The Bette Midler Show

The Bette Midler Show
HBO Video Cover from RCA SelectaVision CED disc
Written by	Jerry Blatt Bette Midler Bruce Vilanch
Directed by	Tom Trbovich
Starring	Bette Midler
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producer	Aaron Russo
Running time	134 minutes
Distributor	HBO
Release
Original network	HBO
Original release	June 19, 1976 (1976-06-19)

The Bette Midler Show is an HBO video special of one of Bette Midler's tours entitled "The Depression Tour," shot at the Cleveland Music Hall during February 1976 and also issued on Midler's album Live at Last.

The show features many of Bette's popular songs, such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Friends", "In The Mood", "Hello In There", and "Lullaby of Broadway" As well as dazzling the audience with her spontaneous wit with her 'Wonderful Sophie Tucker Jokes' and her special 'The Vicki Eydie Show'.

The original HBO broadcast ran 134 minutes, including material from both of her Cleveland performances and a 5-minute intermission. When it was released on VHS, Betamax and CED Videodisc in 1984 by Embassy Home Video, it was severely shortened to 84-minutes.^[1] Performances of "Birds," "Shiver Me Timbers," the entire "Story of Nanette," a Harlettes-only musical number and countless jokes were removed.

The special has never officially been issued on DVD, but bootlegs are rampant and clips from both versions have surfaced on YouTube.

Cast and Personnel[]

Cast[]

• Bette Midler – Herself

Harlettes[]

• Sharon Redd – Harlettes – Vocals
• Ula Hedwig – Harlettes – Vocals
• Charlotte Crossley – Harlettes – Vocals

Musicians[]

• Betsy And The Blowboys – The Orchestra
• Don York – Keyboards
• Lou Volpe – Guitar
• Richard Trifan – Keyboards
• Ira "Buddy" Williams – Drums
• Jaroslav Jakubovic – Reeds
• Miles Krasner – Trumpet
• Francisco Centeno – Bass
• Joseph Mero – Percussion and Vibes
• Elizabeth Kane – Harp

Personnel[]

• Toni Basil – Choreographer
• Aaron Russo – Producer
• – Musical Director
• Bruce Vilanch
  – Special Material

Acts[]

Act I[]

1. Friends/Oh My My
2. I Sold My Heart To The Junkman
3. Birds (HBO Version)
4. Comic Relief
5. In the Mood
6. Hurry on Down
7. Shiver me Timbers (HBO Version)
8. The Vicki Eydie Show: Around the World, Istanbul, Fiesta in Rio, South Sea's scene, I'm Wishing/One Song, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,
9. Lullaby of Broadway
10. Intermission: You're Moving Out Today

Act II[]

1. Roll Me Through the Rushes (The Harlettes) (HBO Version)
2. Delta Dawn
3. Long John Blues
4. Those Wonderful Sophie Tucker Jokes
5. The Story of Nanette: Nanette, Alabama Song, Drinking Again, Mr. Rockefeller, Ready to Begin Again, Do You Wanna Dance? (HBO Version)
6. Fried Eggs
8. Finale: Up the Ladder to the Roof, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Friends

For further info see Live at Last (Bette Midler album)

External links[]

• Bette Midler Show information on IMDb
• Bette Midler Show on Amazon

References[]