Bette Midler proved why she’s called the Divine Miss M, delivering an epic speech to accept the Tony Award Sunday for her star turn in the Broadway revival of “Hello, Dolly!” — and stubbornly refusing to leave the stage until she was good and ready.
In her four-minute-plus oration, she thanked the actors and creative team in the hit musical production as well as former teachers and actresses who previously played her role, from Carol Channing to Pearl Bailey.
But as the orchestra struck up “There’s No Business Like Show Business” hoping to usher her from the stage, Midler was having none of it.