Forget Vienna, I wanna go to Vegas!

I've been a huge fan of Bette Midler since I first tapped along to her rendition of "In The Mood" at the old Roland and Romaine Dance Studio on Bloor Street.

I've seen her in concert only once in Toronto and she was amazing. I've got the albums, the sheet music, and of course who can forget her poignant send-off to Johnny Carson? And I vividly remember sitting on the end of the bed in some hotel room in San Diego, watching her sing "Stay With Me Baby" on TV (it was one of her older concerts) and by the end of the number I was blubbering like a baby. Oh, and I was also one of the seven people who loved her short-lived TV sitcom "Bette".

According to this article in Playbill:

Star of stage, screen and song, Bette Midler, has signed a two-year deal as the new resident artist at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Midler, who will succeed Grammy winner Celine Dion, will begin performances Feb. 20, 2008. Her new show -- which promises "plenty of girls, gags and guffaws, her incomparable humor, the best song catalogue in American music and her fabulous 'Kiss My Brass' section" -- will play five nights a week at 7:30 PM. Dark nights are Mondays and Thursdays.

In a statement the award-winning Midler said, "Get ready Vegas 'cause here I come! Caesars Palace will never be the same and to all those critics who have accused me of being 'tacky,' 'too much' and 'over the top' I say, you ain't seen nuthin' yet!"

Caesars Palace president Gary Selesner added, "Caesars Palace has set the standard for entertainment in Las Vegas by continually booking the biggest and best acts the city has ever seen including Celine Dion and Elton John. Adding the inimitable Bette Midler to The Colosseum's family of entertainers adds yet another jewel to our crown."

Tickets, priced $95, $140, $175 and $250, are now on sale by calling 1-877-7BETTEM (723-8836) or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

Bette Midler made her Broadway debut as Tzeitel in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. She returned to the Great White Way in several concerts: Bette Midler, Bette Midler's Clams on the Half Shell Revue and Bette! Divine Madness. She was awarded a Special Tony Award in 1974 for "adding luster to the Broadway season."

Midler's screen credits are extensive and include Oscar nominations for her performances in "For the Boys" and "The Rose." She is also the recipient of Grammy Awards for Record of the Year ("Wind Beneath My Wings, 1989), Best Pop Vocal Performance Female ("The Rose," 1980) and Best New Artist (1973).

For more information visit www.bette.aeglive.com.

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