Bette Midler and Fabulous Dancers Photo: Julieta Cervantes |
I would have thought that not loving Midler would have meant not loving Hello Dolly, but I had a great time. Dolly is an old-time Broadway Musical, and this production beautifully captures its size, sweetness, and silliness. The book, by Michael Stewart, does what it needs to do, with some great silly jokes. The score by Jerry Herman is uneven, but the highlights are indeed highlights. It's also a pleasure to look at. The sets and backdrops are colorful, attractive, and full of detail. I could spend hours in Horace Vandergelder's and Irene Molloy's shops just enjoying the craft and artistry of the designs. The costumes are yummy eye candy, and there are a lot of them. Both the scenery and costumes are designed by the great Santo Loquasto, who has been delighting theatre and movie audiences for decades.
The cast is large, at least by today's standards--33 people versus Sunset Boulevard's 26. The 33 seem more like 40, mostly through the stamina and verve of the dancers (I wonder if they keep oxygen tanks backstage, just in case).
In fact, the dancers are the heart and soul of this production. I may not have been moved by Midler's performance, but I did get tears in my eyes during a couple of the vibrant dance numbers. I've always been a sucker for a good production number, and Dolly is full of them. Kudos to Warren Carlyle who knows not to stray too far from Gower Champion's iconic work.
For me, the major flaw in any production of Hello Dolly is that there is no reason--zero, nada--for Dolly to be interested in marrying Horace Vandergelder. He's an obnoxious, stingy, humorless man. I was mildly optimistic that David Hyde Pierce would find a spark in the role, but he didn't. He works hard to bury his charm and attractiveness under a gruff Walter Matthau voice and glued-on facial hair, and he succeeds. So that flaw remains alive and well.
It's not that the rest of the plot makes perfect sense. It doesn't. But all the other illogical moments and inconsistencies are just silliness. The connection between Dolly and Horace is--or at least should be--the core of the show.
The rest of the cast is swell. It's always a treat to see Kate Baldwin (Irene Molloy), and Beanie Feldstein is a delight as Minnie Fay. (It's also quite nice to see a heavy girl treated as attractive--which she is!--and worthy of love.) Taylor Trensch is sweet as Barnaby Tucker, and Jennifer Simard gets her laughs, and then some, as Earnestina Money.
I was disappointed to learn that Gavin Creel (Cornelius Hackl) was out, but his understudy was fabulous. His name is Christian Dante White, and he's engaging and graceful and eminently likable, and his voice is gorgeous. (I also enjoyed that he's African-American; there's no reason to limit casting racially in the highly imaginary world of Dolly.) Midler gave him a solo bow, and he got huge cheers.
I'm a Sondheim-ian, through and through. I love musicals full of angst and suffering. But there still is--and I hope there will always be--a place on Broadway for big! bright! silly! and fun!
(Because everyone in the cast contributes mightily to the show, here are the performers not already mentioned: Will Burton, Melanie Moore, Kevin Ligon, Cameron Adams, Phillip Attmore, Giuseppe Bausilio, Justin Bowen, Taeler Cyrus, Leslie Donna Flesner, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Stephen Hanna, Michael Hartung, Robert Hartwell, Aaron Kaburick, Amanda LaMotte, Analisa Leaming, Jess LeProtto, Nathan Madden, Michael McCormick, Linda Mugleston, Hayley Podschun, Jessica Sheridan, Branch Woodman, Ryan Worsing, Richard Riaz Yoder.)
Wendy Caster
(Paid just over half price to someone who couldn't use them and couldn't sell them for full price. Thanks again to that person--otherwise I would never have gotten to see this show! Fifth row mezz, on the side.)
Writing this, I became curious about Hello Dolly cast sizes past and present. This table shows definite shrinkage. The original cast had 45 performers! (Info from ibdb.com. I have no idea how this will look on your browser or smartphone....)
I was disappointed to learn that Gavin Creel (Cornelius Hackl) was out, but his understudy was fabulous. His name is Christian Dante White, and he's engaging and graceful and eminently likable, and his voice is gorgeous. (I also enjoyed that he's African-American; there's no reason to limit casting racially in the highly imaginary world of Dolly.) Midler gave him a solo bow, and he got huge cheers.
I'm a Sondheim-ian, through and through. I love musicals full of angst and suffering. But there still is--and I hope there will always be--a place on Broadway for big! bright! silly! and fun!
(Because everyone in the cast contributes mightily to the show, here are the performers not already mentioned: Will Burton, Melanie Moore, Kevin Ligon, Cameron Adams, Phillip Attmore, Giuseppe Bausilio, Justin Bowen, Taeler Cyrus, Leslie Donna Flesner, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Stephen Hanna, Michael Hartung, Robert Hartwell, Aaron Kaburick, Amanda LaMotte, Analisa Leaming, Jess LeProtto, Nathan Madden, Michael McCormick, Linda Mugleston, Hayley Podschun, Jessica Sheridan, Branch Woodman, Ryan Worsing, Richard Riaz Yoder.)
Wendy Caster
(Paid just over half price to someone who couldn't use them and couldn't sell them for full price. Thanks again to that person--otherwise I would never have gotten to see this show! Fifth row mezz, on the side.)
Writing this, I became curious about Hello Dolly cast sizes past and present. This table shows definite shrinkage. The original cast had 45 performers! (Info from ibdb.com. I have no idea how this will look on your browser or smartphone....)
