Iconic Bette Midler is headed to Broadway for the first time in 30 years.
The legendary actress will star as famed Hollywood agent Sue Mengers in I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers.
Written by Tony winner John Logan and directed by Tony winner Joe Mantello, the show opens in April at one of the Shubert theaters.
Hailed as the first female “superagent,” Mengers launched her career at a time when women talent agents were unheard of.
She started out as a receptionist at a small company and rose to fame as a top agent at ICM and William Morris with a client roster including superstars Barbra Streisand, Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway and Michael Caine.
After retirement she stayed famous by hosting intimate gatherings at her Beverly Hills home.
She died in 2011.
“I met Sue Mengers only once, at a dinner party,” Logan said in a statement. “The kaftan, constant cigarettes, tinted glasses, and perfect blond hair were much in evidence; so too the deliciously wicked wit and stevedore language. But something else fascinated me just as much: a sense of sadness, a deep resignation; a woman whose time had passed her by. At one point I asked her what had changed most about Hollywood since she had arrived. She didn’t hesitate for a second: ‘Honey, we used to have fun…’ Later in the evening she settled back and lit up a joint. There she was: a joint in one hand and a cigarette in the other. At that moment I knew I had to write the play.”j