Dolly Parton Should Star in the Revival of Hello Dolly!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:32pm

I was watching Dolly on Conan today, and they played "Hello DollY!" as she entered, and I thought, "That's crazy enought to work!". She can sing, she can act, and she has enough charm Dolly Levi lovable. I would love to see both Dolly's come to Broadway. This woman is so talented. (and please don't mock Dolly Parton, or make boob jokes, especially if you haven't really heard her music).

[PJ]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:33pm

I could see it. She has the charm and a big enough name to headline a revival.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:35pm

I may be totally talking out of my ass, but I thought maybe 10 years ago there was talk of Dolly Parton doing HELLO DOLLY for television; the idea was to keep the show's time period, but instead of New York resetting it in Nashville.

I thought it was a cute idea.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:36pm

She could bring so much charm and she could easily be a matchmaker.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:37pm

i can also see it. when is the revival supposed to be coming (if there is)?
that would be fun to see!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:39pm

Herman said he wants revivals of Mame and Dolly soon, but I think the failure of La Cage may have put those plans on hold.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:40pm

Dolly Parton is amazingly talented. I think it would totally work. I'd go see it.

[greenegirl87]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:45pm

I love Dolly Parton, that is one amazing woman. She would be so much fun in this role.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:47pm

LA CAGE would have been a bigger success if they'd gotten bigger names and a better director. I can't imagine a Broadway revival of DOLLY or MAME without a major star (and I don't mean Christine Baranski). I would think its more a case of waiting until the right person is available and interested.

[Craig]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:48pm

Tovah IS Dolly at Paper Mill this season..

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:50pm

Tovah couldn't sell out HELLO DOLLY on Broadway if it played the lobby of the Helen Hayes theatre.

[leadfootlouie]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:52pm

Brilliant!! To do that role, they should have someone unique and Dolly would fill that quota. In Spades!

Who the hell would want to see Tovah as Dolly?

She looks better suited to pushing a potato cart than coming down a staircase.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:52pm

It'll be interesting to see how well the Kennedy Center Mame is received this summer. If it gets raves, I would imagine there would be a chance that it would move to NY.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:54pm

Margo, what are the chances of any production of MAME ever getting raves? I assume you mean if Baranski is a critical triumph and also a bonafide box office draw? :)

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 3:59pm

I love Dolly as an entertainer and as a citizen, but she can't act.

She's a terrific singer and concert presence, but when it comes to talking other people's words, she's not all that good.

Dolly Gallagher Levi requires a real bona fide leading lady who can play comedy.

A lot of high school girls weren't finishing school in Dolly's hometown and she offered each girl a thousand bucks if they would stay in school and graduate. That's what I mean about being a good, no, great citizen.

[ThePinballWizard]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:06pm

::GASPS::

Dolly can't act???? Compared to who?

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:07pm

I believe Dolly Parton actually has the perfect comic timing needed for Dolly but I'm not sure how she would do in the very few nostalgic and dramatic moments of the show that I do believe add a lot to the character. Like I've said before, the one actress I'd love to see playing Dolly Levi is Bernadette Peters.
I agree that there is no way Mame or Hello, Dolly! would be revived without a major star in the title roles, especially Mame.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:07pm

I think she's a charming and natural actress; much like Reba...who would also be a fun Dolly.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:18pm

Both Reba and Dolly would be great in the role, but they would have to lose their twangs for the part.

[ThePinballWizard]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:20pm

Lest we all forget MY suggestion that DOLLY should play DOLLY...

then Margo shot me down...


BOO...
PinballWizard's Dolly Suggestion

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:21pm

Not even Henry Higgins could remove the twangs from either of those ladies. That would be like expecting a Kennedy to use the letter R.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:26pm

I'm sure somebody can and will go into a long diatribe about the detailed history of the character, Dolly Gallagher Levi through all her various incarnations but does it really matter if she is Yiddish, or Irish or Southern? I mean it's not a Harold Pinter play and I'm sure in the 1890s at least one girl from Tennessee married a Jewish merchant from NYC.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:47pm

FTR, I'd pay full price to see Dolly as Dolly.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:56pm

Tovah will be playing Dolly Levi Gallagher.

Its just a tiny alteration.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 7:22pm

Dolly playing Dolly would be interesting to say the least