HIGH GEAR/JANUARY 1978

Page 4

ALL ABOUT BETTE

Evaluating the worth of a performing artist is an awesome, challenging task. Gold records, sold-out concerts, television appearances all figure in the picture. But the sum total must include consideration of an undefinable quality--the artist's relationship with her audience, to what extent they dedicate themselves to her, care about her, treat her as more than someone who comes to town once a year.

Bette Midler has earned gold records, smashed box-office records, appeared on major television broadcasts. She is acknowledged as one of the recording industry's most enthusiastic and unique entertainers. However, Bette is more than even her many commendations and overwhelming career success signify. She is beloved, treasured and adored by legions of fans all over the world. The people who enjoy the diversity of Bette Midler's many

CYNTHIA GREGORY

Cynthia Gregory, one of America's gifted ballerinas, was born in Los Angeles, California.

talents clamor for her records and live shows as they would await a visit from a special friend. And Bette-she's as involved with her audiences as they are with her.

The diminutive redhead, who really was named after Bette Davis, was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. Show business always appealed to Bette, and she majored in drama at college in Hawaii. Bette next secured an extra's part during the filming of "Hawaii," and used her earnings to move to New York, where she pursued her musical career in earnest.

Like many other young performers in New York during the late 1960's, Bette began to sing in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village. She diligently pursued theatrical roles, and eventually landed a chorus spot in "Fiddler on the Roof," graduating to the featured role of Tevye's oldest daughter.

she

classic roles as the Sylphide in La Sylphide, the title roles in and Gisselle Raymonda, Swanilda in Coppelia, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and Much of her early ballet training Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, but was with Carmelita Maracci. has also inspired She such started dancing choreographers as Michael Smuin, Dennis Nahat professionally with the San Francisco Ballet where she and Eliot Feld to create roles for quickly rose to soloist rank. At her in contemporary ballets, inthe same time, she danced with cluding The Eternal Idol and Gartenfest (Sumin); Harbinger the San Francisco Opera where, at eighteen, she became a Prinand At Midnight (Feld); and cipal Dancer. She joined Brahms Quintet (Nahat). She American Ballet Theatre in 1965. dances leading roles in Tales of Hoffmann, Undertow, Dark Elegies, Jardin aux Lilas, The River, Les Sylphides, Grand Pas Classique, Theme Variations, Voluntaries, Le Baiser de la Fee and La Bayadere.

In 1967, when the Company was on tour in San Francisco, she made an auspicious debut as Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. Later that year, she made her New York debut in the role a debut which confirmed the emergence of a major American ballerina.

Miss Gregory not only excels in the interpretation of

tion of such

and

Miss Gregory was a recipient of the 1975 Dance Magazine Award, honoring her dedication to and enrichment of, the art of

dance.

Bette's keenest aspiration was to feature herself in her own cabaret-style show, and, in an episode that has been extensively documented, was "discovered" singing at the Continental Baths on New York's upper West Side. Her rapid-fire hilarious commentary, accompanying an extensive choice of music, delivered by a robust voice that proved gifted at singing everything from standards to rock, resulted in meteoric national attention and the first of Bette's two gold Atlantic record albums.

Every year has brought greater acclaim and more extensive achievements for Bette. When she appeared in her own Broadway engagement at the end of her $3 million crosscountry tour, she set that theatre's box-office record for advance ticket sales in a single day-$160,000. When she triumphantly returned to Broadway in her "Clams on the Half-Shell

BALLET

CLEVELAND BALLET is pleased to announce that "America's first ballerina", Cynthia Gregory, will dance with the company in all six performances scheduled during its January 1978 series at Cleveland's dowr town Hanna Theatre. Perforn ance dates are January 20, 21 22, 26, 27, and 28. Miss Gregory will appear in two ballets on each performance, works selected for her from the repertory of Cleveland Ballet.

