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Bette Midler Shows Kim Kardashian She’s Still Relevant With Record $9 Million In Broadway Sales For ‘Hello, Dolly!’

By Diana Price
Published on: 04:18 PST, Sep 20, 2016

Bette Midler is showing Kim Kardashian that living well can be the best revenge, and proving that women have much more to offer than naked selfies, or at least some women do. The Divine Miss M may not be breaking the internet these days, but she’s breaking the Broadway box office with her return in Hello, Dolly! Midler’s legendary talent set a new Broadway box office record for first-day sales with $9 million in ticket sales, according to Variety. And to think Midler accomplished all that without any nude selfies.

Tickets for Hello, Dolly! went on sale September 17, with an expected big box office showing, given the combination of Midler’s vocal talents and her over-the-top personality, which many feel make her a perfect fit for the role. “Bathhouse Betty’s” last stint on Broadway was in 2013 with the play I’ll Eat You Last, which had a fairly respectable and profitable showing at the box office, but classics such as Hello, Dolly! usually draw a big crowd regardless of casting. Combine Hello, Dolly! with a legendary headliner like Bette Midler and musical theater fans shouldn’t be surprised this pairing has created a Broadway box office match made in heaven.

The Divine Miss M hasn’t been in the public eye much lately, as far as movies or Broadway, with her most recent headlines before her Hello, Dolly! announcement coming from that short-lived Twitter feud with Kim Kardashian. The notorious Midler and Kardashian selfie Twitter war took place last March when Midler posted a tweet in response to yet another in the endless line of naked selfies by Kardashian, who has tried using such excuses as “showing off her spray tan” lately to justify her continuing need for people to see her naked. Midler made a comment on her Twitter, setting off the somewhat one-sided “feud,” as only one party seemed bent out of shape by it.

Instead of simply taking the tweet as a joke, Kardashian shot back with a derogatory comment referencing Midler’s age and lack of a youthful physique, and perhaps implying that Midler was something of a has-been.

Lest anyone fear that there was any real damage in all the brouhaha, Midler rose above the fray to post her own version of a “nude selfie” and also use the opportunity to raise money for charity. After posting to Twitter “@KimKardashian wants me to send her my nudes! I’ll send them right over but the lighting’s bad right now since she threw all that shade!” Midler posted her “nude selfie” call for charity donations, turning crass into class.

If it’s any consolation to Kim Kardashian, Midler loves to poke fun at loads of celebrities, using her Twitter as a feed for her wicked sense of humor. For those who may not be aware, Midler started her career playing gay bathhouses, earning her the nickname Bathhouse Betty. Given her background, it’s no wonder Bette developed a rather bawdy sense of humor, displayed on a regular basis on Twitter. Here are some of the many zingers from The Divine Miss M.

  • “Richard Simmons says he isn’t being held in his home against his will. should stand on his lawn to see if she can’t lure him out.”
  • “ gets close to the nomination. Now I see why we needed warnings on plastic bags telling us not to put them over our heads.”
  • Jr. says dad can’t release taxes b/c it would raise too many questions. I’m starting to wish Trump Sr. had never released Trump Jr.”
  • “Taylor Swift & Tom Hiddleston broke up? Wouldn’t it be kinda funny if I logged off & wrote a song about it before she got the chance?”
  • “Police say Ryan Lochte lied about being held up at gunpoint in Rio. Now I’m wondering if he stuffs his swimsuit.”
  • “Orlando Bloom and Justin Bieber’s penises popped up on the Internet this week. Enjoy it now, guys. Someday, not just the pictures will leak.”

And Midler took one more little jab at Kim Kardashian, which the naked-selfie queen wisely chose to ignore.

Hello, Dolly! begins previews March 15, 2017, at Broadway’s legendary Shubert Theater, and other cast members include David Hyde Pierce, Gavin Creel, and Kate Baldwin. Until then, if you want to enjoy some Bette Midler movies, check out Beaches or get in the Halloween mood with Hocus Pocus. Or, if you want to hear Midler’s vocal talents up front and center stage, watch The Rose. For a sample of some of the music from that movie, here’s a clip of Midler performing “Stay With Me.”

[Featured Image by Theo Wargo/Getty Images]

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