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DOLLY Hulaween w/ Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber & More
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Nov 4, 2022
'Everyone is entitled to clean, green, open space, not just the rich.' Bette Midler doesn't just say that, she believes it, and her years of work with the New York Restoration Project are proof. Last night Broadway's current and future cast of Hello, Dolly! gathered at Midler's Hulaween bash- the annual benefit supporting the New York Restoration Project, held at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
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0:00
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:02
No one does Halloween better than Bette Midler with her Hooloween extravaganza
0:07
And we caught up with Bette and the stars on the red carpet. It's Hooloween, everybody
0:11
Happy Hooloween! Who chose these for you
0:21
Well, hers is incredible. Tell the story. Well, I got together with a couple of friends and we were deciding the theme tonight is Garden of Earthly Delights
0:28
And so we came up with the, my friend Eric Winterling, who you may know from Eric Winterling's amazing shop
0:34
came up with the idea of a snake and an apple, and we kind of made her the sort of 1950s happy birthday, Mr. President Eve
0:41
That is stunning. And yours, Miss Bumblebee, right? Well, yes, Killer Bee, actually. I have some vodka stinger in my purse, don't tell anyone
0:50
Did you get dressed at the theater, or you came in cabs, or cars, or how did you walk out of your house
0:54
Tried to fit in the cab. Came in cabs. Tried to fit in the cab, you know. Ducked into a cab. Yeah, and hair and all the things
1:01
And Beanie and Taylor and I came together. They had to wait on me to fully bake, you know
1:07
To lay down in the car? Just about. I had Melanie hold my headdress
1:11
She was very kind a nice friend to do that How excited are you two to be here tonight for this incredible restoration project Well we thrilled to be here It such a good cause We think Beth done such amazing work all these 22 years of making New York greener
1:26
and in places where a lot of people weren't paying attention. It's really awesome
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And also, we like spending time with her. So just talk about what it's like sharing the stage with her at the Shubert Theater
1:37
I've had the privilege of seeing it twice. I'm over the moon as an audience member
1:41
What's it like for you? I love it. Oh, wait, I'm not in there. How excited are you to be here tonight
1:46
I'm beyond excited for so many reasons. This is such an important cause, and I adore Bet, and I always have
1:55
And I'm about to go into Hello, Dolly! in January, and that's pretty exciting for me
2:02
So when the call came, you were like, Hello, Dolly! You, Bernadette Peters
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I mean, it's a no-brainer. Yes, I'm in. Thank you. One please
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How thrilled you are to be here tonight for this incredible restoration project
2:14
Never seen anything like it. This venue is incredible. It's wonderful. I lived in Hudson Heights for 10 years and you know, Bette Midler and this organization
2:22
did so much for Fort Tryon Park and it's incredible and I'm honored to be here. Absolutely
2:28
Look how big this has gotten this year I know It huge It amazing It gets bigger and bigger Right And they do more and more work in the city And they beautified so many different areas It fantastic
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I love being a part of this. Excited are you to be returning to Broadway in Hello Doll
2:43
I am. I'm so excited, yeah. It's a wonderful role. Really wonderful role
2:49
Living in the world of Jerry Herman again. Yeah, I mean, Bette is magnificent in the role
2:53
and I love seeing her in it. And I actually saw Carol Channing the last time she did it
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and I had no, you know, I just started looking at the role
3:03
and it's wonderful. It's a wonderful role. First of all, thank you for everything you have done for New York
3:09
with your projects. It's 1995, but you look back, what does that all mean to you
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Well, it means it's a long time, 22 years, and we've had a lot of support
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We've had great support from the state, great support from the city ever since we began
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And we, of course, have private donors. Ours is a public-private partnership
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We do work in all five boroughs. We provide programming for our community gardens
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We have planted a million trees. The main thing we've done, I think
3:39
is brought awareness to the city that we have, that the city is entitled to be a beautiful city
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rather than a trash-strewn rabbit, I mean rather than a trash garbage pit That what we done We made people realize that they entitled to it It a right not a privilege And everybody is entitled to clean green open space not just the rich
3:59
I love some of the parks you've done way uptown that were like desolate parks
4:03
that are now gorgeous and everybody goes to have a good time in them. Yes, they do. They do
4:07
Fort Tryon Park, High Bridge Park, Sherman's Creek, which we built ourselves with the help of the state DOT
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and this year we're starting on the Haven Project, which is the first waterfront park in the South Bronx
4:22
We're very excited about that. We're funding, so if you want to contribute to that
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go to our website, nyrp.org, and we will be glad to take anything you can give
4:30
You have your whole Hello Dolly cast here. It's the best, yeah? Yeah, they're all here
4:34
They all came and they all got involved, and they look fantastic, don't they
4:39
I'm really thrilled. What are you enjoying the most? I know you're coming into the last months or so at Dolly
4:44
I had the privilege of seeing you twice at the Schubert Theater. What are you enjoying the most
4:50
Recess. The intermisch. It's tough, but it's fun. It's been fun. They are great
4:57
I don't have a single dud on that stage. They're all wonderful. They all sing beautifully, dance beautifully, wear clothes beautifully, speak lines beautifully
5:03
I'm so proud to be among them. I think that's the biggest thrill, to be with such talent
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