By Charles Baran
Do you want to dance? Shelley Keelor sure does. Come November 22 and 23, 2025, South Florida’s award-winning multi-talented singer and actress, Shelley Keelor, will be doing just that at the Gray Box Theater in her brand-new Bette Midler tribute show entitled Bette Midler Tribute: Bathhouse to Broadway. Produced by Upstage Productions, Bathhouse to Broadway promises to be an exciting musical journey through Midler’s extraordinary career; from the early days at the Continental Baths to her 2017 record-breaking run on Broadway in Hello Dolly. Janice Hamilton, founder of Upstage Productions, is thrilled to bring Shelley’s tribute show to the recently opened Gray Box Theater, Wilton Manors’ new performance space located in the Island City Plaza on NE 26 Street. Shelley’s super excited as well. “Wilton Manors’ audiences are my favorite! The crowds are so loving and appreciative.”
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Shelley was only three when she decided she wanted a career in show business. While her formative years were spent listening to Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, the incredible Whitney Houston, and Dolly Parton, Bette Midler’s music and career were, and remain, a big inspiration. “Bette’s a quadruple threat. She can do it all. Singer, actress, comedienne, dancer. Plus, she’s an amazing human being and mother.”
Shelley, one of South Florida’s leading cabaret performers, has written and performed in many sold-out solo shows, several of which have toured across Florida. The Midler one, however, feels extra special. “She’s had such a terrific life. I wanted to highlight her journey. One of the things I most admire about her is her tenacity. She’s a force to be reckoned with!” When asked what songs the audience can expect to hear, Shelley exclaims excitedly, “I love them all! It was so hard deciding what to put in an eighty-minute show. We have songs from the Divine Miss M, Beaches, stories, jokes and great videos.”
By “we,” Shelley means her amazing co-performers, Kristi Rose Mills (Something Rotten – Slow Burn Theatre Co.) and Sabrina Lynn Gore (A Delicate Balance – Island City Stage). “I am so lucky to have Kristi and Sabrina in the show with me. Sabrina actually played an integral part in developing it. She’s my co-writer, co-director and helped with the choreography. Plus, we have the terrific Phil Hinton as our musical director for the Gray Box shows.”
Shelley wants it to be clearly known that audiences should not expect an impersonation of the great Bette Midler. “This is a tribute show, an homage if you will. It’s done with a great deal of respect and love for Midler and the material. We run the gamut, ballads to bawdy numbers and of course, lots of jokes!”
There are two performances, Saturday, November 22 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, November 23 at 3 pm. Tickets start at $49 with select VIP seating and group rates available. For more information visit the Upstage Productions website at www.upstageproductions.net
