On the 'Watch What Happens Live' after show, a fan asked what her dream role is and she responded with something like "I can't say much yet, but I will be returning to Broadway. and I would love to play Hello, Dolly someday."
Could she be referring to On The Twentieth Century or the rumored Dolly revival?
If Chenoweth does HELLO, DOLLY! it would be an outrage. The many, many talented names you could have in that role, and you let Chenoweth do it?! I, for one, have zero interest in witnessing Kristin Chenoweth's unneseccary operatically-attributed take on Dolly Levi. I'd rather scrape out my eardrums with a miniature chainsaw than hear her butcher that wonderful Jerry Herman score. Don't get me wrong -- I generally enjoy Chenoweth's performances -- but she is not an ideal Dolly Levi. Here's seven better and more appropriate ideas for Levi -- a list of a range of different types:
Tyne Daly Queen Latifah Adriane Lenox Andrea Martin Marrin Mazzie (perhaps still) Bette Midler Sherie Rene Scott
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
Dear God NO! I have only seen Ms Chenoweth on youtube and her glorious appearance in Candide[DVD]. Dolly is a force to be reconnened with and a voice to match. Ms Chenoweth has the physicality of a fairground doll on a stick wrapped in fairy floss-NOT my idea of a Dolly. On the 20th-Yes.
Chenoweth is 100% returning to Broadway in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY this fall opposite Peter Gallagher. They've already started casting the supporting roles, so I can't imagine a formal announcement is too far off.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Gee. What's next. Cheno as Norma Desmond? She really is trying to keep herself relevant. Maybe she should try to attach herself to Lea Michele and the whole Glee/Funny Girl bit while she's at it.
There was an interview where Dolly herself said Cheno would be a candidate for playing her. However she is definitely referring to OTTC. I'm pretty sure Cheno has said multiple times that she would love to play Dolly in the future and not anytime soon. I LOVE Cheno to death and she is the perfect Lily Garland but I really can't see her as Dolly either (vocal-wise, obviously not looks-wise).
I took it as: there is an upcoming thing I can't mention AND I'd like to play Dolly. TWO different and unconnected productions.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
Andrea Martin or Beth Leavel would be great choices to play Dolly at a place like Papermill. But in a full-scale, commercial, revival, the producers are going to want some kind of "star."
Didn't Jerry Herman "veto" LuPone playing this role about 5 years ago?
He didn't have a problem with LuPone. The issue was that she and director Jack O'Brien wanted to do a completely new production but Herman insisted they recreate the original Gower Champion staging. LuPone and O'Brien weren't interested in that so it didn't happen.
I don't know what her inflection was like, but it looks like she was conveying two different ideas. She's returning soon, and that she wants to play Dolly.
It's pretty clear the She was talking about two different things- they weren't connected. Some people seemed to have been trying to read more into it then there was- Not surprising.
After LISTENING to the clip, it is even more obvious she meant she wanted play Dolly "someday". (I said that even after someone just wrote up the text, too.)
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
On the flip side, with a rumored Dolly revival starring HER, there could certainly have been a relation between her saying "she is returning soon" and "wants to play Dolly someday." If she was being sly/secretive, she could have been dropping a hint. Anyway, I assume she was speaking about TWENTIETH CENTURY.