Jenifer Lewis to star in revival of "Hello Dolly".

[DAME]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:42pm

It is time. This show has long been overdue for a serious revival. I hope it does well and makes it's way to Broadway. It might make good medicine for these tough times.
Hello Dolly

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:43pm

I bet she'll be wonderful.

[DAME]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:44pm

I am going to make the trip.
Playbill statement

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:49pm

Good casting, I'm sure she will do really well.

[kissmeimirish]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 10:18pm

this woman deserves a starring role. will never forget her as Tina's mom in What's Love Got to Do with It. So perfect.

[JP2]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 11:48pm

She was the best Maybelle I ever saw. Can't wait.

[strelimyn]

Posted: 1/12/09 at 12:56am

Holy balls! This is the best news I've heard all day. I love this show, and I am definitely making the trip to see Miss Lewis. This is great.

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 1/12/09 at 12:59am

She needs to come do this in New York. We need Dolly here. she BELONGS here.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/12/09 at 1:17am

It's a mixed bag of a local Seattle cast but Lewis should be spectacular.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 7:17pm

Looking forward to hearing how Ms. Lewis is in the role.

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 7:19pm

Holy Jebus!

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 7:21pm

They are running a very cute commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlN5P8N3GW0

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 7:22pm

Dollypop refrains from comment.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 7:38pm

This one is fun too. Hello, Polly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kloxusIxSug

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 7:43pm

Google tells me Pat Cashman was the announcer for Bill Nye the Science Guy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

What's the cheapest you can get a plane ticket to Seattle for?

[MissAnneThrop]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 7:45pm

must watch Jackie's Back...must watch Jackie's Back

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 8:12pm

Ha. There's another one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSvuyEA5-tk

[hpeabody930]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 8:49pm

I am OBSESSED with those commercials.

I really wish I could see this....

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 11:28pm

I just love JACKIE'S BACK, Lewis is simply wonderful in it.

[choitoy]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:43am

I saw the show on Saturday night (3/7). It was the first night, but it was unofficially dubbed a "preview" night for the 3 week run in Seattle.

I'm working on a fuller review for my blog, but Jenifer was really good. The show did need a little tightening up in a few areas, but the leads were all pretty spot on for their roles, but Tracee Beazer who played Minnie Fay (she was a Dynamite in "Hairspray), played the role a little too "sassy" and needed that to be toned down just a notch.

The show was cast color-blind enough so that you could still suspend disbelief that there could be an inter-racial couple in this time period, but it seems like the correct time period was never really set costume wise.

I loved Jenifer's voice doing all the Dolly songs (though you gotta love Carol Channing, I love it more when there is a voice that can actually sing Dolly's numbers). My only problem was not with Jenifer, but the costumes she wore. All the other members had costumes ranging from decent to good, but most of Jenifer's costumes either didn't really make sense to me, or was just cheap looking.

The signature red dress for the "Harmonia Gardens" scene looked like a cheap Halloween costume version of a "Hello, Dolly!" dress that you buy at Party Express. I'm hoping that this was a "rehearsal" dress, and that the actual dress is still being worked on when the show "officially" opens.

What's funny is that Jenifer seems to be a very prolific actress, but I have never seen her in anything prior to this production. I may have to go on her IMDB profile and netflix some of the stuff she was in, as she seems to be a very charismatic and charming performer.