The pre-Stonewall generation had Judy Garland; the soundtrack of Stonewallers' lives starred Bette Midler, the first mainstream performer to acknowledge the role of openly gay men in jumpstarting her career.
Bette got the deluxe treatment last year on A&E's Biography with a two-hour show ( under 90 minutes without commercials ) which is now getting a commercial release as The Divine Bette Midler.
Unpreviewed extras include full versions of some of the musical numbers excerpted on the show and expanded interviews from which sound bites were taken.
The '70s come back to life in footage shot during 'The Divine Miss M's' appearances at New York's Continental Baths and her relevant raunchiness is captured, even if a few words were bleeped for basic cable.
Since marrying her 'Kraut,' Martin von Hasselberg, in 1984, Midler has toned down her act somewhat, becoming a respectable wife and mother. Her biggest hits have been sappy ballads, 'The Wind Beneath My Wings' and 'From a Distance,' and her activism has focused on environmental efforts like literally cleaning up New York. She's made more bad movies ( Isn't She Great, Hocus Pocus ) than good ones ( The First Wives Club, Ruthless People ) .
In other words, post-Stonewall gays might well wonder why they should care about this aging diva. The Divine Bette Midler could hardly answer that question better if it had been made for exclusively gay audiences. Many of the friends and associates who join Midler in commenting on her life are openly gay: Bruce Vilanch, Marc Shaiman, Craig Zadan, Jann Wenner. And then there's Barry Manilow ... .
Although the familiar Biography format is followed, Bette's is more upbeat than most. There are the requisite down times—deaths in the family, career lulls—but these are treated more as asides than focal points as the show moves from one career high to another.
The story begins with Bette's birth on Dec. 1, 1945, in Honolulu. As a girl she experiences some discrimination as the only Jewish girl in her school ( 'I was very studious because that's all there was to do—if you didn't surf' ) but she combats it by becoming class clown. With the money she makes working as an extra in the movie Hawaii she heads for New York. ( Vilanch: 'She didn't blossom until she came to New York and met a lot of gay guys ... .' )
She spends three years in Fiddler on the Roof, moving from the chorus to a major role, and does some progressive shows off-Broadway, including playing a nymphomaniac in the rock musical Salvation.
The 1970s is the key decade for Midler, from developing her act at the baths ( with Manilow on piano ) through her Oscar-nominated movie debut in The Rose. She gets a contract with Atlantic Records, although it takes a year and some false starts before they can capture her personality; and she starts touring with shows that aren't mere concerts but a mixture of torchy ballads, outrageous humor, lavish production numbers and styles and techniques resurrected from vaudeville and burlesque.
Although Bette had recently completed her successful Kiss My Brass tour, this show was timed to promote her remake of The Stepford Wives and ends with that as if it was going to be a significant achievement for her.
One of the most distinctive and versatile performers of the 20th century, Bette Midler was also one of the most beloved of at least one generation of gays. The Divine Bette Midler is a welcome reminder of the greatness and the sheer fun she brought us.
Windy City Performing Arts' Pride concert
For anyone who's ever been in love, this concert is especially for you. Come celebrate the power, passion, and perplexities of this thing we call 'Love' as the choral ensembles of Windy City Performing Arts ( WCPA ) raise their voices with pride to celebrate their lives, loves and relationships in a concert called: In Love.
In Love features Windy City Gay Chorus ( under the direction of WCPA artistic director Ron Guthrie ) , Unison: Windy City Lesbian & Gay Singers ( under the direction of Dr. Wilbert O. Watkins ) and Windy City Slickers ( under the co-direction of Claire Bigley and Gillian Kelly ) . In Love is filled with an eclectic blend of music by composers ranging from Beethoven to Gershwin, Schubert to Bernstein, and Stephen Schwartz of Wicked fame. Songs popularized by performers such as Judy Garland, Jars of Clay and the King's Singers are also on the bill for In Love.
In Love will be performed in two shows at 8 p.m. Friday, June 17 and 8 p.m. Saturday, June 18 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster, in Chicago. Tickets are $20 general admission and can be purchased three ways: online at www.windycitysings.org; via telephone at ( 773 ) 404-9242; at the door one hour prior to performance. Groups of 10 or more receive a 15 percent discount.
A post-concert party and reception follows the Saturday evening concert at 10 p.m. at Charlie's Ale House located at 5308 N. Clark St., in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood just a few blocks northwest of Ebenezer Lutheran. Tickets to the party are $10 and feature plenty of refreshments.
WCPA's plans for its 2005-'06 concert season include a performance at New York City's Carnegie Hall, a new Holiday CD recording, and participation in the 2006 Chicago Gay Games VII.
Call ( 773 ) 404-9242.
