HELLO, DONNA! - Murphy begins performances - Page 4

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 10:26pm

1.people are stupid

2.  No one needs to relax, people want to hear the truth of her performance...no o e said ANYTHING out of line. 

[carnzee]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 10:30pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "I don't understand how anybody could have purchased tickets to Dolly! with Donna in it and not know Bette wouldn't be there. The production has been extraordinarily up-front and transparent about her schedule appearances. Some people...

 

"

This was always going to happen, and will continue to happen throughout Donna's run. There's no excuse for the confusion, but some people just do not pay attention.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 10:35pm

This is a brilliant production with room at the top for two extraordinary women.  It's a joy to read everyone's take on Donna's debut.

[broadwayboy222]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 10:49pm

Any stage door reports? Did Donna do autographs/pictures afterwards? 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 10:55pm

I really enjoyed Donna's performance. She plays Dolly like a real woman rather than a cartoony caricature- which btw I believe to be an equally valid way to play the role. I thought she absolutely slayed Before the Parade Passes By. Definitely had some tears in my eyes. This is a woman who desperately wants these things and isn't afraid to show a little bit of the vulnerable and sadness she's had to endure since Ephraim's death. She doesn't merely want to rejoin the human race, but rather she needs to. 

So Long Dearie was a true joy and Donna has turned it into a genuine 11 O'Clock showstopper. This might be blasphemy to some, but my favorite version of Dearie is Streisand's from the film and Donna really gave it that oomph that I love so much. 

Sure, there are a few spots where she's find her footing, but it was a great debut and a credit to the writing that this role can be played successfully so many ways. I would kill to see Donna give an Actor's Fund performance where she plays Dolly as Fosca. And while that might finally put After Eight in the grave, Dolly does go after Horace with the same laser point focus that Fosca chases after Giorgio. They could even add the scene on the train after Sunday Clothes where Dolly finds Horace and sings Loving You, ha!

As for the rest of the cast, I haven't been back since the first preview and wow! DHP is truly a treasure. I really was rooting for Andy Karl to win Best Actor, but now I might have been swayed to vote for DHP instead. Horace is so often the second banana to Dolly, but he makes Horace such a fascinating and lovable guy in his own right. So much humor. 

The quartet of lovers were more over the top, but not in a distracting way. They've found more laughs and Kate's voice! That final note of Ribbons Down My Back! She floated that thing forever. 

What a joy. I hope Donna is just one of many Broadway divas we get to see take on the role in this revival. I'll be there for every one!

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 11:05pm

Glad to read your review, Whizzer! It's like a mini opening night, which is really fun, since the mad dash of openings ended a few months ago and we don't have any BIG ones coming until well into the fall.

Also... I'm a tiny bit disappointed this thread isn't named "Hello, Donna!" :) 

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 11:08pm

thanks whizzermarvin

im seeing donna end of month and your always nuanced and expert reviews are greatly appreciated

[Eliza2]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 11:16pm

I thought she was fantastic! As has been mentioned, she stumbled over a few words early on but nothing struck me as "tentative." And she was hysterical during the Harmonia Gardens scene.

She said at the stage door that her put-in was today, which surprised me. I would have thought it would have been earlier, especially since the cast wasn't rehearsing for a Tonys number. Is it usual for a principal alternate at this level to have their put-in the day of their first performance?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/13/17 at 11:19pm

It's still intriguing that the production chose a beloved singing actor who doesn't have any of the elements of the Midler Dolly in her wheelhouse. She can play comedy, of course, and well. She's droll and knocked out "Wonderful Town" by tossing out the Roz Russell playbook. But she's a drier, cooler wit, nothing like Midler, in size and temperament, which means the Zaks staging has to accommodate a temperamentally different presence.  That's what fascinates, how she folds into a show that's built like a well-oiled machine around a particular flavor or grand diva performance. Murphy works (at times masterfully) within an entirely different tradition, and while it's valid, the show around her is a different animal. And how they all work to serve this Dolly has to be worth discussing. Any more thoughts? 

