Category Archives: Hello Dolly!

Thursday, January 17, 2019

HELLO, DOLLY! UK Run Sounding Unlikely

Posted Jan 17, 2019 10:01 pm by Mister D

Broadway World
HELLO, DOLLY! UK Run Sounding Unlikely
by BWW News Desk
Jan. 17, 2019

Bette Midler as Dolly Levi

Mister D: I knew about this about 3 weeks ago. I visited a theater forum in the UK and saw all this commotion about Bette Midler coming to the UK to play “Hello Dolly” for the Yukkers!!! So I contacted Divine Central and was told it was very unlikely. So I went back to the forum the other day saying not to get their hopes up. But I never posted it here. I’ve just been really under the weather these last few months. That’s why my posting has been so erratic. I have been almost bedridden for 6 months. And now I’m just coming out of the dark into the light.

While I’m posting, I might as well tell you not to expect the official Bette Midler site to reopen. They just didn’t feel like it was worth it to keep it running. They said the lack of traffic didn’t warrant it. I had a lot of ideas to keep it running, but I don’t think they want to get that involved.
 ...  Read More

Posted in Bette Midler, Hello Dolly! | Tagged , , | 5 Comments


 

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Bette Midler on Carol Channing

Posted Jan 16, 2019 6:01 am by Mister D

Showbiz 411 Bette Midler on Carol Channing: “I flat out adored her…as far as I am concerned, she will live forever” By Roger Friedman January 15, 2019

Bette Midler Carol Channing

Bette Midler, the most recent Dolly Levi, has sent out a statement about the original Dolly. Carol Channing, who passed away today at age 97. Carol, by the way, was famed for not missing a performance in the four years she starred in “Hello, Dolly!” from 1964 to 1968. Bette Midler On Carol Channing

“There was only one Carol Channing, and there will never be another. She was that rarest of stage creatures, an absolute original. From her instantly recognizable voice to her stature, which was close to 6 feet, with her wide-eyed take on the world she crept into theater-goers hearts and took up permanent residence there. When Scott Rudin invited me to play Dolly in 2016, I immediately thought of her and went to visit. How could I not? She had played the part over 7,000 times around the world, and to the world, she WAS Dolly. It was one of the great afternoons of my life. She was gracious, and she was generous, sharing with me the legends, the lore and the mechanics of Dolly, much of which had been lost in time. I will forever be grateful to her for lighting my way to one of the most magical experiences of my performing life, and for the hours I spent in her company. I flat-out adored her and send her fans, her friends and her son, Channing Lowe, my condolences, although as far as I am concerned, she will live forever.
Posted in Bette Midler, Hello Dolly!, Obituaries | Tagged | 3 Comments


 

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Photo: Bette Midler and Fran Drescher (The Nanny) Backstage at “Hello Dolly”

Posted Jan 5, 2019 6:01 am by Mister D
Photo: Bette Midler and Fran Drescher
Posted in Bette Midler, Hello Dolly!, Photos | Tagged , | Leave a comment


 

Friday, November 16, 2018

Carmen Ruby Floyd, Bette’s Understudy in Hello Dolly!, Will Play At The Historic Birdland Jazz Club

Posted Nov 16, 2018 11:11 am by Mister D

WKBW Buffalo
Carmen Ruby Floyd, Bette’s Understudy in Hello Dolly!, Will Play At The Historic Birdland Jazz Club
By Ashley Rowe
Nov 14, 2018

Carmen-Ruby-Floyd-and-Bette-Midler-Hello-Dolly-understudy
Carmen-Ruby-Floyd-and-Bette-Midler-Hello-Dolly-understudy 

Carmen Ruby Floyd, Bette’s Understudy in Hello Dolly!, Will Play At The Historic Birdland Jazz Club

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) – On November 16, a Buffalo native will be performing at the historic Birdland Jazz Club in New York City – a venue where Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Marilyn Monroe once frequented.

Carmen Ruby Floyd has been rehearsing for weeks for her headlining act. It’s an important show for her, as this will be her first solo gig since ending her run in Hello, Dolly! on Broadway. Floyd was the understudy for the legendary Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters in the role of Dolly Levi. ...  Read More

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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Video: Bette Midler – New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Posted Oct 23, 2018 1:10 pm by Mister D

Published on Jun 9, 2017

To prepare for her TONY-nominated role in the hit Broadway revival of “Hello Dolly,” star Bette Midler came to the Library for the Performing Arts to study the great Carol Channing’s performance in the role some 35 years earlier. “I enjoy doing research, and I use those ideas as a springboard for my own work,” she says. “I wouldn’t be who I am without that library.”

