Imelda Staunton Hello, Dolly starts tonight!- Page 3

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/21/24 at 9:08am

Oy! What a travesty of a curtain call and those cheap midwestern 1980s taffeta prom dresses are horrible.

THIS is how a HELLO, DOLLY! curtain call is properly done AND with actual choreography, which this London production has zero of in their curtain call. Broadway takes things up several notches. 

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/21/24 at 11:44am

Lord, what key is she in? She’s in the basement! 

[Rhoda4]

Posted: 7/26/24 at 3:56pm

Saw the show this past Saturday.  It was a magical night and Imelda was perfection.

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/26/24 at 9:27pm

Going to be honest, I saw this tonight and felt it to be…honorific and bland.

The Palladium is a HUGE house to play and this production just seemed turned into itself too much to let the audience in. It was missing all of the pop and fizz that made the last Broadway revival such a hoot. Adding songs from the movie also just prolonged the show unnecessarily and didn’t add anything of worth.

Imelda was okay, but the only time she came most alive was “So Long Dearie” and by then it was too little too late. The supporting cast, save for Andy Nyman, all seemed to be in different places and never gelled for me. Also, the title number was sooooo sleepy that it actually hurt me to see how melancholy it had been played out

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 7/27/24 at 10:13am

Do people think this will get a cast recording? All of Staunton's recent musicals have been recorded. 

[ManOfLaMuncha]

Posted: 7/31/24 at 3:51pm

Gypsy 2015 · 2 hr 23 min TV-PG Shout! Factory TV network logo Music · Musicals A live performance of the Chichester Festival’s revival, at London’s Savoy Theatre in 2015, of Stephen Sondheim’s and Jules Styne’s musical classic. Subtitles: English Starring:Imelda StauntonLara PulverPeter DavisonScarlet RocheLara WollingtonDan Burton Directed by:Lonny Price

This is free on Tubi, they have lots of interesting things on there!

Updated On: 7/31/24 at 03:51 PM

[binau]

Posted: 8/1/24 at 6:03am

Musicaldudepeter said: "Do people think this will get a cast recording? All of Staunton's recent musicals have been recorded."

I hope so. With the new songs and new arrangements (for better or worse) and given Staunton’s stature feels like we do need a recording. 

[DBAK]

Posted: 8/1/24 at 1:06pm

So, I am seeing this relatively blind in about 3 weeks. The big draw for me is Imelda Staunton. I don't like going to shows mainly/just for one performer as a rule, but this will be my first major West End revival, which will make it special no matter what. I do know some of Dolly's songs and I read The Matchmaker way back in college. Does anyone have thoughts on which cast recording is the absolute best, and where I should start? 

[binau]

Posted: 8/1/24 at 1:14pm

I genuinely think if you see the show for the first time (i.e. you didn't see the Bette Midler revival) you will enjoy it, I highly recommend going and you will probably have a great time especially if you love Staunton. I'm personally partial to the Bette Midler revival cast recording (just love the supporting cast, very much missed in London), the Pearl Bailey recording, occasionally the original Carrol Channing recording. That said - the songs of this show would be a classic, classic example of something that you will often find instantly memorable the first time and 'humming outside the theatre' or whatever analogy you want. I don't actually think you need to listen to the recording beforehand. 

 

[DBAK]

Posted: 8/6/24 at 8:19pm

binau said: "I genuinely think if you see the show for the first time (i.e. you didn't see the Bette Midler revival) you will enjoy it, I highly recommend going and you will probably have a great time especially if you love Staunton. I'm personally partial to the Bette Midler revival cast recording (just love the supporting cast, very much missed in London), the Pearl Bailey recording, occasionally the original Carrol Channing recording. That said - the songs of this show would be a classic, classic example of something that you will often find instantly memorable the first time and 'humming outside the theatre' or whatever analogy you want. I don't actually think you need to listen to the recording beforehand.