Updated On: 6/13/17 at 11:19 PM

[theminutepast]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 12:05am

Tentative isn't a poor choice of words. For most of the first act, Donna seemed to be holding back. I had never seen the show before but I could tell some lines were written for laughs and the character has over-the-top moments, and she wasn't landing them initially. By the end of the first act and for the rest of the show, Donna was confident, funny, and touching. She did drop a fork in the Harmonia Gardens scene with DHP, and I find slip-up moments fascinating. DHP couldn't eat, and he was looking for something on the table to make due and mid-scene Donna picked up the dropped fork and made an aside about taking the dirty one. 

Telecharge and the box office were clear that Donna Murphy would be on. There were signs outside the theater, too. But I still saw a grown-man have a tantrum when he opened the playbill. 

[MoveOnGypsy]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 12:06am

I saw it tonight from the 2nd row sandwiched between Terrance McNally and Marin Mazzie and Jason Darnley. During intermission, Jennifer Westfeld came over and chatted with them. Scott Rudin stood behind the orchestra seats at the railing the whole time. Donna's final bows were filmed and she was given a large bouquet of flowers.

I disagree about the last posters observations. I believe that Murphy was able to manage the staging quite well. Having seen it with Bette, the thought never entered my mind that the choreography, staging or direction was out of place for Donna. The show fit her like a glove or Vic versa. She exuded a certain sexiness and charm that alluded Bette. Not to belabor the point, but her age has a ton to do with it. Donna being 58 is an incredibly real Dolly. Her interpretation works. Her voice is top notch. Donna made a few flubs, jumbling up some words and dropping some props. Those beets went everywhere but Horace's plate! She was very gracious at the stage door signing playbills and taking pictures with everyone. 

I can't wait to return on the 27th! I really hope her performance is recorded somehow. It deserves to be.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 12:32am

MaddieBB12 said: "Also... I'm a tiny bit disappointed this thread isn't named "Hello, Donna!" :) "

Done.

[broadwayTX]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 12:35am

What was the marquee outside the theatre like? Did it still have Bette's name in lights?

[evic]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 12:44am

I cried when Elena Roger was out in Evita the night I saw it.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 1:17am

evic said: "I cried when Elena Roger was out in Evita the night I saw it."

Why?!  You were given a blessing!

[KitKatBoy24]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 1:26am

It's interesting to hear that Donna dropped the cane into the audience during So Long. I was at the first preview for Bette and the exact same thing happened haha. 

I was supposed to see Donna tonight but had to exchange for the 27th because of work. I can't wait to see her though. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 1:49am

broadwayTX said: "What was the marquee outside the theatre like? Did it still have Bette's name in lights?

 

"

of course

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 2:19am

WhizzerMarvin said: "I really enjoyed Donna's performance. She plays Dolly like a real woman rather than a cartoony caricature- which btw I believe to be an equally valid way to play the role. I thought she absolutely slayed Before the Parade Passes By. Definitely had some tears in my eyes. This is a woman who desperately wants these things and isn't afraid to show a little bit of the vulnerable and sadness she's had to endure since Ephraim's death. She doesn't merely want to rejoin the human race, but rather she needs to. 

 

I hate to be the one to point this out, but since Donna lost her husband last year, I'm not surprised this number has a certain extra vulnerability. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 5:04am

ugh i am hoping against hope that they may record some of Donna's tracks. i haven't heard that gorgeous voice sing anything new in 6 years! i may be in town on the 27th so i may see her but still it would be wonderful to have a Donna EP or something along those lines

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 6:39am

jacobsnchz14 said: "MaddieBB12 said: "Also... I'm a tiny bit disappointed this thread isn't named "Hello, Donna!" :) "

Done.

 

"Aww, nice!

 

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 8:31am

Looking forward to seeing Donna on July 5. My daughter especially wants to see a Dolly that can "sing." As mesmerized as she was with Bette's electrifying performance, she was disappointed in her singing. Up until this production, she had only seen the Dolly movie and of course she loved Barbra's voice, especially during Hello, Dolly with Louis. So this will be a fun contrast. Until this production with Bette,the last Dolly I saw was Klea Blackhurst at Goodspeed and she knocked it out of the park, especially during the solo dining scene while the court was waiting for her. So we're both pumped.

