Celebrity News

Bette Midler, Barry Manilow bad blood?

Buzz along the Great White Way is that Barry Manilow and Bette Midler could be asked to open the Tonys together. But sources say bad blood will keep the one-time collaborators from gracing any stage. Insiders were surprised when Midler wasn’t at the opening of “Manilow on Broadway” last month, since Manilow began as her piano player and producer. Some even expected Midler to duet with the “Copacabana” singer. Midler’s rep told us at the time she was “rehearsing” for her play, “I’ll Eat You Last.” But Bette still hasn’t yet been to see Barry’s show, which closes March 2. The pair reportedly feuded years ago after Roseanne Barr brought Manilow on her ’90s chat show to surprise Midler, and the diva didn’t appreciate the gesture. They buried the hatchet a few years later to record a Rosemary Clooney tribute album. But a source tells us, “Bette still doesn’t like that her former piano player’s sold 80 million albums, and she’s sold 30 million, and his Vegas show ran years longer than hers.” The Post’s Michael Riedel reported the Tonys could tinker with reuniting them. Of any bad blood, Manilow’s manager and producer Garry Kief said: “What [are you] talking about? A feud? Nope. LOL . . . makes interesting gossip but not true.” Midler’s rep said, “No one has approached Bette, and there is no feud.”