Original Jan 16, 1964 - Dec 27, 1970
(45 people)
|
Nov
6, 1975 - Dec 28, 1975
(36
people)
|
Mar
5, 1978 - Jul 9, 1978
(38
people)
|
Oct
19, 1995 - Jan 28, 1996
(36
people)
|
Current
Production
(33
people)
|
Carol Channing
|
Pearl Bailey
|
Carol Channing
|
Carol Channing
|
Bette Midler
|
Eileen Brennan
|
Billy Daniels
|
Eddie Bracken
|
Michael DeVries
|
David Hyde Pierce
|
David Burns
|
Guy Allen
|
Diane Abrams
|
Jay Garner
|
Gavin Creel
|
Jerry Dodge
|
Sally Benoit
|
Richard Ammon
|
Florence Lacey
|
Kate Baldwin
|
Alice Playten
|
Lisa Brown
|
John Anania
|
John Bantay
|
Taylor Trensch
|
Charles Nelson Reilly
|
Don Coleman
|
Carole Banninger
|
Desta Barbieri
|
Beanie Feldstein
|
Ken Ayers
|
Ron Crofoot
|
Bill Bateman
|
Bill Bateman
|
Will Burton
|
Nicole Barth
|
Richard Dodd
|
K. T. Baumann
|
Kimberly Bellmann
|
Melanie Moore
|
Alvin Beam
|
Terrence Emanuel
|
Michael C. Booker
|
Bruce Blanchard
|
Jennifer Simard
|
Carvel Carter
|
Chip Fields
|
Kyle Cittadin
|
Stephen Bourneuf
|
Kevin Ligon
|
Monica Carter
|
Grenoldo Frazier
|
Ron Crofoot
|
Julian Brightman
|
Cameron Adams
|
Mary Jo Catlett
|
Terry Gene
|
Don Edward Detrick
|
Holly Cruikshank
|
Phillip Attmore
|
Gordon Connell
|
Pat Gideon
|
Richard Dodd
|
James Darrah
|
Giuseppe Bausilio
|
Joel Craig
|
Ray Gilbert
|
Rob Draper
|
Christine DeVito
|
Justin Bowen
|
Dick Crowley
|
Ann Givin
|
David Evans
|
Cory English
|
Taeler Cyrus
|
Igors Gavon
|
Charles Goeddertz
|
JoEla Flood
|
Simone Gee
|
Leslie Donna Flesner
|
Gene GeBauer
|
Ted Goodridge
|
Tom Garrett
|
Jason Gillman
|
Jessica Lee Goldyn
|
Amelia Haas
|
Birdie M. Hale
|
Charlie Goeddertz
|
Milica Govich
|
Stephen Hanna
|
David Hartman
|
Karen Hubbard
|
Coby Grossbart
|
Elizabeth Green
|
Michael Hartung
|
Joe Helms
|
Gwen Humble
|
James Homan
|
Donald Ives
|
Robert Hartwell
|
Richard Hermany
|
Clark James
|
Marilyn Hudgins
|
Dan LoBuono
|
Aaron Kaburick
|
Neil Jones
|
Eulaulá Jennings
|
Alexandra Korey
|
Jim Madden
|
Amanda LaMotte
|
Charles Karel
|
Kathy Jennings
|
Florence Lacey
|
Lori Ann Mahl
|
Analisa Leaming
|
Paul Kastl
|
James Kennon-Wilson
|
Robert Lydiard
|
Halden Michaels
|
Jess LeProtto
|
Jan LaPrade
|
Mary Louise
|
Alex MacKay
|
Sharon Moore
|
Nathan Madden
|
Sondra Lee
|
Richard Maxon
|
Richard Maxon
|
Steve Pudenz
|
Michael McCormick
|
Joan Buttons Leonard
|
Francie Mendenhall
|
Deborah Moldow
|
Michael Quinn
|
Linda Mugleston
|
Jim Maher
|
Charles Neal
|
Randy Morgan
|
Robert Randle
|
Hayley Podschun
|
Marilyne Mason
|
Howard Porter
|
P. J. Nelson
|
Mitch Rosengarten
|
Jessica Sheridan
|
Bonnie Mathis
|
Jimmy Rivers
|
Janyce Nyman
|
Mary Setrakian
|
Christian Dante White
|
Joe McWherter
|
Ken Rogers
|
Jacqueline Payne
|
Clarence M. Sheridan
|
Branch Woodman
|
John Mineo
|
Bessye Ruth Scott
|
Debra Pigliavento
|
Randy Slovacek
|
Ryan Worsing
|
Else Olufsen
|
Sachi Shimizu
|
Theresa Rakov
|
Roger Preston Smith
|
Richard Riaz Yoder
|
Randy Phillips
|
David Staller
|
Bubba Rambo
|
Ashley Stover
|
|
Yolanda Poropat
|
Teddy Williams
|
Lee Roy Reams
|
Michele Tibbitts
|
|
Lowell Purvis
|
Jonathan Wynne
|
Randolph Riscol
|
Monica M. Wemitt
|
|
Michael Quinn
|
Barbara Ann Thompson
|
|||
Will Roy
|
Mark Waldrop
|
|||
Bonnie Schon
|
||||
Barbara Sharma
|
||||
Mary Ann Snow
|
||||
Paul Solen
|
||||
Jamie Thomas
|
||||
Pat Trott
|
||||
Ronnie Young
|
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