I'm Sorry" as penance, then performed a song parody of "Nobody Else But You" and a quick version of one of her standards, "Friends."

Her newest album is a tribute to Rosemary Clooney, and she sang the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" and the lovely "Tenderly," both made famous by Clooney, who died in 2002.

Midler jumped into "Chapel of Love" as the video showed famous split couples: Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton ("There was a time when exchanging vials of blood meant something"); Jennifer Lopez and her first two husbands; and Liza Minnelli and David Gest ("Liza with an ex").

Then she went back to slower, sad songs: "That's How Heartaches Are Made," Randy Newman's "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" and a show-stopping version of Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves a Woman."

Midler then reeled off about 15 minutes of Tucker jokes, none suitable for a family newspaper.

She returned after intermission with a 25-minute set reprising her Dolores DeLago character, an aging mermaid bound for the bright lights in "Fish Tales On Broadway," which had Midler and the Harlettes zooming around in wheelchairs and singing parodies of show tunes.

Midler's energy level never sagged during this physically challenger feat as she hopped and flopped and bopped through the 12 tunes.

She returned for a nostalgic duet with a videotape of Fred Rogers singing "I Like to Be Told," which she turned into political commentary.

Following the New Year's eve countdown and a couple of glasses of champagne, Midler returned to sing "The Rose" and "Keep on Rockin'" as film clips from her film homage to Janis Joplin played behind her.

She also conducted a sing-along on "Wind Beneath My Wings," and reprised "Friends."

The Divine Miss P, Dedicated BetteHead

The first act was virtually the same as the rest of the tour(still using "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" and "Friends" as an encore). There was a lot of ad libbing (which we love!) about late comers and when her tent hat fell off from atop the cabana during the Sophie bit. "That fucking hat!" she exclaimed. And when a stagehand handed it back up to her, she sat there and said, "Who else would do this for you? Would Cher do this?" It was hysterical. The local jokes were of course all casino related.

The second act started around 11:30 and they finished the whole Delores section and at the end of the Mr. Rodgers duet, the show was interrupted for New Years. They had a live feed from Times Square on all the screens and Bette said, "You don't know what we went through to get this for you". She counted down with the audience and Dick Clark and then thousands of multi colored balloons and red, white, and blue streamers and confetti fell from the rafters. As people started popping the balloons she said, "I paid for those balloons!" Then Bette and Bette Sussman opened a bottle of champagne and Bette toasted the audience. She said we should all have an extreme makeover on the inside this year and be kinder, etc. After finishing her first glass in one long swig, she said that two was her limit and went back and got a second glass. It was too cute.

Then she sang "The Rose", "Wind Beneath My Wings", "Keep on Rockin'", and then "Friends". So, I think the only songs we missed were "From a Distance", the 9/11 song, and "Do You Wanna Dance".