Hello Dolly error?

[mfheller]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 7:59am

Just saw and loved it.  The opening scene has a screen portraying an elevated steam train with NYC 1885 displayed.  However, I believe the show takes place well into the 1890's, approaching the turn of the century.  Clothing and music are very ragtime. Why the discrepancy?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 8:10am

If you take a quick glance at your Playbill, you will find this:

Setting: In and around Yonkers and New York City. The 1880s.

[mfheller]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 8:40am

Yes but that's also wrong.  All other literature says 1890's approaching turn of the century. The entire feel is a good ten years after 1885.  

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 8:56am

You'll find this recent thread interesting as many others have issues with HELLO, DOLLY! as well: 

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1109807

[mfheller]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 9:23am

Yes all kinds of silly stuff does not make sense, particularly loaded with tons of luggage for zero reasons.  Plus, there is a screen that shows a street scene loaded with electric streetcars, which did not exist in 1885.  I'm right nah nah na nah nah!

[Huss417]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 9:44am

Thank You for joining today to point out you know more than anyone else on here. I now see the board is in good hands.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 9:46am

mfheller - you must be fun at parties.  

[haterobics]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 10:42am

The historical inaccuracy of fictional stories is often their downfall.

[Oak2]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 10:45am

They aren't errors - they're subtle hintings of the true nature of the story and the fact that Dolly is actually a supernatural being that exists across multiple time planes, like the Genie or Merlin. Her forcing herself into this time period, along with whatever other countless crimes she's committed across the space-time continuum under who knows what other guises, has causes several anachronistic anomalies to sprout up. Your attention in noticing these is quite impressive. Have you considered joining the Time Police?

Updated On: 5/30/18 at 10:45 AM

[denali.fire]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 10:49am

mfheller said: "Just saw and loved it. The opening scene has a screen portraying an elevated steam train with NYC 1885 displayed. However, I believe the show takes place well into the 1890's, approaching the turn of the century. Clothing and music are very ragtime. Why the discrepancy?"

OK so it won't be shown on The History Channel.

[denali.fire]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 10:49am

mfheller said: "Just saw and loved it. The opening scene has a screen portraying an elevated steam train with NYC 1885 displayed. However, I believe the show takes place well into the 1890's, approaching the turn of the century. Clothing and music are very ragtime. Why the discrepancy?"

OK so it won't be shown on The History Channel.

[Oak2]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 11:20am

denali.fire said: "mfheller said: "Just saw and loved it. The opening scene has a screen portraying an elevated steam train with NYC 1885 displayed. However, I believe the show takes place well into the 1890's, approaching the turn of the century. Clothing and music are very ragtime. Why the discrepancy?"

OK so it won't be shown on The History Channel."

Yes it will - Dolly is clearly an Alien, and History Channel loves talking about Aliens.

 

[denali.fire]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 11:37am

So maybe it wasn't Yonkers.  It was/is Roswell.

Hello Dolly!  A Paranormal Musical.

Updated On: 5/30/18 at 11:37 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/30/18 at 11:43am

And, btw, it's called artistic license.    No one promised musical theater to be historically accurate.  Hamilton isn't a historically accurate either.