BETTE MIDLER IN A SURPRISE PERFORMANCE FOR BC/EFA
Martin Short and Marc Shaiman bring Bette Midler back to the Broadway Stage JIMINY GLICK, the Martin Short character that pulls audience members onstage for an interview during "Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me," brought up Bette Midler recently. Bette hasn't been on the Broadway stage since she was in the original production of "Fiddler on the Roof." But she has known Marty, the show's composer Marc Shaiman and the director Scott Wittman for years. The Jiminy interview lasted twice as long as usual -- the audience literally refused to let her leave the stage. When the cast asked the audience for donations to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Shaiman asked Bette to give them a song. She was reluctant but finally did after asking for generous donations. She brought the house down with "The Rose."
