Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

#1

Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 10:55am

No, it's not an actuality.

But wouldn't it be fabulous.

Thoughts??

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"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

#2

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 11:44am

IMO, I don't think it's a great idea. I LOVE Audra, but think she'd be wasted in Hello Dolly. And there's just too much out there for Audra, considering that her voice is of operatic quality but transitions easily to other kinds of music. It would be like casting Zinka Milanov in Annie Get Your Gun.

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BroadwayEd

#3

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 12:17pm

LINDA WINER: And you don't do fluff...

AUDRA MCDONALD: No.

LINDA WINER: That's a weakness, you know! Someone's saying, "Where's the fluff?!"

AUDRA MCDONALD: Maybe it's just my personality type, but if I'm not emotionally committed and artistically fulfilled by a role, I do a terrible job!

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"Y'know, I think Bertolt Brecht was rolling in his grave."
-Nellie McKay on the 2006 Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, in which she played Polly Peachum

Updated On: 7/29/08 at 12:17 PM

#4

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 12:20pm

I would beg, borrow, and steal to see either her or Bernadette (was she NOT born to play this role or what?) play Dolly.

In fact, this show should be revived just in general. (Wouldn't a SUMMER STARS AT ENCORES performance of this show with Bernadette be amazing!?!?...one can hope...)

#5

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 12:20pm

No. Dolly needs to be an overbearing buttinsky. Audra doesn't have the drive to pull it off. I think she'd be better as Irene Molloy.

My guess is that the next Broadway revival will have Faith Prince. Could Ellen Greene pull it off?

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If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#6

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 12:21pm

Good for her for not doing fluff. But I wouldn't refer to that particular role as fluff.

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"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

#7

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 12:24pm

Interestingly enough, Audra (along with Phyllida) originally did not want to play Ruth in A RAISIN IN THE SUN because of the "fluff" issue: "Raisin in the Sun?! Come on, that's-everbody does Raisin... it's Mama On The Couch."

Needless to say, she changed her mind.

So maybe there's hope for Dolly. But I wouldn't count on it.

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"Y'know, I think Bertolt Brecht was rolling in his grave."
-Nellie McKay on the 2006 Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, in which she played Polly Peachum

Updated On: 7/29/08 at 12:24 PM

#8

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 12:52pm

I can't see it. You need someone who can REALLY play comedy. Ana Gasteyer would be wonderful.

#9

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 1:02pm

I don't see Audra as Dolly, but I do like Ana Gasteyer. I also think Megan Mullally could do a good job.

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"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

#10

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 1:04pm

Yeah, I LOVE Audra's voice, but I don't see it suiting her voice that well. I think she could play the 'busy-body' part, but it wouldn't seem natural (IMO).

I also LOVE Ellen Greene, but don't see her in this part, either. She seems more natural in characters with more of an edge to them.

I'd like to see Mary Testa play Dolly.

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". . . POP . . ."

#11

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 1:05pm

Ana is a great idea. I like her better for that than for Funny Girl.

I could also see Stephanie J. Block playing Irene Maloy.

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"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

#12

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 1:33pm

I don't really see this either. Let Audra's beautiful voice be used for something better suited for her. I think she should star in the Light in the Piazza revival! Now that would be amazing!!

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If you hide from yourself, be someone else for someone else's sake, that would be the greatest mistake - bare

#13

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 1:41pm

I agree that Audra's voice just isn't suited for the role.

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Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!

#14

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 1:46pm

Sure, Ellen Greene could do it if anyone wanted to hear Dolly Levi stridently sung under pitch with a lisp.

Updated On: 7/31/08 at 01:46 PM

#15

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/29/08 at 1:53pm

^^^^ LMAO!
It's so true. But Ellen has emotion in her performances where so many singing actresses lack.
She's no Dolly though. Never.

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"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

#16

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/30/08 at 10:20am

I vote we bring Mary Martin back from the dead and let her do it!

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http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer

#17

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/30/08 at 11:02am

You do realize that any major mounting of DOLLY! will feature Carol Channing in her title role for at least the original cast. I'm sorry, but it's just the way it is.

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Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.

#18

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/30/08 at 12:16pm

Carol should bring it back as an Urban/Rap revival.
With LL Cool J as Horace.

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"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

#19

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/30/08 at 12:20pm

Interestingly enough, Audra (along with Phyllida) originally did not want to play Ruth in A RAISIN IN THE SUN because of the "fluff" issue: "Raisin in the Sun?! Come on, that's-everbody does Raisin... it's Mama On The Couch."

Bustopher,

You'll have to define what you call fluff. I think the fluff Audra and Linda were speaking of is mindless fun musicals (which we all need from time to time). That comment you refer to above isn't about the fluff. Raisin is HARDLY fluff. That's not why Audra and Phylicia didn't want to do it.

#20

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/30/08 at 1:15pm

For me, Peters is the current top choice for the role. McDonald would be a captivating Dolly, in say, 15 years or so.

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"Broadway...I'll lick you yet!"

#21

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/31/08 at 9:22am

I would actually love to see a younger actress play Dolly Levi. Audra would be one of my top choices, as would Emily Skinner. Both women are 38, which is closer in age to Carol Channing when she originated the role (she was 43) than Peters (60), Prince (51 next week) and Greene (57). I also think that Dolly is described in the text of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker as being in her late thirties/early forties.

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"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

#22

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/31/08 at 9:59am

I'm almost positive that I read in a New York Times review of one of Audra's recent concerts that she sang "Ribbons Down My Back."

I think she would be a marvelous Irene Molloy.

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"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

#23

re: Audra McDonald as Dolly Levi

Posted: 7/31/08 at 1:07pm

It will never happen. Audra will never play Irene Malloy. There just isn't enough there for her to work with and she is way too skilled as an actress and a vocalist to just be arm dressing for Cornelius Hackle.