Bette Midler to Play Las Vegas and replace Celine Dion

BETTE MIDLER is currently rehearsing a big extravaganza she'll export to Las Vegas to take over from Celine Dion at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. When I was chatting Bette I couldn't quite understand whether she was saying her show would have "plenty of news" or whether she was saying "plenty of nudes" or whether she was saying "plenty of boobs." Anyway, she will most likely call it something like "The Showgirl Must Go On" and she'll bring back some of our favorite characters like Dolores del Lago the Toast of Chicago, the Mermaids, and "Sophie." She is also going to give the crowds who come to her 20 weeks a year "Night with Bette" a lot of brand new stuff. I asked Bette if she'll have large pianos flying across the stage overhead in the manner that Celine Dion does, but she just laughed: "That Colosseum -- it has lots of fun stuff to fool around with." Bette takes her rehearsals to Vegas in October and opens in February. for tickets go to www.tixx.com