‘On Bette Midler: An Opinionated Guide’ by Kevin Walker (Oxford Univ. Press, 2024)
—Cathy Ritchie
I love curtain calls. Whether (or not) the show is spectacular, I’m always grateful for the chance to celebrate the actors and creatives who have come together to offer me something from their hearts.
In April 2017 a curtain call lit up Broadway, for a musical theatre classic taking new bows after a long absence. The audience’s joy was palpable, especially when the show’s leading lady, in her early 70s, seized her moment in the spotlight. Resplendent in her 1885 garb with its gorgeous fabrics and lavish headgear, the woman in question looked simply, well, Divine.
It was Tony-Award-winning Bette Midler, of course, basking in the applause for arguably the capstone role of her vast career, as Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi in the long-awaited revival of Hello, Dolly! I watched the bows via YouTube, and was moved to see such a vivacious and iconic senior citizen at her moment of glory.
A curtain call for the ages.
Author Kevin Winkler celebrates Midler in his brief but hugely substantive study of the Divine Miss M, On Bette Midler: An Opinionated Guide. In fewer than 200 pages, he skillfully treats both Midler mavens and Bette beginners to the broad sweep of this singular woman’s achievements, while not avoiding frank discussion of the artistic missteps he believes have befallen her at times.
A few caveats. Winkler states up front that he did not personally interview Midler, her family, or any colleagues for the book, though he does cite her and others copiously via various sources. I didn’t feel at all deprived by his decision, especially as the quotations are all well-chosen. He spends very little time discussing Midler’s personal life, except to mention briefly her enduring marriage to performance artist Martin von Haselberg and their devotion to daughter Sophie. Instead, his overwhelming focus is on Midler the entertainer.
Winkler divides his book into four sections: her live stage shows and forays into theatre from Fiddler On The Roof to Dolly; her recordings; her television work; and her movies. Winkler describes her many projects in chronological order, and his narrative moves smoothly and engrossingly.
He offers thoughtful detail on the evolution of her memorable stage shows over the years, events always laced with “gay show-biz sensibility,” from the Continental Baths to Broadway venues with stops in-between. No matter what formats Midler embraced, these live productions, always including plentiful off-center commentary on current events, remained a core component of her trademark persona. Winkler’s narrative is enlightening and fascinating.
His discussion of Midler’s recording career is also first-rate, as he analyzes many of the songs from her solo albums. The charmingly raucous persona she has projected to audiences may have unwittingly obscured her superb singing talent. Midler has tackled time-honored chestnuts a la “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and more contemporary power ballads, with “Wind Beneath My Wings” arguably one of the finest examples. Midler’s recordings have included works both lightly comical and thoughtful, and Winkler does a fine job introducing readers to this portion of her oeuvre.
In the “television” section, we’re reminded what an unforgettable talk-show guest Midler has always been, the classic example being her May 1992 Emmy-Award-winning spoken and sung farewell to The Tonight Show’s Johnny Carson. Original work produced intentionally for television didn’t always fare as well, though her portrayal of the iconic Mama Rose in 1993’s Gypsy received some appreciation. Her starring role in a sitcom was short-lived. On balance, implies Winkler, Midler’s “one and done” appearances on variety and conversation shows were almost always a better bet for viewers.
The author’s final, and most outspoken section is devoted to Midler’s feature film output. For Winkler, her 1979 debut movie The Rose, for which Midler was Oscar-nominated, is the high point of her entire cinema career, with her other efforts falling far short of that mark. (While I’ve not seen that many Midler movies, I must agree that her performance in The Rose was phenomenal.)
I sense a tinge of regret in Winkler’s commentary for this section: he seems saddened that the cinema projects Midler undertook weren’t worthy of her talents, as she made some questionable professional decisions along the way. However, he clearly believes his reading audience deserves to learn about all of Midler’s output, regardless of quality; I appreciate his honesty.
Midler has also been an active citizen of the world, spearheading efforts by the New York Restoration Project to clean up the city she’s always loved. Her decades of achievement have included a Kennedy Center Honor in 2021. And, at age 79, as another election looms, she currently offers pungent voice-over commentary in some selected political advertisements.
On Bette Midler is a superb, one-stop shopping achievement. It’s a book that’s sure to introduce Midler to a new generation or two, and to bring some welcome nostalgia to those who have enjoyed decades of musical excellence, comedic catharsis, and sheer outrageous joy thanks to the Divine Miss M. It’s a fine salute to a remarkable woman. Here’s a fun video moment of Midler and Dolly co-star David Hyde Pierce. Enjoy!
