Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On

Viewer reactions to Bette Midler's performance here—filmed at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in December 2010, near the end of her three-year Vegas run—will depend largely on whether or not they think that the Divine Miss M's repertoire is enhanced by showgirls flashing bare butt cheeks. Serving up an abbreviated version of the stage show, this hour-plus 11-song set (some tunes don't even feature Midler) finds the brassy Bette in fine voice on a number of popular hits, including “Friends,” “The Rose,” “Do You Wanna Dance,” “From a Distance,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and the sentimental closer, “Wind Beneath My Wings.” But these are highlights in an otherwise over-produced and over-sized Vegas lounge act that feels disappointingly frantic. Midler is no shrinking violet (she delivers a steady stream of bawdy jokes as her famed alter-ego “Soph”), but the stage is too big and cluttered for a diva who really only needs a spotlight and a mic to shine. Less costume changes, more songs, and the absence of the Staggering Harlettes and Caesar Salad Girls might have made this truly a show to remember instead of a run-of-the-mill Vegas revue. Presented in DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, this is an optional purchase. (R. Pitman)