For Dollypop and other DOLLY fans

[Zamedy154]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 8:37am

I've been meaning to share this little story for the past two months. I was reminded of this experience this past Saturday when I was watching 'ON YOUR FEET' in Buffalo with my mom and 12 year-old nephew. My mom loved it. My nephew liked it but "liked Dolly better." I had taken them to see DOLLY in early August. My mom is a HUGE Bette fan and surprising her with the tickets during our trip to NYC was worth every penny. I couldn't get three seats together so my mom and nephew sat together in the second row of the balcony. I was able to get a single seat in the mezz. At intermission, I went up to check on them. My mom was still in tears. "What's wrong?!" I exclaimed with a hint of worry. "Oh honey. She's AMAZING," she said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's absolutely WONDERFUL. I can't believe I'm seeing this." She went on to tell me how the woman sitting next to her was sobbing with her throughout the first act. They were 'supporting' each other through their tears of pure joy.  

My nephew needed to go to the bathroom so the three of us went together. As we were coming down the stairs, we passed my mom's new theatre friend. "Here she is!" It was a beautiful woman with her husband/boyfriend. She looked to be around my age (mid to late 30's, perhaps early 40s). Young enough to be my mom's daughter. We all exchanged a brief, truly heartfelt conversation, gushing over what we had just witnessed. It honestly felt like we had known each other for years... bonded by what we had shared in the previous 90 minutes.

I was reminded of this brief, innocent yet joyous experience this past weekend when my perfectly innocent little nephew said "I liked Dolly better." It wasn't a knock on any other show. It was him being honest. And it transported me back to that night when two complete strangers... decades apart in age... bonded and became instant happy crying friends because of the magic of this show and this cast. And that experience reminded me of a similar one when I saw my other all-time favorite show, HAIRSPRAY, with my late Nana. I know years from now I will have the memory of this past August to wrap myself in when the world gets cold and my heart is hurting.

What would we do without musical theatre... especially in this day and age? Thank God for the wonder of this art form. Thank God for the wonderful world of DOLLY.

Updated On: 10/4/17 at 08:37 AM

[Valentina3]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 8:51am

Zamedy154 said: "What would we do without musical theatre... especially in this day and age?"



Thank you for sharing your story, Zamedy15. I still manufacture happiness /motivation by listening to my favorite Dolly tracks after particularly rough days. I still remember the first time I realized musical theater had that power on me. I was on a bus to work and suddenly started feeling really sick. I was shivering, my palms were sweaty, and I was very close to fainting. I was listening to a random pandora station which decided to play "Thank Goodness" from Wicked at that moment. It genuinely took me out of that moment, and I was in the Gershwin with my sister seeing her smile like mad. She had gone through a lot of recent struggle with career, health, and relationships but she wall pulling through. The memory of her, tied so strongly to Wicked, somehow miraculously made me feel better instantly. Or gave me a boost anyway. (Turns out I had a bug, I felt real sick later in the day and rest of the week and lost 4 pounds - I am not complaining).
 

Updated On: 10/4/17 at 08:51 AM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 9:44am

Thank you so much for sharing this. It reminded me of the 1st preview of this production, where the whole audience was sobbing with joy. (I was actually concerned about dehydrating!) We all bonded and stood outside the theater hugging each other and not wanting the evening to end!

I recently took a group from my church to a matinee (with Dolly Donna). This was a group of good people who rarely see shows--let alone go to the city. I met one of the participants in the supermarket yesterday and he once again thanked me for organizing the trip. He said, "My wife and I knew we were going to see a Broadway musical but we weren't prepared for such a phenomenal experience. We can't get the music out of our heads and we keep talking about the show. Do you think you could arrange another trip to see it with Bernadette Peters?"   (Is the Pope Catholic?)

Just spreading the "Dolly Glow"!!!!!

[EthelMae]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 1:14pm

Thank you all for your wonderful stories. Makes me feel validated after I was recently chastised here for saying I wept at a recent performance. 

I too recently took friends to see Donna. They hadn't been to the theatre in years. These were sisters who saw Ginger Rogers' Dolly. At intermission, they were groping in their bags for more tissue! And the husband of one of them, also not a frequent theatregoer, was stunned at the professionalism and awed at what he had just witnessed. I don't think he expected to be so moved.

I love talking with audience members who have never seen Dolly on stage. They too have this unexpected wave of joy at this beloved musical. 

[SmokeyLady]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 8:51pm

EthelMae said: "Thank you all for your wonderful stories. Makes me feel validated after I was recently chastised here for saying I wept at a recent performance.

