Official Bernadette Peters in Hello, Dolly! performances thread- Page 25

[Papi2013]

Posted: 4/3/18 at 7:13pm

goldenboy said: " That’s the whole point Bernadette gives meat and meaning to what is usually a fluffy fluffy role"

She turns in a heavy handed performance.  It doesn’t work as it should.   And fluffy is wonderful.   

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/3/18 at 8:22pm

I couldn't have cared less about Pearl Bailey the performer when I saw her Dolly on Bway in 1975 from the balcony. She made me fall in love with her that night-- I never wanted her famous third act to end.

I couldn't have cared less about Carol Channing the performer when I saw her Dolly on Bway in 1978. She had me in tears and grinning from ear to ear at the same time. It was a miraculous thing for this strange strange lady to force you to adore everything she did. But you never wanted the night to end.

These ladies could not have done what they did unless the book and score of this classic show offered the raw materials to make them shine. No-one can create a love affair across the footlights in a vacuum.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/3/18 at 8:38pm

What i mean is that Dolly is a perfect vehicle for a diva and her adoring fans. The way the diva can break the fourth wall, ad-lib her own jokes and schtick into the performance makes it a great night for the people who already love that diva. And the vocal range is probably one of the least demanding in musical theater -- there's a reason Ethel Merman wanted to interpolate some special songs to show off her vocal range. But the love has to already be there. There's nothing really wrong with it. I liken it to one of those Judy Garland concerts where hysterical fans would cry from the start to the end and bawl during "Over the Rainbow." A love-fest with a diva has its place in musical theater. 

However I think it creates confirmation bias. If you love, say, Bernadette Peters, she could go up on all her lines and drop out of singing large chunks of the role altogether and you'd still find her amazing. 

[Papi2013]

Posted: 4/3/18 at 8:47pm

poisonivy2 said: "What i mean is that Dolly is a perfect vehicle for a diva and her adoring fans. The way the diva can break the fourth wall, ad-lib her own jokes and schtick into the performance makes it a great night for the people who already love that diva.And the vocal range is probably one of the least demanding in musical theater -- there's a reason Ethel Merman wanted to interpolate some special songs to show off her vocal range. But the love has to already be there. There's nothing really wrong with it. I liken it to one of those Judy Garland concerts where hysterical fans would cry from the start to the end and bawl during "Over the Rainbow."A love-fest with a diva has its place in musical theater.

However I think it creates confirmation bias. If you love, say, Bernadette Peters, she could go up on all her lines and drop out of singing large chunks of the role altogether and you'd still find her amazing."

 

I love Bernadette Peters.  But I didn’t find her amazing in this.  

[JBC3]

Posted: 4/3/18 at 9:33pm

Papi2013 said: "I love Bernadette Peters. But I didn’t find her amazing in this."

You have made that clear.

[BPstan]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 2:07pm

Question on getting premium tickets at the box office.  I bought tickets awhile back for the Mezz, but see that their are premium seats still available for this Saturday 8pm performance and have heard people get these tickets at lower amounts the day of.  So when I pick up my tickets from the box office Saturday, would it be common to ask about trading those for premium or not?  Thanks for you help!

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 2:20pm

BPstan said: "Question on getting premium tickets at the box office. I bought tickets awhile back for the Mezz, but see that their are premium seats still available for this Saturday 8pm performance and have heard people get these tickets at lower amounts the day of. So when I pick up my tickets from the box office Saturday, would it be common to ask about trading those for premium or not? Thanks for you help!"

I would watch online and if a closer seat for regular price appears, call Telecharge and exchange yours. Doing it in person can be hit or miss... plus, they may already have released unsold premiums to TKTS, etc., better to lock it in in advance.

They don't always wait until day of show. It depends on the number of unsold premiums. I saw Dolly last Saturday night, and bought a front row aisle for regular price several days in advance.

Also, by the time you are trying to trade, they are no longer "premiums," so I wouldn't use that terminology. Just ask if there are closer seats available or somesuch. That sounds like you are wanting a better experience, and not a better value, which is more likely to appeal to the box office attendant.

[BPstan]

Posted: 4/19/18 at 2:22pm

Thank you much!

[dollyfan]

Posted: 4/20/18 at 6:41pm

They just announced that Bette is coming back for the final six weeks of the before it closes!!!!!!!!

