That Bette Midler would not sing at the Tony Awards made news in the week running up to the Tony Awards. As disappointing as that announcement was, it did not stop the hope that she might change her plan—maybe, we hoped–once the huge crowd filing into Radio City Music Hall on Sunday night saw the proscenium normally associated with her show, Hello, Dolly! Ahh, we were all forgetting that another musical, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, also crossed stage lines. And in any case, the walkway was used in many ways, but not for Dolly. Consequently, The Divine Miss M was indeed present, received by this discerning audience with some reserve, until her acceptance speech for winning Best Lead Actress in a Musical when she went on and on thanking everyone including her makeup artist, and the Tony voters, many of whom, she quipped, she dated. But if she could wax on in her speech, even calling out to “cut that crap” when the music came on to stop her: who muzzled Midler?

But the Tony Awards was such a special night, much distracted from that question. Spreading out the honors, Tony voters awarded August Wilson’s Jitney Best Revival of a Play. The very special Indecent took home two wins, to Christopher Akerlind for his lighting design and Rebecca Taichman for her direction. Cynthia Nixon, Laurie Metcalf, Kevin Kline, actors in The Little Foxes, A Doll’s House, Part 2, and Present Laughter respectively took home their gold statues. And the multiple accolades for Dear Evan Hanson—six including Best Musical, Best Lead Actor in a Musical for Ben Platt and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Rachel Bay Jones-– augur Broadway’s inventive future.

The party moved on well into the morning: Star Wars’ Mark Hamill, Danny Strong, Lena Hall, Montego Glover, Tommy Tune, Lilias White, Lucas Knath, Christian Borle, Josh Gad, were among those we ran into at celebrations at the Plaza Hotel, and then at the Carlyle, still buzzing at 3:30 AM when this Tony-goer decided to call it a night. Rumor had it: Bette was still in the house.

Regina Weinreich

Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura