chipsandguacplz said: "It's opening in Newport, Rhode Island
but I agree that would be so cool if it opened in Atlanta."
Providence, RI--Newport doesn't really have a theatre that could handle a national tour, especially for a musical! All the houses in Newport are much more intimate venues, usually used for concerts or stock productions. PPAC is the Rhode Island touring house! We've been getting a few national tours launching here in the past few years, which is great because we used to be one of the cities that ended up getting tours only after they'd gone non-Equity, or else at the very, very tail end of a loooooong tour. The Band's Visit launched here last year and was incredible, for instance, and I think that Cats started its tour here in the winter of this year.
As for Ms Leavel, I've always wished she would reprise her run as Dolly in Hello, Dolly! (she did it 2014 at the Muny in St Louis). She was phenomenal in the Muny production and I always thought she'd be great in a tour of the show (maybe if there's a year 3 after Carolee Carmello steps down? A guy can dream, right?). She is probably the most comic Dolly I've experienced aside from Bette Midler.