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/20/18 at 6:44pm

dollyfan said: "They just announced that Bette is coming back for the final six weeks of the before it closes!!!!!!!!"

You're about 18 hours late on that one.

[binau]

Posted: 4/29/18 at 2:26pm

I'm already getting sad that it feels like Bernadette's run in Dolly is coming to an end! So far, it has been an amazing success all around. Great reviews, what seems to be great word of mouth and good sales. Still no word on a recording! It would be amazing if they got both Bernadette and Donna Murphy back into the studio to re-record over the original tracks. Otherwise, I guess it will remain one of those "you had to be there" moments .

[msmp]

Posted: 4/29/18 at 4:39pm

qolbinau said: "I'm already getting sad that it feels like Bernadette's run in Dolly is coming to an end! So far, it has been an amazing success all around. Great reviews, what seems to be great word of mouth and good sales. Still no word on a recording! It would be amazing if they got both Bernadette and Donna Murphy back into the studio to re-record over the original tracks. Otherwise, I guess it will remain one of those "you had to be there" moments ."

You have no idea how much I'd pay for a Bernadette and a Donna recording of this production. Having seen them both, they instantly ended up being two of my favorite Dollys, a position I had always thought would always belong to Mary Martin, whose London recording I have darn near worn out on vinyl.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/29/18 at 4:41pm

qolbinau said: "Otherwise, I guess it will remain one of those "you had to be there" moments."

But you WERE there, that's the important bit.

[EthelMae]

Posted: 5/4/18 at 9:56am

I don’t remember if I already posted this thought but it came to me again this morning-shows you how obsessed I am about this show. I loved Bernadette in the show but wasn’t all that taken with Victor Garber. He was fine, he didn’t hurt the show but the humor and sweetness of David Hyde Pierce was gone. What would seem the littlest of “business” was a big hole for me: in the last scene Horace has hired a man to paint the upstairs room-a man who has just started his business and needs customers to help his business to get going. As the man is going up the stairs and Horace is coming down, David Hyde Pierce, at every performance I saw him, patted the man’s back very fondly. I always loved that moment. It said so much about Horace’s character. Mr. Garber doesn’t do that. I know it’s small, but I find the littlest thing an actor does is usually so important in defining the character they’re playing.

[Flowerlovestage5]

Posted: 5/31/18 at 8:55pm

It looks like “Broadway Barks” is auctioning off several items and jewelry pieces from Dolly on Ebay.

Random thought: I know that any prop or costume piece used on the stage is most likely replicated in case something breaks, etc ... does any know if they order in bulk? 

I’m just curious, seeing that multiple of the same Dolly jewelry pieces have been auctioned after every performance and now online. It seems like a lot of trouble to keep grabbing a new necklace every show.

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 6/1/18 at 6:43pm

“HELLO, DOLLY!” with Bernadette Peters (spoilers ahead)

My seat was front row center mezzanine A104. With the exception of a tiny bit of height on the balcony wall in front of me that blocked the very front of the passerelle, which really was never an issue, the view was absolutely perfect. Leg room was a little cramped but enough where I could be comfortable.

I absolutely loved, loved, LOVED this show, from opening Overture until that stunning red curtain closed at the end. And then it got even better with the final high-flying dance and cast bows, and everyone singing “Hello, Dolly!” once again. As the audience had done several times that night, they went nuts when Bernadette came out for her curtain call to the biggest, roaring cheer and applause I have ever heard. Only second to that was when she first showed up from behind that newspaper on the “horse”-drawn trolly. It was nearly deafening. In a good way. Even she had to pause her lines until it ended. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

Bernadette played the role of Dolly Levi with such passion, that at those times she was speaking to her dearly departed husband Ephraim, you felt like you were listening in on a private conversation. And the next to last time she talked to Ephraim your heart broke when she asked him to “let me go” so that she could marry Horace. I had a lump so big in my throat I thought I was going to ball like a baby.

The absolute highlight of the show, and there were quite a few, was the jaw dropping, extraordinary song “Put on Your Sunday Clothes”. Nothing was more beautiful, colorful, amazing, and sung so marvelous as this. All those soaring voices, all that grand music, together reaching an incredible fever pitch of perfection. It was breathtaking.

