Bette MidlerStudy Guide

Bette Midler

BIOGRAPHY®

: Bette MidlerFans and artistic collaborators often use the same word to describe the force of Bette Midler’s performances: she is a steamroller. Her vibrancy, her exuberance, and the depth of her talent demand the attention of anyone in her orbit. This uplifting BIOGRAPHY traces Midler’s route from an average girl growing up in Hawaii to one of the most captivating entertainers to hit the contemporary stage and screen. Not a person with remarkable credentials or powerful connections at the start of her career, this documentary shows how Midler’s energy and charisma were the real engines behind her rise to show business stardom and success. What emerges from this BIOGRAPHY is a woman who literally embodies the qualities so many of our favorite entertainers have in common. Midler is a truly original artist who exudes confidence and exemplifies in her performances the humanity we all share.

This one-hour BIOGRAPHY features interviews with actors and musicians Midler has worked with over the course of her career. From her early years on Broadway through her electrifying concerts and film roles, this program includes recollections from Midler herself as she describes her experiences and transformations over the years. The woman who has become known as the “Divine Miss M,” or simply as Bette, is not solely focused on delighting audiences. A committed mother and family person, Midler has also dedicated her time to a project close to her heart. She founded the New York Restoration Project to help restore, maintain and develop community gardens in New York City. As a public advocate, a private citizen, and a world-class entertainer, Midler is a prime example of someone who has used her life to make a difference in both large and small ways. Clips in this program from her performance at a September 11th benefit concert at Yankee Stadium sum up Midler’s appeal – she shows how, at its best, our popular culture is not just a way to enjoy our free time, it is the medium through which we discover and remember what unites us.

We would like to thank the makers of Tylenol® for their sponsorship of these educational materials.

Curriculum Links:

BIOGRAPHY: Bette Midler would be useful for Performing Arts, Current Events, and Journalism courses. Due to some sensitive content, we recommend it for high school students. It would be an excellent program for after school events and programs and for multi-generational community groups. Educators may want to use clips from this program to highlight the meaning and importance of restoration and conservation.

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Discussion Questions:

1. How do you think Bette Midler’s upbringing and family relationships have influenced her career?

2. What was Midler’s approach to pursuing an acting career? Do you think her success is attributable to luck, talent, or both?

3. How did the death of Midler’s sister affect her life and her outlook? How do you think the death of a loved one can change people’s lives?

4. What qualities do you think helped make Midler a success in her public and personal life?

5. What were some of the challenges Midler faced throughout her career? How has she dealt with them?

6. Which moments in Midler’s career do you think were the most important?

7. What are Midler’s priorities other than performing? What are some examples of how she has pursued these priorities?

8. What do you think about Midler’s commitment to saving community gardens and building new ones? How do you think these gardens can change the neighborhoods in which they are located?

9. How do you think it’s possible that so many people throughout our country and our world agree that certain performers are the best? Why do you think so many people feel this way about Bette Midler?

10. Think about the performers and artists you admire. What are the qualities all of them share?

Extended Activities:

1. A&E® has a special campaign called Lives That Make a Difference™ which highlights the positive contributions of celebrities and everyday people who make our local, national, and world communities better places to live. Bette Midler has been chosen as an example of someone who has used her celebrity status to help make change and inspire others to do the same. In many ways, the same qualities that make Midler such a dynamic performer also play a role in her drive to make a difference. Brainstorm five positive adjectives that you think most describe a successful person. Share your ideas with your larger class or group, and choose one representative to write them down on a blackboard or long piece of roll paper. Note the adjectives that are repeated and which ones you may not have thought of yourself. Then, choose which quality you think is most important to professional and personal success. Write a 1-page essay describing why you think this quality is so valuable. You may want to include examples of people from your own life who share this quality as well.

adversityaspiringcompassion

conservationeclecticindividuality

restorationtempestuousversatile

Vocabulary:

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Bette Midler shakes hands with George Pataki, Governor of New York.

2. In 1995, Bette Midler founded an organization called the New York Restoration Project which focuses on cleaning up and restoring community gardens in New York City and advocates for the construction of new ones. You can find out more about this organization at their website www.nyrp.org. Imagine that it is your task to build a community garden or park in your neighborhood. Make a drawing or creative representation of your park or garden. Write a list of the essential areas, items or themes you would include. (Note: Many of these spaces are named after notable people. Whom would your garden or park be named after?)

3. In the feature film, For the Boys, Bette Midler plays a performer sent by the USO (United Service Organizations) to entertain troops during World War II. This story is a fictional tale which portrays an important tradition in which popular culture performers have been sent overseas to uplift the spirits of service men and women and to connect them to home. At the library or using the Internet, research the history and mission of the USO. In an essay of 2-3 pages, describe the work of this organization. You may want to include the details of one show or concert in particular and be sure to include the context in which it took place including the location, date, and conflict or war going on at the time. (Bonus Question: If you were asked to organize one of these performances, which entertainers would you invite?)

4. Throughout the country there are many organizations dedicated to helping people. Some of them focus on specific causes such as finding cures for diseases or helping raise money for research. Others provide services, giving food, housing, and companionship to those in need. Choose a cause or issue that is important to you. At the library, or using the Internet, research the groups which have been created to address this cause or issue. Think about how you might get involved and “make a difference” yourself!

Additional ResourcesBooks:Bego, Mark. Bette Midler: Still Divine (Cooper Square Press: 2003).Huff, Barbara A. and Peter Ziebel (photographer). Greening the City Streets: The Story of Community Gardens

(Clarion Books: 1990).Rybczynski,Witold. A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmstead and America in the 19th Century

(Touchstone, 1999).Wolf, Thomas, et al. Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century (Free Press: 1999).

Websites:A Bette Midler website with biography, music links, and more: www.bettemidler.com/index_nf.htmlThe official website for Midler’s New York Restoration Project: www.nyrp.orgThe website of the American Community Garden Association: www.communitygarden.org

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