I saw the show last Saturday evening and I had never seen Hello Dolly before in any form and I was was completely enchanted from start to finish. This production is gorgeous - the colors are vivid and pop, the sets are very impressive, and the choreography was crisp and strong with an ensemble that tackles it beautifully.
Bette is an absolute star and she had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand from the minute she made her entrance. She was hilarious, warm, and captured the character of Dolly as someone who meddles with a heart of gold. That entrance to Harmonia Gardens was stunning and Bette looked stunning in that red dress. Also, those costumes are absolutely stunning - every hat, dress, parasol was gorgeous. I have nothing to compare Bette to, but I loved her performance and definitely will be trying to see Donna before she leaves and Bernadette when she joins.
David Hyde Pierce was delightfully grumpy and perfectly captured that nature of Horace. He was very funny and had that underlying sweet charm that I felt Horace would have under all that grump. It was nice to see Penny in My Pocket in the context of which it is meant to be performed unlike the Tonys. The chemistry between David and Bette was wonderful and they played off each other so well. Bette definitely did her best to get David to laugh and I was very amused by it.
GAVIN FRIGGIN CREEL - My god. That man has been one of my favorite performers since I heard him on the cast album of Thoroughly Modern Millie. He's as charming as ever and showing off his triple threat skills in this role and the audience instantly falls in love with Cornelius from the minute he starts singing "Put On Your Sunday Clothes". He absolutely deserved his Tony for this role and I was just beaming watching him charm the pants off the audience in the Shubert that night.
Kate Baldwin brought so much heart and humor to Irene and I just loved listening to that gorgeous voice of hers as she let us into Irene's heart with "Ribbons Down My Back". Her chemistry with Gavin was fantastic and I just loved watching them during "It Only Takes A Moment" as my heart simply swelled. I have loved Kate's voice since Finian's Rainbow and I was so happy to hear her beautiful voice back on Broadway in such a pitch perfect role.
Taylor Trensch was on vacation and I saw Michael Hartung as Barnaby who was adorable and very charming. He and Gavin had wonderful chemistry and he was a very funny second banana with a great voice to match.
Beanie Feldstein was a laugh riot as Minnie Fay and also had fantastic chemistry with Kate as her second banana. That laugh/scream of hers had me in tears and she was just wonderful.
Special notice to Melanie Moore and Will Burton as Emergarde and Ambrose who not only danced up a storm but were hilarious on top of it. Every time Melanie wailed and screamed, I lost it. Jennifer Simard was very funny as Ernestina Money - the role reminded me a lot of Katie Finneran in Promises, Promises.
I cannot stop thinking about this gorgeous production or listening to the cast album and I cannot wait to go back whenever I can.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
Updated On: 10/13/17 at 09:38 PM