Next in the line of the “visually impressive” was the Harmonia Gardens set. All that luxurious, sumptuous RED. The only problem I had with this entire “scene” was that I thought The “Waiters’ Gallop” went on a bit tooooo long. It got repetitive and I personally thought it could be shortened.

And finally, the 14th Street Parade ensemble. This was just amazing.

But Dolly’s Harmonia Gardens “entrance”, and that eye-catching dress, necklace, and headpiece...just WOW! Can she ever glide effortlessly down those stairs, as if ‘floating’ on a cloud of incredible style and elegance.

Favorite songs:

“Before the Parade Passes By” - at the beginning the audience got so quiet it was deafening, and my heart wanted to reach out to Dolly and tell her it’s not too late, that you could feel how lonely she had really been, and by the end of the song how determined she was to get back out there and truly enjoy life.

When Kate Baldwin sang “Ribbons Down My Back”. God, can this woman sing like an angel.

And of course, the Harmonia Gardens rendition of “Hello, Dolly!” - a timeless classic.

The remaining songs were all wonderful, but those three stuck out the most.

One thing I did notice was that in “I Put My Hand In” (on the street outside the station) the street lamps did NOT pop up from the stage. And I was watching for them.

And most annoying were Ermengarde’s crying squeals. They actually hurt my ears due to a sensitivity to high pitched noises. When Dolly stuffed that scarf into her mouth... Thank you for that.

Bernadette’s incredible comedic timing throughout the show, and especially in the scenes where she is eating with Horace in the restaurant and again when it changes to the courthouse, made me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. There were several times when even Victor Garber would crack up, and the audience would just lose it! And Bernadette just kept going. The scooping up of the dumplings part of that scene was just over-the-top hilarious. And when it transitioned to the courthouse scene where she is stuffing her mouth and drinking the gravy was just hysterically priceless beyond words.

Favorite actor/actress other than Bernadette Peters was Charlie Stemp. This guy is amazing, and a smile that you can see for miles. And man can he dance!

The theater has no elevator, and there’s souvenir stands on the main level behind the orchestra seats, the top of the mezzanine level house-right, and in the basement next to the men’s restroom. Bathrooms are small, but the line seemed to go quickly.

I don’t think my heart has ever been as full of unmitigated, pure joy as when I walked out of the Shubert Theater. This show is total perfection, a one-of-a-kind style of entertainment without peer from start to finish.

As I described it before, the one word for this show is FABULOUS. And I’m honored to have been a witness to this historical run.

Updated On: 6/1/18 at 06:43 PM

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 6/1/18 at 7:25pm

Just a few pictures I took at the Shubert Theater on May 30, 2018. The last picture is of some of the souvenirs I bought, as I had already taken in the tote bag to work for my friend and the white coffee mug sits at my desk at work (it’ll never actually be used).

Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/57377062@N04/albums/72157691736894820

 



 

[David10086]

Posted: 6/1/18 at 7:47pm

Just ordered my tix for June 17 matinee - can't wait. I saw Donna Murphy at the urging of many here back in September ("Go, go, go - Murphy is wonderful" you all said....and you were right!). Wanted to see Peters before she left, and the price was right for two tickets front row mezzanine - same aisle seat I had last time, plus the one next to it. I recall the view was perfect in that seat so I was happy to grab it again. (And I'm treating a friend of 30+ years for a long belated 50th Birthday gift...like 3 years late! LOL! She's beyond thrilled.)

 

Saw Peters in "A Little Night Music" back in 2010, and she brought tears to my eyes with 'Send in the Clowns'. Can't wait to see her again. 

[binau]

Posted: 6/1/18 at 8:03pm

I honestly feel like crying sometimes when I think about how lucky we are to experience the performances of Bernadette Peters. This is what makes life worth living. The band was playing and and I’m going to be with the man that I love for the rest of my life. Oh dear lord isn’t it a wonder?

[carnzee]

Posted: 6/1/18 at 8:49pm

qolbinau said: "I honestly feel like crying sometimes when I think about how lucky we are to experience the performances of Bernadette Peters. This is what makes life worth living. The band was playing and and I’m going to be with the man that I love for the rest of my life. Oh dear lord isn’t it a wonder?"

I've never seen her live. That will change in two weeks. Shall I thereafter ever be the same? Lo, I think not!

