11 June 2017, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York, USA

I'm so honoured to receive this award tonight. I hope I don't cry, I have so many people I have to thank. I want to thank all of the Tony voters, many of whom I have actually dated ... this has been one of the greatest professioinal experiences of my entire life.

I am so grateful for all the love and affection that has greeted me and this production, it's been extrordinary

I can't remember the last time I had so much smoke blown up my ass, but there is no more room, so thank you. This is the cap. This is the cherry on the cake.

Thank producer ...

Thanks director ...

Santo La Cuasto, I actually saw him painting props in the basement of the theatre ... that's dedication.

I want to say thank you to my makeup artist Natasha Katz. She makes me look 30 years younger than I am, what can I say? Natasha, marry me, please. OK, not 30 years, maybe not 30 years, let's make it 20. OK, I look okay. But Natascha is good!

Thanks sound design.

I want to say thank you to Campbell Young for the most beautiful hair on Broadway, and I am not sh*tting you people, not for one minute.

Thank you to musical director ...

Thanks co-stars ...

Thank yous over music ...

Shat that crap off!

[music shuts off]

I just want to say that revival is an interesting word. It means that something is near death and it was brought back to life. Hello Dolly! never really went away. It has been here all along. It is in our DNA, it's in our national — Jerry Herman's songs will live forever. It's optimism, it's democracy, it's color, it's love of life, it's hilarity. This is a classic. Come and see it. It's absolutely — it's not just me! The whole thing is utterly — this thing has the ability to lift your spirits in these terrible, terrible times. Come and see it.