We love Las Vegas, but we can only go there once every few years. Our livers, wallets and criminal records just can’t take much more than that.
That means we rely on DVDs to keep us up-to-date on all the great shows we wish we’d seen live. (Sadly, we can never erase the memory of the one performer we did see at Caesar’s Colosseum – Celine Dion. That’s 90 minutes and hundreds of dollars we’ll never get back. Not to mention all the therapy for our newest phobia – flying pianos.)
So, until the Blu-ray Criterion Edition of Donny and Marie with extended bonus footage, souvenir poster and backstage scratch-and-sniff cards comes out on DVD, we’re thrilled that there’s something even gayer to occupy our time.
Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On splendidly captures the essence of her $10 million extravaganza that played more than 300 performances over a three-year run at Caesar’s Palace. For 70 minutes Midler owns the stage, trotting out (and in some cases wheeling out) her best-known characters and most beloved songs.
“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” is as much a show-stopper as “Wind Beneath My Wings” a show-slower (but we love that song regardless, every sappy note of it).
Sure, the DVD isn’t ever going to be as good as watching the performance live, but it definitely offers up a better, more comfortable seat for a far lower price.
Just invite your friends over and charge them $20 for each tiny glass of sparkling wine. Set up a blackjack table in the living room so they can lose all their money. And go the extra mile to hire a hooker to steal their wallets when they go to the bathroom. (Alternate choice, if money allows: a hooker to cut out their kidneys and put them in a tub filled with ice.)
As Bette Midler belts out “The Rose” from the big screen, your friends will thank you for perfectly recreating the Vegas experience.
$19.98 DVD, $24.98 Blu-ray on www.amazon.com
[box border=”full”]GAY LIST GIVEAWAY!
Want to win a Blu-Ray or DVD of The Showgirl Must Go On? Simply fill out our Contact Us form and specify your format preference (DVD or Blu-Ray). We will randomly select winners from all eligible entries. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, October 4, 2011. Good luck![/box]
*Editor’s Note: The writer’s opinion on The Celine is not shared by everyone at Gay List Daily world headquarters. In fact, some of us love The Celine and thought that the $700 spent on tickets was well worth it.