In her association as Princip. Dancer with American Ball Theatre and as a guest arti with major ballet companie. around the world, Cynthia Gregory has become recognized ar one of the major dance artists o: our time. In December of 1976, following her return to the stage from a brief retirement, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that "Miss Gregory was stunning, so pure and beautiful as may hardly be surpassed." Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Daily News wrote of the artist that "she is unbeatable at her own game."

Revue," she broke her own boxoffice record, chalking up more than $200,000 in one day. By the time the show had concluded its run (which, by popular demand, was extended from four to ten weeks) Bette's Revue had grossed more than $1.8 million, the largest gross in Broadway history for a 10-week engagement.

By the time Bette's third album, "Songs for the New Depression" was released in early 1976, she had already been honored with a Grammy Award and a Tony Award. Once again, she barnstormed across America with a 20-city, 80performance tour that was a 2 1/2 hour extravaganza of songs, dance and the spicy wit which is naturally Bette. The Bette Midler Show was later presented as a major, coast-to-coast Home Box Office television spectacular.

A Bette Midler performance is as much a treat for the star as it

Miss Gregory has indicated her pleasure at renewing her association with Cleveland Ballet and its directors lan Horvath and Dennis Nahat, dancers and choreographers with whom she has shared a long and productive ballet friendship. Presently a free lance artist, her most recent engagement before joining Cleveland Ballet was in Vienna, Austria where, partnered by Rudolph Nureyev in "Swan Lake", Miss Gregory received an outstanding critical and popular accolade for her brilliant dancing.

PICTURED FROM "CHICAGO": CAROLYN KIRSCH AS VELMA

and productive ballet friendship. CHICAGO

Miss Gregory will appear in featured roles in works selected for her from the Cleveland Ballet repertory. She will dance the contemplative and Romantic solo in the third movement of Dennis Nahat's "Suite Caracteristique," a ballet premiered by Cleveland Ballet in November of 1976 to

Tchaikovsky's "Suite No. 2 in C Major, Opus 53". Miss Gregory will be partnered by Mr. Nahat in the featured role in Cleveland Ballet's "Grand Pas de Dix," CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Award-winning Jerry Orbach starred in the long-running Broadway musical smash vaudeville "Chicago" recreating his Tony nominated perfor mance as the fast talking lawyer Billy Flynn, with Penny Worth and Carolyn Kirsch featured as Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, respectively, in the National Touring Company which played the subscription series at the Hanna Theatre beginning Monday, January 2nd for a limited engagement of two weeks in addition to 10 other major cities including Boston, Toronto, Miami, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Based on Maurine Watkins' comedy hit of the same name, "Chicago" has been directed

is for her fans. "I just try to have a good time and let the audience in on the secret,"

Bette has said. "It's like giving a party and I am the Grande Hostess. I always wanted to be Gertrude Stein and have a salon." Critics, as well, have inundated Bette with praise, paying tribute to the effervescence and total dedication with which she approaches each new show. Said Robert Hilburn in the Los Angeles Times, "Midler shows more range and vision on stage than either Barbra Steisand or Liza Minnelli."

And as People Magazine has commented, capturing the essence of why Bette Midler perpetually supplies exquisite entertainment for an evergrowing world-wide following, "she is a showpiece of exhausting versatility, singing, dancing, she brings SRO houses to their feet night after night."

KELLY (LEFT) AND PENNY WORTH AS ROXIE HART (RIGHT)

and choreographed by Bob Fosse, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The book for "Chicago" is by Messrs. Fosse and Ebb, with scenery by Tony Walton, costumes by Patricia Zipprodt and lighting by Jules Fisher. Musical direction is by Arthur Wagner, orchestrations by Ralph Burns with dance music arranged by Peter Howard and sound design by Abe Jacob. Featured in the cast are Haskell Gordon, M. O'Haughey and Edye Byrde.

"Chicago" has been produced by Robert Fryer and James Cresson in association with Martin Richards and Joseph Harris and Ira Bernstein.