Bette Midler as Dolly- Page 4

[lovebwy]

Posted: 5/23/13 at 6:34pm

"political correctness/progressiveness but in the name of what's right in life and in the art), and against narrow-minded bigotry, can be so surprisingly bigoted when it comes to casting. "

YAWN!!! Holy crap, you are a BORE. When I say, for example, that Cher can't play Mame it's because she would have NO IDEA HOW TO PLAY HER. She is not a versatile actress, and she comes from a trashy background. Mame is a high born blue blood, and Cher simply doesn't know from that, and can't fake it.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/23/13 at 6:42pm

^^^Because the convention in opera is that voice is character, not physicality, which is why Leontyne Price can play Butterfly, Birgit Nielsen can play Electra at 70+, and 300-pound sopranos used to play virgin teens.

***

In re your previous post, henrik, and to paraphrase Mel Brooks, "If it weren't for blacks, gays and Jews, there wouldn't BE a popular American theater!"

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 5/23/13 at 7:47pm

IF Bette would return to Bway with HELLO DOLLY! then the show would have finally found a worthy icon to carry on the reign. Channing was never 'Irish-seeming' & she is an OCTAROON to boot. Bette would bring life to the old chestnut in a way that no other would. Convincing her that the score is worthy enough is the next step.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 5/23/13 at 8:25pm

Lovebwy I may be a bore, but as it happens I wasn't responding to what you said about Cher or Mame.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/23/13 at 8:56pm

Per Wiki (and her own account in the documentary about her), Channing not only had an African-American grandmother, she also had two Jewish grandparents.

The one thing she doesn't seem to have been is Irish.

I'm firmly in the "Who cares?" about Dolly's ethnicity.

It is a demanding role, however, and whether Bette Milder wants to work that hard at 70 is a fair question. I doubt she needs the money.

[lovebwy]

Posted: 5/24/13 at 11:11am

Sorry, henrikegerman. I was just joking.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 5/24/13 at 11:12am

^cool. I know I can go on and on....

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 12:28am

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/the_divine_miss_levi_mAHPJ2nyKcfOWDfPdyDLRP

According to Riedel there is serious interest in a Midler Dolly revival.
I wish it would happen. But imagine LuPone's reaction if it actually did?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 12:37am

I wouldn't read too into this. As Reidel says himself, the interest in her doing the show has always been there. The topic is just coming up again now because she's back on Broadway to such tremendous success. She's been offered revivals of MAME and countless other shows before too, all of which she's passed on consistently.

She'd be a fabulous Dolly, of course, but I think it would take a lot to convince her to do a role that's so incredibly taxing. The fact that she barely gets up from the couch in I'LL EAT YOU LAST had a lot to do with why they were able to talk her into doing it in the first place, not to mention the personal relationship she had with Sue Mengers. She'd also have to commit to a year in a musical as big as DOLLY, which I don't see her being interested in (considering she stated openly that she wanted to essentially retire after he last Vegas stint).

That being said, who knows- maybe she's having a good enough time that she'd consider it. She said on opening night a couple months ago that it was important to her to return to Broadway in a new play and not a revival in order to leave a lasting legacy by creating something all her own. Now that she's fulfilled that, perhaps she'd be more open to the idea of a revival. Lord knows there's none more ideal for her than DOLLY.

Updated On: 5/29/13 at 12:37 AM

[theatredk]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 1:49am

The problem I always thought of Streisand as Dolly was she was too YOUNG for the role!

[lovebwy]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 2:00am

You know, really, Bette is brassy and fun and she has an interesting persona, but I was never all that impressed with her voice. She has a great personality and can sell a song, but technically I don't think she's anywhere near a LuPone.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 2:44am

Although very different from The Pone, Bette's live singing voice is what made her a Star. She toured for years doing 2 hour plus concerts.
She danced, joked and changed personas like crazy.
I agree, signing her for a year seems impossible but Dolly doesn't dance too much, she gets some rest time and the score isn't that difficult but allows for great vocal moments.
It would be a great 3rd or 4th Act for Midler's career and a super Jolt for Broadway.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 3:06am

Oddly enough, Joe Mantello played a waiter in a summer stock production of HELLO, DOLLY! as a teenager opposite Jayne Houdyshell as Dolly. If he and Midler had as great an experience working together as has been reported, he may be exactly the right person to lead her toward such an iconic role.

