Bette Midler and Barry Manilow go back to their roots -- and back to the bathhouse -- in this bawdy tribute comedy.
Friday, September 20 at Laurie Beechman Theatre
Bette Midler tribute artist Donna Maxon revisits the glorious 70's with her new cabaret show BETTE & BARRY: BACK TO THE BATHHOUSE co-written by Maxon and director Michael Schiralli. Maxon stars as the Divine Miss M, performing a hilariously bawdy act of tunes, monologues, and jokes. The show co-stars musical director Fonda Feingold as Barry Manilow, and the duo proudly pays homage to the partnership that Midler and Manilow began at New York’s Continental Baths in 1970. BETTE & BARRY: BACK TO THE BATHHOUSE runs one night only, Friday, September 20 at 11pm at the Laurie Beechman Theatre inside West Bank Cafe (407 West 42 Street at 9th Avenue). Tickets are $20. A full dinner menu and a full bar are available; there is a $15 per person food/drink minimum. Doors open one hour before show time. Transportation: all trains/buses to Port Authority/Times SquareTo purchase advance tickets call 212-352-3101 or visit www.SpinCycleNYC.com.
BETTE & BARRY: BACK TO THE BATHHOUSE is a theatrical imagining of current-day Midler and Manilow returning for “one more show, for old times sake” at the legendary Continental Bathhouse. Incorporating songs from throughout both Midler’s career (Wind Beneath My Wings, Delta Dawn, Friends, and more) and Manilow’s (Copacabana, Looks Like We Made It, Mandy, and others), the banter between the pair touches on highlights of their career, including a touching reminiscence of friends from their bathhouse days lost to AIDS.
While Maxon has a long career as a Bette Midler tribute artist, this show marks the theatrical debut of Fonda Feingold (a woman) as Barry Manilow --- America's foremost professional Barry Manilow drag king!
Donna Maxon (Bette) has been known for over 20 years as one of the world’s foremost Bette Midler tribute artists. Donna has appeared on numerous television shows including ‘Saturday Night Live,’ 'The Wayne Brady Show,’ "Celebrity Apprentice,"and ‘One Life to Live,’ and continues to perform in such celebrated venues as the Borgata, Trump’s, Harrah’s, and Foxwoods. In addition to her work as a performer, Donna is an author and activist, and is currently serving as president of the Council on the Arts and Humanities of Staten Island.
Fonda Feingold (Barry) is a native of Winthrop, Massachusetts. She went to college to become a concert pianist, but her inclination to write pop music eclipsed the lure of the classics. Her songs landed her a solo album on the Polygram label entitled Fonda Feingold, but the album was shelved. After a long legal battle, she was able to record her self-produced EPs "Finally" and "Before and After." Fonda currently lives in NYC and is a member of the "Lenox Sound Machine," a rhythm section along with Richard Crooks on drums, Scott Spray on bass, John "Ratso" Gerardi on guitars. Her distinctive keyboard work and vocal arrangements can currently be heard on several new CD's from Lenox Sound.