Finally getting around to posting here..... saw the show in Tampa last Tuesday, and hadn't seen any note of this but found it quite interesting that Betty did in fact say "A TRUMP Lady Faire" in I Put My Hand In.... Based on other recordings I have heard out there, I know this has previously not been the norm, so I am quite curious as to what spurred this change.... The show was overall a delight! I quite enjoyed Betty's wave to the audience upon her first entrance before her opening monologue, and thought it to be a lovely touch, that I can't remember any of the Broadway Dolly's doing! The cast, for the most part, was quite strong, with Lewis Stadlen and Jess LeProtto being stand outs. I quite enjoyed Nic Rouleau and Analisa Leaming's performances as well, it's just so gosh darned difficult to measure up to the standard of perfection of Gavin and Kate's performances in the Broadway production, as I truly believe them to be pretty much the definitive Cornelius and Irene. On the other hand, I was not a fan of Kristen Hahn's Minnie, as she came off a bit overly awkward, to the point of feeling almost just strange and in a different world than her scene partners were.... However, as with Nic and Analisa, I believe it to also be a very difficult task to top the level of comedic perfection which Beanie Feldstein's Minnie exuded (that laugh in her hat shop monologue made me cackle every single time....) Overall, this production is in excellent shape, led by a very strong cast, if just missing a tiny bit of the sparkle and magic from the Broadway production.
On another note, I found the stage door situation to be quite disheartening regarding Betty.... we had all been informed by staff members upon arrival that "Miss Buckley had left the building" which could not have been further from the truth as a while later, when looking through the glass doors at the Straz, which allows those outside to see all of the comings and goings in the receptionist area inside, Betty appeared and had a talk with those behind the desk, almost coming to the doors, as if ready to come out, and then went back towards the backstage area, and left. This was also preceeded by her car service, at first being parked outside and in line with the stage door, then moving to the side, before heading to the other side of the building, where it was assumed she would be coming out instead to "avoid the stage door..." Now I do understand having been sick previously and maybe not wanting to come into contact with others for safety of maintaining a proper bill of health, but to just instruct your staff members to lie to those waiting at the stage door is, in my opinion, quite distasteful. I also slightly frown upon the fact, that, unlike the Broadway production, there could not have been more than about 10 people waiting for autographs so I don't quite understand the dramatics regarding not wanting to come out to greet the small crowd of people waiting, if not to at least have done what Bette Midler did and shake hands of those who waited... but despite that, a lovely night, seeing this dream of a revival one last time!
