MIDLER PLEASED WITH OPENING NIGHT

Bette Midler is looking forward to seeing sunlight after spending 15 days cooped up inside Caesars Palace, rehearsing for her megashow.

Other than losing her shoes before one number, she was pleased with Wednesday’s premiere performance of “The Showgirl Must Go On” before a sold-out crowd of 4,100 in The Colosseum.

“The crowd was so responsive, so dear. It was really lovely. I had a great time,” said Midler, who is following Celine Dion’s record-breaking five-year run.

Dion misplaced a shoe on opening night at Caesars Palace as well, “so we think that is a wonderful omen,” said John Meglen, co-CEO and president of AEG Live/Concerts West, the company that books talent for Caesars.

Asked if she has been losing sleep before her big night, Midler said, “I have been sleeping OK but I must say I haven’t been out of the building for 15 days. Because it’s a big ship. It’s like building an ocean cruise liner that you have to turn around. It’s really hard to turn it around.

“But we did OK. Nobody died, that’s the key.”

Midler, 62, described the show as “old school, old Vegas, and nothing says old Vegas like a 3,200-pound headdress."

Meglen made it clear to reporters on the red carpet in front of Pure nightclub after the show that it will be a work in progress for some time.

“Like we’ve always said it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Everything will continue to get better and the 250th show will probably be the best of all,” he said.

“She brings so much personality to the stage and warmth to the room." The great thing about Midler, he said, is "she is so good off script."

The opening night got some unscripted publicity when an IRS raid earlier in the day at Pure nightclub, located about 100 yards from the Colosseum, almost forced the after-party to another location. Also raided was Pure Management Group's corporate offices on Industrial Road.

Meglen addressed the situation with some words of support for PMG's top executive Robert Frey.

"I hope everything’s OK because we love Robert Frey and I hope everything’s good there. He came to the show so I guess it can’t be that bad.

" I hope it was just the old couple disgruntled employees stirring it up because I think that’s all it was," said Meglen.

-- NORM CLARKE, Vegas Confidential