Billy Crystal Resurrects ‘Mr. Saturday Night’ to Salute a Teary Bette Midler for New York Restoration Project’s 30th Anniversary

Three decades ago, Bette Midler eyed trash-filled parks in New York City with a mixture of dismay and anger. But unlike most people who complain about things in NYC, she did something about it—and inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps. In 1995, the actress-singer-comedian tapped her connections and resources to form the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), which over the course of the last 30 years has cleaned up, transformed and created green spaces for New Yorkers across the five boroughs, with a focus on helping underserved communities get the green space they deserve as much as the loaded locales living across from Central Park.

Part of the NYRP’s fundraising arm is its annual Hulaween gala, an explosion of costumed creativity that took over Manhattan’s Cipriani South S