It would be a somewhat unconventional choice, to be sure, but I'd be interested to see what the show would be like in his hands.

Updated On: 5/29/13 at 03:06 AM

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 3:42am

It would be amazing and she is the only name I can think of that could headline a big revival of Dolly and make it a success and be just perfect in the role.

But as its been said she has been offered it loads of times. I think if it doesn't happen in the next two years it will be a role firmly added to the "wouldn't it had been great if" pile

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 6:45am

"It would be amazing and she is the only name I can think of that could headline a big revival of Dolly and make it a success and be just perfect in the role."

I would suggest that Reba would be even better, and would sell at least as many tickets as Midler.

[Kavana]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:11am

Queen Latifah as Pearl bailey in Hello Dolly

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:14am

lo.....l?

[americanboy99]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:19am

There's an article on Playbill where Midler discusses being offered "Mame" and she basically states that she has no interest in recreating a role that someone else already created.

I can think of few roles/performances more iconic than Channing's Dolly, so I'd imagine Midler's interest is slim. Though, who knows?

Still definitely more exciting casting choices out there, in my opinion.

[Fred Casely]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:19am

I saw a production in Cleveland in the early 70s where Dolly was black and almost everyone else was white (maybe 2 black waiters). It totally worked!

As for the Gallagher question -- we're talking 3 or 4 mentions that that had been Dolly's maiden name. That was NOT what was wrong with the movie.

Bette as Dolly -- I'll be on that ticket line the first day!

[JRybka1611]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:28am

I cannot believe the comments about this.
There was an amazing production at the Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, where I met the most amazing LaVon Fisher Wilson who played Dolly Levi. The cast was a totally colorblind show with the best person in the best roles. Most of us don't see color when seeing a show like that. She was perfect for the role. Why does it matter?

[zamedy]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:34am

I love Bette and would LOVE to see her as Dolly. It would be the biggest, most anticipated revival to hit Broadway in YEARS.

I also LOVE the idea of Reba (much better than LuPone actually). She killed it in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN and definitely has the vocal AND acting chops (she's incredibly funny). And at this point in time, Reba's voice is definitely stronger than a late 60's-something Bette.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:41am

I just can't picture Reba and her twang in Yonkers and New York City at the turn of the 20th century.

If a revival does happen, I would love if they added back "World, Take Me Back" and "Love, Look In My Window." They would be naturals for someone like LuPone, especially the latter. But Bette might not want to add more songs to the score, especially since "Love, Look In My Window" is fairly strenuous, at least sung by Merman.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 9:42am

I just hope Reba comes back to the stage eventually. I don't really care in what, I just want to see her again.

[broadway guy]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 10:33am

Bette is great but if you are going to do a HELLO DOLLY revival then it needs to be with Lupone. Lupone would nail it (she nails everything) and Its an iconic role right up Patti's Alley.

Whoever said BARBRA was awful as Dolly is a COMPLETE DUMBASS. Get some taste fool.

Anyway, HELLO DOLLY is one of my favorite musicals and i would love to see a revival of it. Bette would be great in it even though i would prefer THE LUPONE.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 5/29/13 at 10:55am

I'm glad ljay889 brought up the two Merman songs, 'World, Take Me Back' and 'Love, Look in My Window'. I have heard these on the, ahem, live recording but never seen them on stage. I love DOLLY, but I've always been disappointed that between 'I Put My Hand In' and 'So Long Dearie' Dolly doesn't sing the songs as much as she introduces them.

I understand that some peoplke feel the two cut songs are superfluous, but IMHO, in a star vehicle, the star needs to be one-on-one with the audience, preferably in a traditional 'wanting song', that lets the audience fall in love with the character and gets us rooting for them to acheive their goal. Dolly's little speeches to Ephram go part of the way, but we never get the intimacy that comes with a 'Wouldn't it Be Loverly', or even 'If I Were A Rich Man'.

Far be it from me to say that we didn't fall in love with Carol Channing or Pearl Bailey, but seeing a star with Midler's magnetism step out in one and put across those two songs would be memorable.