For Patti LuPone and "Hello, Dolly!" fans only!- Page 2

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:49pm

As everyone here know, I worship and adore Patti LuPone. I also worship and adore HELLO, DOLLY! I don't think they're a good fit. Carol Channing told me that the secret to playing Dolly is that she must be portrayed as a woman who is hilariously funny but doesn't realize it. I don't see those qualities in Patti.

My choices for Dolly is Mitzi Gaynor. In fact, she's seriously considering a revival of the show. Another good Dolly would be Georgia Engel.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:53pm

That's interesting, Dollypop--and I was hoping we'd hear from you!

Honestly though (and I'm not being glib here), I think that's the secret to being Carol Channing. I think Carol is a superb comedian, and lots of her charm is her wide-eyed seeming unawareness of it.

But I really don't see that as being characteristic of Dolly Levi herself, though obviously Carol's playing it that way worked like gangbusters.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 1:56pm

Do you think that Mitzi and Georgia (and to an extent Patti) are too old for the role? Shouldn't Dolly be 40s to very early 50s?

[MadameRoseRules]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:02pm

Jerry Herman, please take note: in my humble opinion, Patti would make a great Dolly, or a great Mame, or a great Countess Aurelia, OR a great Jacqueline in "La Cage" - any one of them! I, too, would come to see her in anything, after seeing what she did with "Gypsy." You RULE, Patti!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:06pm

Gotham-
Ideally she should be 50-ish.

If Madeline Kahn was still alive, I would clamor for her. She was terrific.

Of today's actresses, Michele Lee or Mitzi would be good choices.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:13pm

"Do you think that Mitzi and Georgia (and to an extent Patti) are too old for the role? Shouldn't Dolly be 40s to very early 50s?"

According to the dates on imdb, Engel is less than a year older than LuPone, though perhaps Engel comes off as older.

I do think that nowadays a Dolly who's 60ish is fine. I don't think that much past 60 is a good idea, although when Channing did it in her mid-70s, we accepted it because she's Channing. But she ran into trouble during her last Broadway run and, of course, the tour she started not long after that closed very quickly because she wasn't well. I'm not sure anyone much over 70 can do a role like that eight times a week for very long. Of course, that's another issue.

Always worth remembering is that Channing was 42 when the original production opened.

Ruth Gordon was 59 when The Matchmaker opened on Broadway. But it's also worth remembering that Thornton Wilder wrote the role in The Merchant of Yonkers with Gordon in mind (or at least he hoped she would play it). Had she played it at that time, she would have been 41. Jane Cowl, who did play it, was 53.

FWIW, there's a popular myth that The Matchmaker was a major rewrite of The Merchant of Yonkers that greatly expanded the role of Dolly. Not true. They're really one play with two titles and only the most minimal of revision. Dolly is just about as large a role in the first play as she is in the second.

husk_charmer, you know that Kahn would be 68 if she were still with us.

I'm not sure if you know that she did play Hello, Dolly!

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:17pm

Lee and Gaynor are far too old. While Engel and LuPone are about the same age, LuPone comes across as younger. For the record, Mullally just turned 50.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:17pm

nobodyhome-
I did indeed know she played it...and what I have heard was amazing.

Yea, she would be 68...I guess since she died so young, I always imagine her being 40 still.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:24pm

Quite frankly, it's not something I can envision P.L. playing on the Great White Way. (My ultimate dream of ultimate dreams is to see her at least do a concert version of "Sunset Boulevard"... I know...it's a stretch... but if Laurents and LuPone can make up?) How about Christine Ebersol as Dolly Levi? Or Mary Testa? or Christine Pedi? The possibilities are endless. from RC in Austin, Texas

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:26pm

God, not Christine Eversnore.

Lovely voice. Fine actress and comedian. Boring in musicals.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:30pm

I love Christine Ebersole, but your comment made my giggle, husk_charmer.

I'd be interested in see Georgia Engel as Dolly, but I think she's a bit too old now. how about Beth Leavel?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:33pm

While I would love for Leavel to do it, to last on Broadway, they would need a bigger name. Especially since it will be the first major production sans Carol Channing.

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:37pm

Ebersole was boring in Mame at the Papermill (thank God that Kelly Bishop was Vera), so I'm not eager to see her as Dolly.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:37pm

well in that case, Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan should make their stage debut as Dolly.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:41pm

givemevoice, lol.

No, it'll be something along the lines of Lauren Graham, or Melora Hardin.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:41pm

"Ebersole was boring in Mame at the Papermill"

Ebersole never should have been considered for Mame. She is much more suited for Vera.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:42pm

^ Agreed Gotham. Agreed.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:44pm

see, now, I would like to see Patti as Mame. maybe not in a Broadway production, but at least a concert staging.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:45pm

Patti doesn't have the warmth for Mame.

And, call me a shill but, Lauren Graham does....

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:46pm

Mame does require warmth; also a certain glamour, which I don't think brings Patti to mind, either.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:50pm

since you keep mentioning Lauren Graham, I have to comment that I'm actually really looking forward to her Adelaide. I think she is hysterical.

I think Patti has warmth. I think she just doesn't play a lot of roles that require it. I'm not sure I think she's right for a Broadway production, like I said. maybe she'd be a better Vera at this point.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:52pm

Patti would make a great Vera...but I don't know if she'd be willing (or able) to take back seat to someone else.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:52pm

I certainly think Patti has fire; I'm not so sure about warmth.

Mind you, I don't know that Roz Russell was renowned for her warmth prior to playing Mame.


Updated On: 1/15/09 at 02:52 PM

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:54pm

Don't know yet if Lauren Graham's a strong enough singer for Mame. If she sing If He Walked Into My Life well, then she'd make a terrific Mame. If they ever revive the non-musical Aunti Mame, she'd be perfect.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:56pm

When they were talking about doing a tv production of Mame, I always wanted Bette Midler because I don't think Mame's craziness was captured to its fullest. I always thought Angela Lansbury was a bit too elegant in the role. I think Midler's "over the top" persona would be more in line with Mame.