I too recently took friends to see Donna. They hadn't been to the theatre in years. These were sisters who saw Ginger Rogers' Dolly. At intermission, they were groping in their bags for more tissue! And the husband of one of them, also not a frequent theatregoer, was stunned at the professionalism and awed at what he had just witnessed. I don't think he expected to be so moved.

I love talking with audience members who have never seen Dolly on stage. They too have this unexpected wave of joy at this beloved musical."

Lets be clear Ethel.  No one chastised you here for saying you wept at a recent performance.  You were doing a Donna vs Bette thing.  Which was silly and read as if it was meant to cause divisiveness.  I actually enjoy reading about your return visits.  

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 10/4/17 at 9:25pm

This story made me smile from ear to ear. Reading about this sort of Dolly Glow (Thanks Dollypop!) always brings me back to that one magical night, in early August of this year as well, when I first witnessed Dolly. As a recent theatergoer, this show literally changed me. I love how Dolly is able to bring such joy and love into people's hearts, no matter their age or gender. I wasn't even alive when the 94 revival came about, but I'm happy with just being able to witness this quite frankly, legendary production.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 12:34pm

You have me smiling from ear to ear! 

With some people, the "Dolly Glow" lasts a few or a few months. With others, like me, it lasts 53 years.

I hope the glow within you never dims.

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 1:01pm

This past August, I lost my sister and my father, a week apart from each other. It was (and continues to be) a very difficult experience, and I didn't have many opportunities to just relax. However, I made it a point to take a little time to lie out in the sun and decompress. When I did, I would put on my headphones and decide what I would listen to. Every single time, I chose the new cast recording of Hello, Dolly! It's the only music that had the power to comfort me and lift my spirits.

Updated On: 10/5/17 at 01:01 PM

[EthelMae]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 1:26pm

Wow, CT2, that is so moving. I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my sister 6 years ago and my dad 4 years ago. My mom I lost in 1992. She was the one who took me 4 times to Dolly with Merman in 1970. So, watching this new production makes me feel a little closer to her.

Sometimes "the world is full of wonderful things."

[Morales2]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 1:32pm

I'm more of a lurker and never really post anything on the boards.  But I just had to say thank you so much for sharing this story.  It really made my day and I completely agree with everything you said.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 2:40pm

CT2NYC said: "This past August, I lost my sister and my father, a week apart from each other. It was (and continues to be) a very difficult experience,and I didn't have many opportunities to just relax.However, I made it a pointto take a little timeto lie out in the sun and decompress. When I did, I would put on my headphonesand decide what Iwould listen to. Every single time, I chose the new cast recording ofHello, Dolly!It'sthe only music that had the power to comfort me and lift my spirits."

 

What a small world! Whenever there's the funeral of a loved one, I turn to one of my DOLLY! recordings. Inevitably, I break out in tears but that's an essential part of the grieving and healing. Ultimately I realize that good things are around the corner and life will go on. Most importantly, I was spending time with a beloved friend...and that's what we do in times of grief.

I've told this story to both Carol and Jerry and Jerry was wiping tears from his eyes before I finished.

 

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 3:29pm

I'm so sorry about your losses.  I lost my mother in May, where I had to let go and care for her a little less than I would have wanted to due to my own health issues.  I understand the peace that a musical can bring to an individual.  Theater Therapy has been very helpful for me where for 2 hrs, I forget the outside world and relive the emotions when I listen to a cast recording.  When seeing a show more than once, I enjoy looking around and seeing the audience reaction, smile, tears, cheers.  Live theater is a powerful tool to heal!  I'm so glad my mom came from a musical family and appreciation of the arts was instilled in me from a very young age.  

And yes, when I saw Hello, Dolly! in April, there was an electricity when Bette emerged in her first scene and the audience leapt to their feet in applause.  The musical was so gloriously colorful to watch and so elegantly presented at the end and the music just as entertaining.  I can see why there would be so much love and bonding with Dolly!

CT2NYC said: "This past August, I lost my sister and my father, a week apart from each other. It was (and continues to be) a very difficult experience,and I didn't have many opportunities to just relax.However, I made it a pointto take a little timeto lie out in the sun and decompress. When I did, I would put on my headphonesand decide what Iwould listen to. Every single time, I chose the new cast recording ofHello, Dolly!It'sthe only music that had the power to comfort me and lift my spirits."

 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/5/17 at 7:48pm

These stories are very moving, thanks for sharing. I took my mom to see Hello Dolly! because it's been somewhat of a new tradition to see musicals with my very G-rated mom. Hello Dolly! was squeaky clean, has a nice funny story, with good dancing and good songs. My mom loved it. This is definitely a great musical to take mom to see.