[lesmizsaigon]

Posted: 6/1/18 at 9:45pm

Saw this last night for the 11th time, 2nd time with Bernadette since first seeing her "previews" in February, and it was GLORIOUS. She has settled so well into the character, and so has Victor, who was a bit hesitant when I saw him previously. A few times they broke character and it was hilarious, and was such a treat just seeing them have fun on stage. First time seeing Alli Mauzey as Ernestina and goodness she's so out of this world lol. Would definitely come back again to see the duo before they leave!

[EthelMae]

Posted: 6/1/18 at 11:44pm

I adore this show as you all know and I’ve seen it multiple times. But I do have to say that, and this goes for all 3 Dolly’s, I don’t really care for the Harmonia Gardens dinner scene between Dolly and Horace. And I was reminded of it by reading some posts here. Every time I’ve seen the actors “break up”, it feels false. It doesn’t feel like it’s actually happening just for us in that moment of time. In fact, seeing it several times, I’ve seen the same “break ups in character” business. I think it’s something the director is OK with because the audience enjoys that type of thing. Sometimes I think it makes the scene go on too long. But, I quibbling here I know.

[BwayJudd]

Posted: 6/2/18 at 1:11am

qolbinau said: "I honestly feel like crying sometimes when I think about how lucky we are to experience the performances of Bernadette Peters. This is what makes life worth living. The band was playing and and I’m going to be with the man that I love for the rest of my life. Oh dear lord isn’t it a wonder?"

This exactly.  This show with her as Dolly has made me so happy.   Next weekend will be the 5th time I see her.  We have tickets to her last show as well, and I don’t even want to think of it ending!  Each time I have seen it, the breaks have happened here and there, but in different parts.  It has always seemed natural to me.  I can’t wait to see her again.   Like you said, what a privilege!  

[masqphan]

Posted: 6/3/18 at 11:50pm

poisonivy2 said: "I think it's a weakness of the musical that the role is written so that basically your favorite diva will be your favorite Dolly. The show has no depth and so the whole show is about watching your favorite put on that red dress and walk down those stairs. So it tends to bring about a confirmation bias.

"I love Bette Midler so she was the most amazing Dolly ever!"
"I love Donna Murphy so she was the most amazing Dolly ever!"
"I love Bernadette Peters so she was the most amazing Dolly ever!"

 But Dolly is all about diva fetish/worship."

For me Dolly hasn't been about diva worship.  I'm a life-long Bette fan but she is not my fav Dolly.  Donna I had never seen in anything before I loved and am excited to see her again.  Bernadette, whom I have never liked in anything, blew me away as Dolly.  Her take on the character was so different from anyone else.  She was vulnerable and her speech about money had the audience so quiet you could hear a pin drop. 
I had seen her and Victor during their first week and it was ok.  I saw them again in May and was so taken by her as Dolly that I went back again the same week.  :)

 

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 6/5/18 at 10:48am

masqphan said: "For me Dolly hasn't been about diva worship. I'm a life-long Bette fan but she is not my fav Dolly. Donna I had never seen in anything before I loved and am excited to see her again. Bernadette, whom I have never liked in anything, blew me away as Dolly. Her take on the character was so different from anyone else. She was vulnerable and her speech about money had the audience so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
I had seen her and Victor during their first week and it was ok. I saw them again in May and was so taken by her as Dolly that I went back again the same week. :)"

 

I was first exposed to Bette Midler in 1977 with the Live at Last album. Loved her ever since. Initially, my return trip in mid-August to see “Hello, Dolly!” again was to see her. To see this living entertainment legend. Now, after having seen the show, my focus will be on the parts of the show I enjoyed most, namely “Put on Your Sunday Clothes”. Glorious perfection! 

There were parts of this show I loved that didn’t envolve Dolly, but the parts when she was there that I enjoyed it will be interesting to see Bette’s interpretation of the role in its final week.

Of course I’ll grab another souvenir or two, again, those that I missed the first time like maybe a key chain and a red coffee mug to go with my white one, as well as another program book as my “file copy” so I can man-handle the one I have now. 

This is a final chance to see this remarkable production before it closes on Broadway. I can’t imagine anything ever being as wonderful, exhilarating, and so delighful as this.

I want that feeling again, to leave the Shubert Theater smiling ear-to-ear with my heart full of pure joy.