Can Bette's voice handle it?

Ok.. Let me preface this by saying I am a huge fan of Miss Midler. I hope she wins the Tony for this role and becomes an Oscar away from joining the EGOT club. Anytime over the years when discussion about a Dolly revival came up on this board, I was always screaming BETTE! PLEASE GOD! And I couldn't be happier that this is finally happening.

My question to others is... How do you think she will sound at 70 in this role? Not even the fact that she'll be doing seven shows a week but even on opening night? Her instrument isn't what it used to be. Her voice is understandably weaker. I'm honestly just a little worried that it may be noticeably weak. Is she working with a vocal coach to strengthen her instrument? Will songs be brought down keys and lose some sparkle? I apologize if this has been discussed at length already elsewhere.

BTW.. 'So Long, Dearie' is one of those Broadway songs that seems written for Bette to perform the hell out of, doesn't it?!

Updated On: 2/10/17 at 09:08 PM

She's got this.

Let's remember who originated this role...

I'd almost argue that the Sunset score is more difficult for Glenn than the Dolly score will be for Bette. If Glenn can manage...

You are talking about a role that was originated, and continuously recreated by Carol Channing. Have you heard her sing the role? This isn't the score of Evita we are talking about here. It is a mostly simple score, and Dolly is a reasonably easy sing.

After hearing first hand reports about Bette's show in Vegas, I'm more concerned about whether or not she will be able to keep things feeling fresh and interesting rather than how well she'll sing the role. As long as she doesn't get bored, she'll do just fine.

I think it is not a question of boredom but of fatigue that perhaps comes across that way. That's the unknown here and saying she would not have gone forward with this if she couldn't do it is about as meaningless as anything anyone could say: there is no issue about intent, but the best laid plans of mice and (wo)men sometimes go awry. (PS producers don't get their hands on the advance until the week after the performances to which it relates.)

"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water." ~Eleanor Rooseveltl

A lot of us didn't know she altered the money notes in the Vegas ballads. Very interesting. If anything, "Dolly" allows maximum negotiation of notes within her songs, with many an almost non singer scoring well. What's the hardest number? "Parade..." "So Long..." I don't think the rest makes vigorous vocal demands, and doesn't require Merman's roof-raising. Midler has great musicality -- I've seen most of her shows in one iteration or the other, save the Vegas one. She had a kind of endurance at both Radio City and the Majestic back in the day, that was rock singer like. Yes, 40 years later, the instrument has changed. But she is a singer, the real deal. I'd guess she will land all of the songs initially, without shortcuts. The role is still quite an acting piece, enough of "Matchmaker" is still there to play. Midler herself said so, having watched recorded versions. Will she get bored? Or will it just be a job that's hard to sustain -- all of the stage door stuff after the Sue Mengers piece apparently wore her down (I recall the massive crowds waiting in Shubert Alley.) The expectations for this production are so high, that is one of the biggest hurdles. That BO is getting bigger daily.

Midler rebuilt her technique around the time of her GYPSY (just as Streisand did about the time of her first Broadway-anthology album). She doesn't sing like she did in her "rock star" days. She sings much more like a true Broadway belter. And it's not as if she has to belt to the balcony; she will be heavily miked.

I can't speak for the effect of fatigue or boredom, but in terms of vocal technique and stamina, she will do just fine.

@trpguyy fatigue is not a performance issue, it is a health issue.

HogansHero said: "@trpguyy fatigue is not a performance issue, it is a health issue."

Hence my "as long as she makes it out on stage" qualifier.

I definitely think Bette Midler will deliver in Dolly! Of course with time you can't compare her performances now to when she was younger (as with any artist), but I think with her being such a legendary icon, audiences will be in awe regardless of any production changes to accommodate Bette's needs.

I am not, nor have I ever been an actor, so I may be all wet here. Given that it is one of Broadway's legendary roles, I have always felt that the role of Dolly was not actually that large or difficult. The role is all about charisma, wit and warmth, and who has more of that combination than Bette? (I remember concluding this the last time I saw Dolly with Carol Channing. She was 73 or 74 and I remembered wondering how she could get through it night after night. With that fear, I watched the performance and realized (a) that she was just as good as the first time I had seen it 30 years earlier and (b) that she was off-stage for long periods of time, which I assumed gave her a chance to rest at regular intervals.

Since there are good stretches of time when Dolly is not on stage, and -- other than the title number -- the dancing is of the (limited) soft shoe variety, I am sure that Bette will be fine, and we will all love her performance.

PS -- I have to admit that I am actually looking more forward to Donna Murphy's performance for the weirdest reason. I already feel that I can visualize Bette's performance, with the wide grins and great warmth, and will be very surprised if it is not what I expect. On the other hand, I have no pre-conception as to how Murphy will be, e.g., how will she play the broader scenes? Will she play it straighter and emphasize the pathos? Etc.

I have always see her as a subtle / dramatic performer, although I remember reading how outrageously funny she was in (Song of Singapore ?????) years ago. So, I am really anxious to see how she does.

Dollypop said: "She's not singing Turandot. Dolly only sings 5 songs."

She also has time off-stage, too, which helps.

It's a formidable leading role, sure, but it's not a grueling one.