12/27/1970....36 Years Ago Today!

The 2,844th and closing performance of the original David Merrick production of "Hello,Dolly!"

Original Dolly:



Pearl Bailey






Final Dolly

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But Dollypop...
If Ms Channing isn't up to it...who can fill those shoes today and be both a critical and artistic success?

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It was significant because that kind of old-fashioned musical comedy faded from view replaced by edgier fare in the 1970s...COPMAPY, CHICAGO, A CHORUS LINE and SWEENEY TODD.

It also marked Miss Merman's final Broadway show. After DOLLY she preferred the less strenuous concert performances where she could work when she felt like it and not have to be there 8 X a week for a year or more. (Did she miss any performances in DOLLY? She never missed CALL ME MADAM or AGYG or HAPPY HUNTING. She was out for a week in GYPSY but only because she had burst a blood vessel in her throat and needed time to heal.) She had spent 40 years - aside from a few trips to Hollywood - on Broadway.

So the closing of DOLLY was much more than the end of a long successful run. It was the end of an era.

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Strongly agree that Jerry Herman needs to revive "Hello, Dolly!" on Broadway in the next couple of years.

In the meantime, we have....

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Updated On: 12/27/06 at 09:54 PM