And the Award for Worst Dolly Levi Casting goes to...

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:40pm

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108086.html

St Louis Muny and their casting of Randy Graff. Zzzzzzzzz...boring!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:42pm

I was thinking the same thing.

She has NO charisma.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:45pm

They couldn't afford Sally Struthers?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:46pm

They probably could.

Leen, don't you know that Ms. Struthers is unavailable, due to her charity work with the children?

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:52pm

You didn't see Carol Swarbrick do it at Sacramento Music Circus, did you? Talk about boring....

[Calvin]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:52pm

Aww, I like Carol Swarbrick. I don't see her as a Dolly, though.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:55pm

They were going to have Faith Prince until she got "A Catered Affair."

[Piercemn]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:55pm

When Sally Struthers did it at Bloomington Civic, she wasn't bad, but she could have used more rehearsal. She was much better as Miss Mona in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

The best Dolly I ever saw was Dorothy Lamour, followed by Channing, who basically walked through it.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:57pm

The best Dolly that I ever saw was Ethel Merman.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 1:58pm

Carol Swarbick is now doing theatre on a pretty regular basis up here in Seattle. Ugh. I'm not a fan. I wisely skipped her Mrs Lovett.

[Calvin]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 2:00pm

Ah, she was mostly doing Joy Franz-type roles when I used to see her.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 2:00pm

I like Carol Swarbrick otherwise...but not as Dolly. And I don't see her as a Mrs. Lovett either. She strikes more as a great character actress (maybe Vera in Mame?), but not as a lead.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 2:04pm

"Randy Graff fell in the band!"

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 2:05pm

I once saw Jane Morgan's Dolly. Dreadful. People forget it's a musical COMEDY. One of the reasons Pear Bailey worked was the twinkle in her eye; she found the essence of the role, which is a sense of ridiculous toward all her machinations. When Dolly is "earnest" look out. You're going to get a tedious story about a lifeless woman marrying a man she doesn't love.

There was a theory back then that anyone could play DOLLY or MAME if they fit into the wardrobe and look good in big hair (former) or a hunt outfit (latter). Wrong. I know people who laughed when Phyllis Diller went in, but then had to admit, she made the damned thing charming.

Wouldn't Madeline Kahn be brilliant about now, if she was still with us?

[sparrman]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 3:39pm

Gee whiz, what's everybody picking on Randy Graff for? I've only seen her once live, in City of Angels, and she displayed a wonderful singing voice and a devastatingly wry sense of humor that brought the house down repeatedly. I can imagine much, much worse as Dolly Levi, that's for sure!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 3:42pm

Shepard Coleman, original Tony winning musical director for DOLLY, said that he thought Phyllis Diller was the best out of all the Dollys.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 4:07pm

I think Randy will be great. I can picture her in the role easy.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 4:19pm

Auggie-
Madeline Kahn did it at the MUNY (I think), and from all accounts wasn't that good...and I can see that...comedically, she'd be fine, but vocally, she's too soprano.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 6:12pm

Thanks for the report on Kahn. I see that, about the voice.

Of course, the definitive fresh take might be Bette Midler -- who was discussed vaguely for a Broadway revival about 3 years ago. She'd move us way out of Channing-ville.

[wiggum2]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 6:14pm

I saw Sally do Dolly last summer and I went just so I could say I saw her and then make fun of her for years but she was actually very good, I was impressed

[RagtimeRay]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 8:06pm

The worst Dolly Levi I ever saw was Mimi Hines (she did a bus and truck tour of the show, along with husband Phil Ford who played Vandergelder). They both went up on their lines numerous times, and she was better at covering than he was. Ford forgot one line and they could have done a shortened version of the Waiter's Gallop in the time it took him to recover.

The remark about Phyllis Diller was interesting. I was a fan of the original B'way production, and saw all of the Broadway Dolly's except for Diller. When I heard that the show was closing I made one final trek to NYC to see it. I arrived at the theatre on a Saturday morning and struck up a conversation with a stage doorman at the St. James. I remarked that I had seen every B'way Dolly except Phyllis Diller, and he said, "You didn't miss very much."

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 8:11pm

Randy Graff? Really?

Randy GRAFF?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 8:15pm

The second I read Raff's name I rolled my eyes. I think she'll be dull as can be.
Faith Prince would indeed have been ideal, but even if she was unavailable they could've gotten someone less boring.
I wish that revival starring Bernadette Peters would've panned out, she really would be ideal in the role.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 8:16pm

Well, at least its not the Broadway revival.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/15/07 at 8:18pm

Sally is busy with two differnt productions of 'The Full Monty' this summer.

Her wigs are going to be fabulous.

Updated On: 5/15/07 at 08:18 PM