HELLO, DOLLY! Previews — Page 23

I agree, Sweet Lips, that if the actual experience was like a couple of folk have described here, I would be irritated too. HOWEVER, I was there last Thursday night and it was just as most have described above - joyous rapturous applause when Bette first appears. But then she gets to work as Dolly, and the audience is completely immersed in the good hearted grace of Thornton Wilder's story (adapted by Michael Stewart terrifically), Jerry Herman's boisterous exuberant score, and a sublime production from top to bottom.

Bette nearly tripped coming out of the feed store during beginning of Put On Your Sunday Clothes the night I was there, but quickly recovered with a "Hey! We're live!" to the audience. We roared with approval.

pure delight when drop rose to reveal the fabled Harmonia Gardens set, sustained applause when Bette enters in that red dress, and the title number is just a wow, wow, wow!

Bucolic gorgeous costumes and setting for final wedding scene bows was icing on the cake! There was nothing at all during the entire night that was inappropriate - no screaming out Bette's name, no flash of cell phone photos, no audience drama. Just rapturous enjoyment of musical theater done to perfection! :)

The original did not receive five standing ovations. That, dollypop, is an alternative fact, so stop spreading false information. I saw the original three time, Pearl Bailey once and Mary Martin on tour and none received standing ovations during the show and only once did the audience jump to its feet when the star emerged at the curtain call. Today, a standing ovation is totally irrelevant to what has happened on stage. Good, bad, mediocre some silly person jumps to her feet to be spotted and acknowledged by some actor on stage, and then, of course, all the lemmings in the audience follow suit.

Ahhh, I miss the days when it really was thrilling to be a part of one and it actually meant something.

WOW TNick926 thanks for that wonderful report. Would love to have been sitting next to you so we could have shared that perfect experience together......x

SweetLips said: "From what I read this Dolly seems to be turning into one big audience circus--how do the performers compete?

The more people read about the SOs, cheering, whooping etc etc it's ingrained before the show starts that this a vocal free for all and the louder they scream the more attention the audience member will receive-'Bette will always remember the night that I was there' sort of thing.

Makes me NOT want to be there as this cranky old fart won't tolerate such circus/stadium behaviour.

I will be happy to wait for the CD hopefully the DVD where my volume control can control just that.

Those in rapture of this 'once in a lifetime experience' please continue to enjoy.



"

Saturday evening I wouldn't call it a circus by any stretch. There was lots of laughing and clapping but no singing along, no yelling, no rudeness. It is a spectacle and people were in awe from overture to leaving.

Hell it was more civil than the shrieking young girls at DEH earlier Saturday.

DAME said:
Actually none of that is what is happening at all. But go ahead and stay home.

Yaaaaaassss Miss Thing...read these miserable biotches who can't stand audiences enjoying themselves!!!! Werq hunny!!!!

As I will never get to see this Hello Dolly I am only responding to what I have read in this thread---did those who were 'offended' think I was making it all up??? Silly possums.

I am pleased that those who defended the audience behaviour the night they attended were able to enjoy the show without the above mentioned 'disturbances'.

So jealous of you all.

PS--DAME--Don't think you should have put your 2 bits worth in there as you can't possibly have attended every performance so far to be 100% accurate.

Updated On: 4/5/17 at 01:11 AM

SweetLips said: "
PS--DAME--Don't think you should have put your 2 bits worth in there as you can't possibly have attended every performance so far to be 100% accurate."

You put in your own two cents without having seen any of the performances. And I have not seen anything in this thread indicating generally rowdy audiences.

The audience the night I attended was very appreciative and nothing even remotely approaching a circus. Generous applause for Bette at her big moments and a standing O for the title song- well earned, it should be mentioned. No yelling, shrieking, carrying on. Just a thoroughly engaged and appreciative crowd.

Saw it last night- second row orchestra center- and LOVED it. Would love to see it again- pure joy from start to finish.

"I was surprised to see that they cut Bette's almost endless solo bows at the end of the curtain call. Was that special to only the first preview?"

Yes, I loved her endless solo bows at the first preview, but this did not happen when I saw it a second time on March 25. Looks like that has been permanently removed from the curtain call.

They had a long solo bow at the end of the second preview as well. Probably not as long as the first because the show ran 40 minutes late due to the emergency in the audience.

I imagine that was the directors call.

That VOICE.

https://www.facebook.com/bootlegbetty/videos/vb.335020919921647/1307978475959215/?type=2&theater&notif_t=like&notif_id=1491501271686621

This will be my first show in the Shubert and I'll be sitting in row N Right Orchestra seats 2 & 4 (on the inner aisle). Does anyone know if this is far enough to see the whole set, but close enough to still see facial expressions? I recently watched the 1985 Tony Awards, which was the last ceremony held at the Shubert, to get a little perspective on the space, and it seemed pretty big for one of the older houses. I'm a little concerned row N is too far from the action.