Profile for RagtimeRay

Love this thread. I've had so many phenomenal theatre going experiences, and previous posters reminded me of quite a few of them. Here are five that stand out for me:Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and Len CariouGypsy with Angela Lansbury - She was a tour de force.Purlie with Cleavon Little and Melba Moore (a highlight was watching Joyce Brown conducting)Promises, Promises with Jerry OrbachHello, Dolly! with Pearl Bailey

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONAIt won the Tony for Best Musical, which is what prompted me to buy a ticket. I wasn't feeling it.

I saw her Mama Rose in Toronto and later on Broadway. It was an exhilarating evening in the theatre that remains in my memory all these years later.

Wishing you well, Dollypop!

I had the pleasure of seeing the Carolee Carmello led Hello, Dolly! tour at Artis Naples. This is a first-rate company. I've seen quite a few performances of Dolly over the years, including during its original run (Channing, Rogers, Raye, Grable, Bailey, and Merman); Regional or tours (Palmer, Hines); The recent B'way revival (Murphy), and Betty Buckley in the first national tour of the revival. I thought Carmello was as good as any Dolly I've seen, and perhaps the best singer in the role. Sh...

Just chiming in to remind people that Hello, Dolly! starring Carol Channing, opened on this date (January 16) in 1964.I saw the Pearl Bailey company twice. Loved it.

She does look great. I still don't understand why the duck walk sequence of the title number now moves from stage right to stage left. It wasn't that way on Broadway in either the original production or the revival.

I had the pleasure of seeing Betty Buckley and the national tour of Hello, Dolly! on Saturday afternoon at The Smith Center in Las Vegas. Kudos to all.However, I have a question: I've seen Dolly many times (during its first run, Channing's revival, tours, and the recent Broadway revival - Donna Murphy). At the end of the title number, Dolly and the waiter's start the "duck walk" on stage left of the passerale and move in the direction of stage right. The same is true when they do the reprise....

I haven't seen Bette Midler, BUT, having seen Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Betty Grable, Pearl Bailey, Ethel Merman, and a few others as Dolly Gallagher Levi, Donna Murphy inhabits the role with the best of them.

I saw this revival three times (Wolf Trap, Pittsburgh, and Broadway). At the Broadway performance, Carol went up on a line during the eating scene at the Harmonia Gardens. She turned to the audience and said, "Well, that's what you get with me." They ate it up.A friend said of the show at the time: "It was like visiting with an old friend."I agree with Dame that the video captures a very robotic performance, which I had not felt in the theatre. NOTE: I first saw Channing as Dolly in 1967, and...

Willy Loman2 said: "Who did you like better? Channing or Raye?"I preferred Channing to Martha Raye.My favorite Dolly in the original run was Pearl Bailey.

goldenboy said: "Saw Donna Murphy tonight. Donna's Dolly was more real, funny, warm, more manipulative and in charge and totally believable. You were watching Dolly Levi up there. Donna sang and danced impeccably and was technically a better Dolly if lacking the superstar excitement of Bette. Donna reminded me of one part Mary Martin; one part Shirley Booth; one part Fanny Brice and one part Zazu Pitts. Donna was a totally belieivable and wonderful Dolly. . Donna owned that stage as did Bette...

I thoroughly enjoyed Donna Murphy in Hello, Dolly! She was well received, and I enjoyed all of the principals. The look of the production was great. I don't think anyone would be disappointed seeing Donna instead of Bette. I sat next to visitors from London, and they were super impressed.

I saw Martha Raye as Dolly one month after seeing Carol Channing on tour as Dolly. I saw Channing from the next to the last row of the balcony in a 2400 seat theatre, and saw Martha Raye from the front row of the St. James. I was familiar with Raye from TV, and she was always quite the comedic cut-up. I thought of her as "mugging" quite a lot. However, she played the role of Dolly quite legitimately, sang well, and her comic talents worked well in the hat shop scene and the eating scene.By th...

BroadwayConcierge said: "bwayphreak234 said: "I'm going on June 27! I can't wait!"I'll be there then as well! And I will also be there on June 27th.

Hello, Dolly! was my first Broadway show. I saw it a number of times during its original run (and on tour) and all of the original Broadway Dollys except for Phyllis Diller (I saw Channing and Ginger Rogers during their touring performances).When I heard that the show was closing, I made one last pilgrimage to NYC to see the show (Merman) in early December of 1970. I chatted with the stage door man that day and was telling him about seeing all of the Broadway Dollys except for Phyllis Diller....

I tried to get tickets to see Bette, but didn't have the $550+ needed to secure a ticket. So I'm seeing Donna Murphy at the end of June. I'm excited to see the production, and having seen Donna Murphy previously on Broadway, I'm sure she'll be great.

DAME said: "The one in the 94 recording was added just for that tour. I believe the original production didn't have much of a overture. Dollypop would know.The original production had NO overture. The curtain rose as the orchestra played "Call on Dolly.""

I saw Betsy Palmer at Music Carnival in the suburbs of Cleveland, OH. It was a large tent for theatre in the round productions. I hadn't remembered that particular staging of the Sunday Clothes number, so it's possible it was stage similar to your memory. I just recall enjoying the production, because at that point in time I'd already seen the Broadway production a number of times.

Stage Door Sally said: "I've also seen lackluster Dollys, notably one at the Gateway Playhouse, the whole production was like watching paint dry and Dolly - Mimi Hines was clearly struggling. So it depends on the cast."I saw Mimi Hines in a tour that featured the original sets and costumes. Phil Ford was her Vandergelder. Although I'm a fan of the show, that was the worst production of Hello, Dolly! I've ever seen. Ms. Hines "struggled" with the lines and Mr. Ford was even worse. However, (an...