‘Showgirl’ given celebrity send-off

Bette Midler got a celebrity-assisted send-off at Caesars Palace on Sunday, a rousing finale to her two-year run of "The Showgirl Must Go On."

On hand and participating in the emotional farewell: Marie Osmond, dissing Donny; Gladys Knight, singing "Memories," and, via video, Celine Dion, who will be returning to Caesars Palace soon.

The Devine Miss M opened her farewell performance with the words "I survived" before launching into the chorus of "The Showgirl Must Go On."

Midler quickly got into the spirit of the evening by singing "You've Got to Have Friends."

She thanked her Caesar Salad Girls and the Staggering Harlettes. She jabbed at Sarah Palin's "twang," Rush Limbaugh's former Oxycontin addiction ("that makes him an Oxymoron") and, of course, Tiger Woods.

"His poor wife. When he said he was going to play 18 holes, she never imagined."

So she beat him with his own golf clubs, Midler said.

"Now that's a girl who loves irony. Especially three-irony."

There was no shortage of "Kumbaya" moments.

Near the end of the show, while channeling her idol, Sophie Tucker, Midler lay down on the stage and after some schtick, pretended she couldn't get back up.

"Help me out, Donny and Marie!" she cried.

Out of the audience came fellow headliner Marie Osmond, with a microphone.

"Donny should be here to help you up," Osmond said, "like the winds beneath your wings. He's full of hot air."

Osmond added, "Can I get you anything? Water? Ice pack! Perhaps an extension to 2011?"

Minutes before her finale, Midler was greeted with a classic show business practical joke.

As she arrived to ride the elevator up to the stage for her grand entrance, a Cher impersonator (Steven Wayne) from Frank Marino's "Divas Las Vegas" show at Imperial Palace was holding a sign that read "Get Off My Stage, Bitch."

Afterward, Wayne sat in the audience with Joseph Santellano, who impersonates Midler in "Divas Las Vegas."

The joke came after 50 members of Midler's cast and crew attended Marino's show last week.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Look for more details soon but for now I'm hearing the Las Vegas Walk of Stars is planning a dual star presentation for Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin on Feb. 22. Word is the Sinatra estate wants little to do with the event, financially or otherwise.

SIGHTINGS

Film star Jane Seymour, dining at Mundo (World Market Center) Sunday with furniture designer Michael Amini. They are in town for the World Market show this week. ... Actor Ben Stiller, dining at Nove Italiano (Palms) on Saturday. ... John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer of "The Office," dining at Botero (Encore) on Saturday. At another table: Elaine Wynn. ... Former University of Southern California quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Matt Leinart at different tables at N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) on Saturday.

THE PUNCH LINE

Miss Georgia 2009 Emily Cook, during the Miss America state-by-state introductions Saturday, said she was from the home of the Masters Golf Tournament "where I never met Tiger Woods."

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.