BETTE MIDLER REP: RUMORS OF WYNN ENGAGEMENT ‘NOT TRUE’

Bette Midler's homage to the Las Vegas showgirl is over.

The final curtain came down Sunday night at Caesars Palace, where a capacity crowd of 4,200 greeted her with a standing ovation and joined in a tearful goodbye to "The Showgirl Must Go On."

Backstage "was so abuzz," said Jill Hattersley, Midler's longtime executive assistant.

Midler's dressing room had floral arrangements from wall to wall, said Hattersley.

Entertainment giant AEG sent 170 roses, one of each show, she said. Other floral arrangements came from Celine Dion, Wayne Brady, and Marty Ehrlichman, Barbra Streisand's longtime manager.

Erlichman's son, JJ, who is Midler's company manager, told me the evening "was much more emotional than I thought it would be."

In the audience was Wayne Newton, Rita Rudner, George Wallace, Midler's longtime writer Bruce Vilanch, Elaine Wynn, Anthony Crivello of "Phantom: the Las Vegas Spectacular" and boxing promoter Bob Arum and his wife Lovee.

Spotted at the after-party at Bradley Ogden restaurant, a bagel throw from the Colosseum, was Tony Basil, Midler's longtime choreographer, Midler's showgirls, the Caesars Salad Girls, the Staggering Harlettes, writer Eric Kornfeld, Newton and prop comic Carrot Top.

"We've been preparing for this show for a full year," Kornfeld told me.

The toughest challenge to the show, he said, was that it did not contain an intermission. Costume changes were stressful. At one point, Midler had 90 seconds to get out of her mermaid costume, he said.

Many at the party said they were proud that Midler embraced the city by taking in shows, supporting fellow headliners and enjoying the world-class restaurants.

"She went to Red Rock park, a boxing match with the Arums and we bowled at Lucky Strike Lanes," said Hattersley, who has been with Midler for 15 years.

Midler won't have much of a break before returning to the stage.

She'll be in New York for a show with Sean Lennon featuring songs by Yoko Ono. Joining her will be Eric Clapton and James Taylor.

Rumors that she's heading for Steve Wynne's Encore Theater "are not true," said Hattersley.

-- NORM CLARKE, Vegas Confidential