Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...There's something about the show that doesn't fully gel. Jackson has a lovely voice, but her energy and stage presence is nothing like Midler's. With a show like this, you either go for a full-on impression or you use the source material as a springboard to something else. The show currently occupies an awkward middle ground between these two options."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...With little support beyond Jeremy Ramey’s vibrant keyboard accompaniment and some infrequent backup singing, she has to carry nearly every moment herself. On opening night she overcompensated, pushing everything much harder than necessary. She’s got a powerful, expressive voice and an authoritative, ingratiating presence, but a bit of nuance might make these 75 minutes feel less exhausting."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...The revue assembled by Hell In A Handbag productions proposes to replicate a night with her Divineness in 1971. Flanked on keyboards by a bewigged Jeremy Ramey playing the golden-locked Manilow of the period, a pair of back-up warblers portrayed by TJ Crawford and Will Wilhelm ( wearing towels anchored at the pelvic bone by some mysterious epidermal-adhesive ), and a few strolling incognitos in beach robes lending a perfunctory lavatorial atmosphere to the Mary's Attic loft, Caitlin Jackson commands the spotlight for an eclectic selection from Midler's early repertoire, including a bouncy "Chattanooga Choo Choo," an operatic "Superstar," a low-down-dirty "Empty Bed Blues"( "my springs are getting rusty" ) and her signature anthem, "Friends.""
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"..The pair of backup twinks clad only in hand towels, played by TJ Crawford and Will Wilhelm, are on the other hand an eye-candy invention. But their not unwelcome presence, along with a few interjections from accompanist Jeremy Ramey as Barry Manilow, help take some weight off of Jackson’s shoulders (or perhaps bosom?). This is the kind of show that’s well suited for Mary’s Attic, newly remodeled to allow for much more seating. It feels just a bit slight, with the intermission in the 14-song set list likely there only to boost bar sales. But as a light summer entertainment, it’s a pleasant taste of gay nostalgia."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Miss M’s sole salutes to the disco era are “Do You Want to Dance?” and the soulful “Superstar.” (You don’t quite feel the 70′s groove here.) Her most personal ballad is for the audience, “You’ve Gotta Have Friends.” (It also becomes the show’s encore, though it’s really a reprise.) Like Judy, Bette’s friends were legend-makers (as much as cleanliness freaks). Sure, nostalgia still ain’t what it used to be but, judging from the show’s opening night, two generations later, even a near simulation can monger memories."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...There are often time when a play is not a play, or even theater, per se, but an evening of solid entertainment and just plain “FUN” (with all caps). Hell in a Handbag Productions is known for its camp productions and the fun stuff they bring to the stage. Their current production is in fact a tribute to the one and only Bette Midler- the early years, when she played the Continental Baths in New York accompanied by none other than Barry Manilow. I must tell you, Hell in a Handbag does one hell of a job with this one. Under the stylish direction of Christopher Pazdernik and musical direction by Jeremy Ramey (who does a strikingly solid performance as Manilow at the keyboards), we are treated to 80 minutes of solid entertainment."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This brassy tribute to the lady, whose career began as an entertainer in a Manhattan bathhouse, is a joyful musical celebration of the phenomenon that is Bette Midler. Clad in gorgeous costumes created by Kate Setzer Kamphausen, Caitlin Jackson is a delight. Offering cheeky comedy and accomplished renditions of Miss Midler’s best-loved early hits, Ms. Jackson and her boys, under the expert direction of Christopher Pazdernik and Jeremy Ramey, provide a raunchy, rousing, tuneful revelry. This entertaining homage to the one-and-only bawdy, Bathhouse Betty is a really cool way to spend a warm summer night."
