Hello Dolly

[jerrybythesea]

Just got my ticket for Bette Midler's Hello Dolly and not cheap!Used StubHub as I wanted to see the show soon (early Apr in Previews) and did not want to wait for Sept or Oct. The show is pretty much sold out until then.And I got an orch seat too.

[OneFinger]

Totally jealous!! This is one show I'd love to see.

 

FYI, I saw Carol Channing on Broadway in her 1,999 performance of Dolly.

[handiacefailure]

Congrats. I'm in NYC in two weeks and show is sold out. I'm kicking myself for not buying tickets the day they went on sale. Tickets were over $200 and my friend I am going with was too cheap to pay for that and I should have bought a single

[Despardo]

Totally jealous!! This is one show I'd love to see.

 

FYI, I saw Carol Channing on Broadway in her 1,999 performance of Dolly.

Saw it first with Betty Grable then later with Channing in a Broadway revival. She was amazing. Would love to see it with Bette. The show is so perfect and so simple it is timeless.

[+ Robster]

I had the pleasure of seeing Carol Channing in Hello Dolly, during the revival tour back in the 90's. I agree with @Despardo ; she was amazing!

 

Rob

[Despardo]

I had the pleasure of seeing Carol Channing in Hello Dolly, during the revival tour back in the 90's. I agree with @Despardo ; she was amazing!

 

Rob

She looked like an ostrich in heels trying to do ballet. She was a great physical comedian among other things.

[+ sync]

Saw it starring Carol Channing and again starring Pearl Bailey, both hit it out of the park in their own ways.

[+ WilliamM]

I regret not seeing Mary Martin in "Hello, Dolly" in Vietnam in 1965 and later opening the musical in London. a month or two later. I am not the only prefers who prefers Martin's original London cast recording.

 

 

[N13]

Saw Channing, Pearl Bailey, Martha Raye, Betty Grable, Ethel Merman and Ginger Rogers - all on Broadway. Strange that I saw it so many times as it is not one of my favorite shows! The Dollies drew me back again and again. My personal favorite was Betty Grable - she actually did a character rather than a tour-de-force.

Edited March 8, 2017 by N13

[handiacefailure]

Jerry another show you should see when you are in NYC is war paint. I saw it prebroadway in august and was one of the best musicals ever and seeing it again in two errls

Lupone and ebersole are amazing together

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Saw Channing, Pearl Bailey, Martha Raye, Betty Grable, Ethel Merman and Ginger Rogers - all on Broadway. Strange that I saw it so many times as it is not one of my favorite shows! The Dollies drew me back again and again. My personal favorite was Betty Grable - she actually did a character rather than a tour-de-force.

 

I'd pay a small fortune to have seen Bailey. The stories I've been told about her performances are legendary in the theatre community.

[jerrybythesea]

How about the movie with Barbra? I loved it and Barbra was superb!!! I have watched it numerous times

[+ sf westcoaster]

Headed to New York for eleven days in May and have my tickets for War Paint and Hello Dolly along with tickets for ten other shows. that should quench my thirst for theatre for a while.

Edited March 9, 2017 by sf westcoaster

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

How about the movie with Barbra? I loved it and Barbra was superb!!! I have watched it numerous times

 

Ah, the eternal divide: Barbara or Carol.

 

Myself, I prefer Channing. To me, Streisand felt wrong for the role. The only thing I've ever really liked her in was Funny Girl. I know, sacrilege

[+ Robster]

I liked Barbra in the movie, but she was much too young for that part. Pairing her with Walter Matthau was ridiculous.

 

Rob

[jerrybythesea]

I liked Barbra in the movie, but she was much too young for that part. Pairing her with Walter Matthau was ridiculous.

 

Rob

But wow her singing those songs made the movie so great !!

[handiacefailure]

Ah, the eternal divide: Barbara or Carol.

 

Myself, I prefer Channing. To me, Streisand felt wrong for the role. The only thing I've ever really liked her in was Funny Girl. I know, sacrilege

 

I thought babs was great in the Fockers movies even thought it was a non-singing part. I also liked her in Yentl but I am a big fan of Mandys.

 

Her gay son Jason is hot and wish he was in more movies.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

... she stopped the show several times with her singing in a supporting role in I Can Get It For You Wholesale

 

Ah, Wholesale... Streisand's 'Miss Marmelstein' number was indeed a showstopper.

 

This reminds me of the great bio by Howard Kissel on David Merrick, The Abominable Showman. It's a fantastic read- A bible of sorts for those interested in the heyday of Broadway and single-producer shows.

 

Merrick was quite a character. The stories in the book regarding the back & forth between a young (but headstrong) Streisand and the brash producer Merrick are great.

[bostonman]

To me, Streisand felt wrong for the role.

 

Barbra has this tendency to "show her work" too much - she's not always one of those performers who likes to make things seem easy - she wants to telegraph just how damn hard she's working.

 

The opening number in the film, "Just Leave Everything To Me," is in some ways a much better song than "I Put My Hand In" from the stage show. But Barbra attacks it with such exasperated over-energy that it's an instant turnoff.

 

And yes, in general, I think she's totally wrong as Dolly. Channing had this odd caricature-style quirkiness, but she also had a great deal of warmth, which is what really made you care about her. Streisand really doesn't do warmth well, IMO.

[+ WilliamM]

Channing had this odd caricature-style quirkiness, but she also had a great deal of warmth, which is what really made you care about her.

 

 

I have only seen Carol Channing on stage once with Mary Martin in "Legends." I agree Carol Channing was holding the play together, to the extent it was possible. The best moment was Mary Martin not being about to stop laughing when the male stripper said something to her.

 

I saw "Legends!" on a Saturday afternoon in Boston, by then Mary knew all her lines. Even years before "Legend!" Mary took longer that most people to leaning the lines, as far back as "South Pacific" and the revival of "The Skin of Our Teeth."

 

source: the recent Mary Martin bio. by David Kaufman

Edited March 9, 2017 by WilliamM

[bostonman]

Fun to see Gary Beach listed on this poster, just before his career really took off (with his supporting roles in Beauty And The Beast and The Producers.)

 

And, while we're name-dropping, so fun to see that Jennifer Simard is playing Ernestina in this new Dolly revival. Last season, she got rave notices in Disaster! (and was nominated for a Tony). Years ago she played Sister Amnesia in the long-running Boston production of Nunsense when I was in as musical director. She was so damn funny, and a joy to work with. Ernestina is not a large role by any standards, but it'll be fun to see what she brings to it.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

... Jennifer Simard

 

She's such a talented performer. I remember seeing her Broadway debut in Spelling Bee, taking over as Rona Lisa. As much as I loved Lisa Howard in the original role, Simard did a beautiful job of putting her mark on it. She'll be great in Dolly.

[dcguy20]

I bought my tickets the day they went on sale. I also saw the 90s revival with Carol Channing. Speaking of Jennifer Simard; I worked with her many moons ago.

Edited March 14, 2017 by dcguy20

[Larstrup]

Here's the first official photo of Bette as Dolly! Performances start tomorrow!

 

[bostonman]

She truly has made a long journey from Milan to Minsk...and now she wants to rejoin the human race. Break a leg, Ms. Gallagher Levi...