As for people being confused about Donna/Bette being in the show, I have a couple thoughts about this other than simply "people are stupid," which may be true in some cases. If people bought tickets from a purveyor other than Telecharge, disclosure may not have been clear. I keep tabs on TripAdvisor and there are a number of visitors from other countries who buy theater tickets and consistently overpay (i.e, Broadway,com. They see the name and think it is the way to go) and unfortunately they have no in depth knowledge of what they are getting. Also, when some people hear Donna Murphy is in the show, they aren't hearing Bette is NOT in the show. They don't know who Donna Murphy is and that she is Bette's replacement.

I'm interested in the reasons people are giving at the the theater for being confused.

 

  

[DAME]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 8:47am

WhizzerMarvin said: "I really enjoyed Donna's performance. She plays Dolly like a real woman rather than a cartoony caricature- which btw I believe to be an equally valid way to play the role. I thought she absolutely slayed Before the Parade Passes By. Definitely had some tears in my eyes. This is a woman who desperately wants these things and isn't afraid to show a little bit of the vulnerable and sadness she's had to endure since Ephraim's death. She doesn't merely want to rejoin the human race, but rather she needs to. 

So Long Dearie was a true joy and Donna has turned it into a genuine 11 O'Clock showstopper. This might be blasphemy to some, but my favorite version of Dearie is Streisand's from the film and Donna really gave it that oomph that I love so much. 

Sure, there are a few spots where she's find her footing, but it was a great debut and a credit to the writing that this role can be played successfully so many ways. I would kill to see Donna give an Actor's Fund performance where she plays Dolly as Fosca. And while that might finally put After Eight in the grave, Dolly does go after Horace with the same laser point focus that Fosca chases after Giorgio. They could even add the scene on the train after Sunday Clothes where Dolly finds Horace and sings Loving You, ha!

As for the rest of the cast, I haven't been back since the first preview and wow! DHP is truly a treasure. I really was rooting for Andy Karl to win Best Actor, but now I might have been swayed to vote for DHP instead. Horace is so often the second banana to Dolly, but he makes Horace such a fascinating and lovable guy in his own right. So much humor. 

The quartet of lovers were more over the top, but not in a distracting way. They've found more laughs and Kate's voice! That final note of Ribbons Down My Back! She floated that thing forever. 

What a joy. I hope Donna is just one of many Broadway divas we get to see take on the role in this revival. I'll be there for every one!

 

"

As always I really appreciate your thoughts.  I am very excited to see Donna and revisit Bette.  I was wondering if Gavin was given any kind of unusual reception either in his entrance or the curtain call since this was his first performance after his Tony win.   This is such a glorious production top to bottom.   I am hoping it has a very long run and that we may continue to see a parade of different Dolly's doing their stuff.  

[After Eight]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 9:22am

"If people bought tickets from a purveyor other than Telecharge, disclosure may not have been clear."

 

I heard that described by several people  at last evening's performance. 

Updated On: 6/14/17 at 09:22 AM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 9:31am

Gavin was given healthy entrance applause, but the curtain call was all about Donna. I don't know if there are pictures floating around, but the flowers she received were almost bigger than she is! 

Re: Auggie's comments about Donna fitting into Zaks' (to the extent that it's even his) production, I think Donna fits in very nicely. I wasn't born when the original production ran, but look at the completely different women who played Dolly then: Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, Martha Raye, Pearl Bailey, Phyllis Diller, Ethel Merman, plus Mary Martin and Dora Bryan in London. That is quite an assortment of women! The show and role have a remarkable elasticity to accommodate many different styles and talents, and even though this revival was put on with Bette in mind, I think it will have the ability to live on long without her, and last night was the proof. 

The $59 seats in the balcony are an amazing steal for Donna's performance. I'll go back to see her again over the two weeks around July 4th when Bette is on vacation.   

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 6/14/17 at 10:16am

WhizzerMarvin "...the flowers she received were almost bigger than she is!  "

I saw the video, as well as the video of the TWO huge bouquets Bette got her opening performance. I don't know why producers do this to actors, giving them these oversized objects. So awkward to hold, especially when there are a couple more bows to do. They look silly. Yes, I understand they are a gift and who doesn't like to receive a token of appreciation. But why not present a bouquet a bit smaller and easier to handle so the actor can revel in the applause and not worry about maneuvering around stage with a bouquet as big as themselves...especially with that final Dolly costume and hat which seemed to be given Donna some trouble.