Bette Midler News

The Best in LA Theatre for 2013

Barbra Streisand, a former client of the late Sue Mengers, has announced her approval of Bette Middler playing the famed Hollywood publicist in I'LL EAT YOU LAST, which ended a limited run at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse last night.

Live Nation presents the high-octane theatrical concert, "Burlesque to Broadway" starring Quinn Lemley, for four nights in February at the Gramercy Theatre, 127 East 23rd Street. This lightning-in-a-bottle survey of American burlesque -- with Lemley leading a tight-knit coterie of showgirls through heart-racing choreography, in eye-popping costumes -- is supported by a razor-sharp live band under the music direction of Dan Micciche. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday February 5, 6, 7, 8, all at 8pm.

Our intrepid cabaret columnist/reviewer Stephen Hanks catches up on some reviews of fall 2013 shows, including Mary Foster Conklin's BroadwayWorld.com Award nominated tribute to Fran Landesman, solo shows from Bernard Dotson, Gary Crawford, and Lauren Glazer, and a duo show from Alison Nusbaum and Jackie Kristel.

Grammy and Emmy award winner John McDaniel celebrates his St. Louis roots, debuting his new show, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, featuring special guests Mary Beth Black and Cindy Degnan. The show will take place tonight, December 20th, at 7 PM at the Kranzberg Arts Center, N. Grand Boulevard, St Louis, MO 63103.

Rachel Hundert, "this generation's BETTE MIDLER" according to Eric Rauch of Papermill will stand on the ledge of life in order to explore the ways in which we travel from one moment to the next. How do we keep moving on? How do we find the courage to jump through vulnerability and off of the proverbial edge? IF I HAD WINGS is a show about taking risks, taking chances and the music that lives in that space of deciding whether or not to spread your wings and…fly. Featuring music from Stephen Schwartz, Jason Robert Brown, David Shire, MIKA, Leonard Cohen and more with exciting original arrangements.

Jay is an enormous fan of Broadway and all its denizens and has done many Broadway Cast Albums, but he has also worked with every great star of our time in every category of music.

ABC and Dick Clark Productions have announced that "The 2014 Billboard Music Awards" are set to return to ABC and will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on SUNDAY, MAY 18. The show will showcase this year's hottest and biggest music stars.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced their line-up of impressive talent for the month of January 2014. Featuring: The Birdland Big Band, Lauren Kinhan, Diane Schuur, Regina Carter, Nicholas Payton & Action Affirmative, Joey DeFrancesco, Cyrille Aimee, Matt Baker, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, Birdland Jazz Party, and more!

The Board of Trustees of The Public Theater just announced that Arielle Tepper Madover has been elected as The Public's new Board Chair. Madover, who joined the board in 2009, has been an active member of the Executive Committee, serving as Board Vice-Chair for the last year and Chair of The Public's Commercial Projects Committee since 2011. She was Co-Chair of The Public's 2013 Gala and the 50thAnniversary Gala in 2012, achieving the highest grossing galas in Public Theater history. A Tony Award-winning producer, Madover will serve a three year term effective immediately.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. That 'Sound Of Music' show becomes a national conversation, 'Saving Mr. Banks,' The House 'Nutcracker,' two Scrooge twists, our January 'Phantom,' Dee Snider's show, the 'Meet John Doe' OSCR and our latest Broadway transfers!

Thom Fogarty will direct the Premeire of THE CAROLE BAYER SAGER PROJECT: ALBUM ONE, which will be presented January 17th and 18th in two different venues, presented by 360REPCO. Performance stars Crystal Rona Peterson as "Carole" and Jenny Selig and Micah Bucey as "The Carolettes", with Musical Direction by Michael Conley. The entire evening was was created and directed Thom Fogarty.

Bette Midler will be portraying another Hollywood icon after her turn as Sue Mengers in I'LL EAT YOU LAST on Broadway and in LA. According to Deadline, Midler will star in HBO Films' upcoming Mae West biopic, directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist) from a script by Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots).

Joe's Pub at The Public (Dec. 9-15), will feature performances from JOSEPH STIGLITZ, THE MEN IN BLAZERS, THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER, JARELL PERRY WITH SPECIAL GUEST LOCKSMITH AND HOST KID FURY, MISS TESS & THE TALKBACKS / KRISTIN ANDREASSEN + MICHAELA ANNE, BRIDGET EVERETT & THE TENDER MOMENTS, THE LOSERS LOUNGE 20TH ANNIVERSARY, REVEREND BILLY & THE STOP SHOPPING CHOIR, JOHN ROBERTS, and TAMMY FAYE STARLIGHT IS NICO: UNDERGROUND.

Lady Gaga, one of the top global touring acts of our time, is hitting the road in support of her new album ARTPOP. The highly anticipated tour will make its second-to-last stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, July 19 at 8 p.m.

Bette Midler and Sue Mengers. Two iconic Hollywood female personalities of the last fifty years. Midler scored with her first movie The Rose in 1979, after many successful years in New York, on and off-Broadway. She was and has remained an iconic performer for the Gay community, and with strong choices, hard work and perseverance has become a super star in every medium she has played from New York to LA to Las Vegas. Super agent Mengers came to Los Angeles from New York with a German background and from a poor family and worked her way to the top as one of the strongest, gutsiest, hard-working and caring agents Hollywood has ever seen. So, the two ladies have a lot in common; Midler certainly fits the bill to play Sue Mengers in John Logan's one-person play I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers, now at the Geffen through December 22 only.

SHOWTIME has renewed its critically-acclaimed documentary series INSIDE COMEDY for a third season, set to premiere Sunday, February 2nd at 11 P.M. ET/PT.

The legendary actress talked about the possibility of taking a star turn on Broadway in one of theater's most classic musicals.

Lee Roy Reams = Broadway. It's really that simple. Or as Phil Geoffrey Bond, from 54 Below, likes to call this show: BROADWAY 101, and I would Certainly concur. If you have nothing to do tonight, get yourself to the Hottest venue in town, where Sunday Nights have become a "hot ticket" To see some some of the best talent around, doing all sorts of shows.

Happy Birthday, Bette Midler! Bette Midler produced the recent Broadway musical 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert.' She made her Broadway debut playing Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof. Thereafter, she began singing in clubs around town including at the famed Continental Baths where she developed the trademark act that would make her one of the most renowned talents of a generation. Midler's first starring role in the feature film, The Rose, garnered two Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy for the film's title song and a best actress Oscar nomination.