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‘Hello Dolly’: Betty Buckley talks about the perils of following Bette Midler – And very well said, too

Posted Oct 23, 2018 12:10 pm by Mister D

Chicago Tribune
‘Hello Dolly’: Betty Buckley talks about the perils of following Bette Midler – And very well said, too
By Chris Jones
October 17, 2018

'Hello Dolly': Betty Buckley talks about the perils of following Bette Midler
Betty Buckley in Hello Dolly

Q: I have to ask. You’re following Bette Midler, for God’s sake. Can’t be easy.

A: You’re being so depressing, Chris. “What’s it like being compared to Bette Midler?” I thought we were friends.

Actually, it is very intimidating. I never thought of this show for myself. I saw Bette Midler in the Broadway production, right before the Tony Awards; I was standing and weeping with rapture and joy. I was just so deeply touched. My early experiences of “Hello, Dolly!” were all Pearl Bailey — I never really got the show before Bette, I never saw the hoopla, the lady in fancy costumes sashaying around the stage. I dealt with this question with “Sunset Boulevard.” It’s not a pleasant thing to have to go through being compared to another actress — everybody brings their own experience to the show, there is no definitive version, it is not an easy thing to have to handle especially since you are a fan. Bette was the best ice cream sundae you ever witnessed and you just wanted to scoop her up. But with the help of our illustrious director, Jerry Zaks, I am being encouraged to put my own stamp on Dolly. ...  Read More

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Sunday, September 23, 2018

Betty Buckley: Hello, Dolly! National Tour is a “Gift”

Posted Sep 23, 2018 6:09 am by Mister D

710WOR
Betty Buckley: Hello, Dolly! National Tour is a “Gift”
Sep 20, 2018

Betty Buckley: Hello, Dolly! National Tour is a “Gift”

Broadway legend Betty Buckley says she’s “so excited” to be a part of the first national tour of Hello, Dolly!

Buckley told Michael Riedel and Christine Nagy on “In the Wings” that it’s a “gift” to be able to take this show on the road.

“It’s a beautiful production and our cast is absolutely glorious,” Buckley said.

Buckley stars as Dolly Gallagher Levi.  She admits she had to think about whether to take the role, because much of her adult life has been in dramatic performances. ...  Read More

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Friday, September 14, 2018

Early Bidding Now Open For Walk-On Roles, VIP Tickets, and More At The Broadway Flea Market (Including Bette Midler Stuff)

Posted Sep 14, 2018 11:09 am by Mister D

Broadway World
Early Bidding Now Open For Walk-On Roles, VIP Tickets, and More At The Broadway Flea Market (Including Bette Midler Stuff)
by BWW News Desk Sep. 13, 2018

Early Bidding Now Open For Walk-On Roles, VIP Tickets, and More At The Broadway Flea Market (Including Bette Midler Stuff)?

Jump start your ultimate theatrical treasure hunt as early bidding opens today on dozens of auction items you can’t get anywhere except at the 32nd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction.

Broadway fans can bid on exclusive memorabilia, unforgettable onstage and backstage opportunities and more at broadwaycares.org.

Then on Sunday, September 30, the thrill of the auction continues in person when Shubert Alley is filled with theatre fans bidding on the items at the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction’s silent and live auctions. Even more Broadway treasures are in store along West 44th and West 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, where you can discover tables full of items from your favorite shows and theatrical organizations. ...  Read More

Posted in Broadway, Hello Dolly!, Special Events, Theatre | Tagged , , | 2 Comments


 

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Photo: Bette Midler, Nancy Davis, Isabella Rickel, and Kenny Rickel (Race To Erase MS)

Posted Sep 2, 2018 1:09 am by Mister D
Bette Midler, Nancy Davis, Isabella Rickel, and Kenny Rickel (Race To Erase MS)
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Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Broadway’s ‘Hello, Dolly!’ Closes With Broken Records, Trickling Profits

Posted Aug 28, 2018 6:08 pm by Mister D

Forbes
Broadway’s ‘Hello, Dolly!’ Closes With Broken Records, Trickling Profits
Lee Seymour
Aug 27, 2018

So long dearie, hello profits. Sort of.

The Tony-winning revival of Hello, Dolly! concluded this weekend, after an unprecedented run. Original star Bette Midler returned for the final weeks, elevating grosses back to eye-watering levels, with a final frame tally of $2.34 million. During her initial award-winning stint, the show broke its own box office record twelve times.

But for a hit that grossed $128.19 million (more than any revival in Broadway history not called Chicago), some investors have been grumbling. While the production recouped its $15.9 million investment last winter, a detailed report of its finances disclosed that backers only made 5% on their buy-in as of last week. ...  Read More

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