"

You have no idea how excited this makes me for the show! I'm seeing it 2 weeks from today. I think I'll queue up the Bette/Carol recordings for the plane ride. Looks like the Pearl Bailey one isn't available on Apple Music. I'll have to grab it on CD sometime. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/15/24 at 3:28pm

Just bumping this thread up with comments from sng 

sng said: "Holy F***

The current West End production of Hello Dolly was a mess and a half. All the changes from the movie were fine but there is absolutely no joy from this production at all. They messed up all the big numbers, from the choreo, the staging, the slower tempo.

Sunday clothes, Dancing and Parade became an over-choreographed madness. Hello, Dolly! title number was likea ballad, with no climax, no punch, and again, the terrible choreo.

Imelda's vocal was super weak, And why was the Parade speech cut short? It didn't build upany emotions at all."

[SuttonPeron]

Posted: 8/15/24 at 5:31pm

I haven´t seen it yet... but with what I´ve seen, I´m seriously thinking of not going. I´ve seen many clips online, and the title number is just not staged the way it should. Same for Sunday, which has "new arrangements" that take all the climatic build out of the song. What a waste of a stellar cast and 21 piece orchestra!

[Skip23]

Posted: 8/16/24 at 9:52pm

They should call it:  "Cheer Up, Dolly!"  I like when Mickey J says that Americans know how to "do" joy in a musical better than anyone.  This is SOOO serious!  

 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 8/25/24 at 2:29am

Hello Imelda 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/25/24 at 6:54am

Didn’t know Carnival Cruise Line had a production of HELLO, DOLLY! now. Nice. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 8/25/24 at 10:43am

The orchestra sounds good

[devonian.t]

Posted: 8/25/24 at 2:56pm

She walks up and downstage very nicely. 

Can she do anything else?

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/25/24 at 3:28pm

That was like the death of musical theatre in the twilight zone while set in the Upside Down.

Between “Hello” and “Harry”, there was time to take a nap or leave the building or both. 

And the dance break choreography could have been taken out of any class at Pineapple Studios on a Thursday evening. Pointless and meaningless. 

Sorry London. Hope you’re okay after this production. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 8/25/24 at 6:47pm

The choreo is all in the style of the original, I think it’s fine.  You could take out the entire song, and the show would still work, so by that standard, the entire number is pointless and meaningless.  Not moving the plot forward, it’s just there to show that Dollys still got it.   I’m just not crazy about the tempo changes. 

[Chuck Lawrence]

Posted: 8/27/24 at 9:00pm

I enjoyed it! Imelda was terrific, that woman can sing! It wasn’t the Bette production but hey. 

[RJ14]

Posted: 8/28/24 at 4:09am

Gower Champion and Jerry Herman rolling their graves seeing this choreography and tempo

Updated On: 8/28/24 at 04:09 AM

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 8/28/24 at 7:07am

Broadway Flash said: "The choreo is all in the style of the original, I think it’s fine. You could take out the entire song, and the show would still work, so by that standard, the entire number is pointless and meaningless. Not moving the plot forward, it’s just there to show that Dollys still got it. I’m just not crazy about the tempo changes."

The choreography is nowhere near the style of the original. It's frenetic, chaotic and super athletic - more Michael Kidd (who did the movie) than Gower Champion. The Waiter's Gallop in the second act uses the music from the movie and the choreography is inspired by that (hell, the whole show is basically the movie on stage). 

Still wondering are they going to record this? It closes soon, so perhaps not?

[DBAK]

Posted: 8/28/24 at 2:55pm

Caught the show last Tuesday while I was in London. That night feels like such a fever dream. I could not believe I was finally getting an opportunity to see Imelda Staunton on the West End??? I had dreamed of that day since 2003/4 when I first heard her as the Baker's Wife on the Original London Cast Recording of Into the Woods. I thought she was utterly fantastic. While this was my first time seeing the show, I feel like with the wrong actress, Dolly would come off as somewhat one note/superficial. Imelda's Dolly was so layered/multifaceted. I was surprised to find myself feeling so much empathy for her. "Before the Parade Passes By" was particularly striking because I felt like she sang it somewhat sorrowful/mournful at the beginning before it became a joyful/energetic Act 1 closing number. "Love, Look in My Window" was also a beautiful highlight. I am also itching to see Jenna Russell in a meatier role. She was fantastic. So grateful I saw this. I try not to see a show just for the star, but this was a great exception!