Phyllis Diller as DOLLY

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 5/17/17 at 4:58pm

Anyone on the boards ever get to see her in the role (or maybe some footage)?

I'm ashamed to say I had no idea she ever played it and I find the idea fascinating.

She certainly had the brassy persona.

Would love to hear some stories.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/17/17 at 5:03pm

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/17/17 at 5:04pm

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/17/17 at 5:05pm

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 5/17/17 at 6:39pm

Only saw her in Nunsense 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/17/17 at 9:52pm

I saw her twice...she was only in the show for 3 1/2 months.  Oddly enough, she was quite good. She gave a straightforward performance without any ad-lib's. Richard Deacon from "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was her Horace and they worked well together. They were both well-reviewed but played to lots of empty seats.

Ethel Merman followed them.

Updated On: 5/17/17 at 09:52 PM

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 12:12am

Read more about Phyllis and other Dollys here, this blog is a treasure trove of Dolly information.

http://www.callondolly.com/phyllis-diller/

[RagtimeRay]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 7:02am

Hello, Dolly! was my first Broadway show. I saw it a number of times during its original run (and on tour) and all of the original Broadway Dollys except for Phyllis Diller (I saw Channing and Ginger Rogers during their touring performances).

When I heard that the show was closing, I made one last pilgrimage to NYC to see the show (Merman) in early December of 1970. I chatted with the stage door man that day and was telling him about seeing all of the Broadway Dollys except for Phyllis Diller. His comment, "You didn't miss much."

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 1:31pm

@ Stage Door Sally - thanks for the site.  That was fun.  I have to say I would have loved to see Eve Arden in Dolly, as well as, Shirley Booth.  So many different types have played her!

I wish I could see this production, but stuck on the West Coast.  I hope they get someone fun to do the tour.  (I'm sure with the success, a tour is inevitable - fingers crossed.)

[markypoo]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 1:37pm

I DID see Eve Arden.

She just showed up; that's all.

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 1:44pm

That's a shame.  She has always been a favorite of mine.  Thanks for the note.  This kind of post is why I lurk around this board so much.

Cheers, all.

[markypoo]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 1:49pm

In all fairness to her however, the critics loved her - so it could've been just one of those things.  But I was just a kid, and wasn't impressed.

I DID also see Shirley Booth; with Gig Young in HARVEY.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 8:07pm

Eve Arden said in an interview that she hated doing DOLLY! Shecquickly tired of performing the same material 8x a week.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 8:18pm

Dollypop said: "Eve Arden said in an interview that she hated doing DOLLY! Shecquickly tired of performing the same material 8x a week.

 

"

She seems completely miscast to me. Wrong style of comedy.

[carnzee]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 8:40pm

GavestonPS said: "Dollypop said: "Eve Arden said in an interview that she hated doing DOLLY! Shecquickly tired of performing the same material 8x a week.

 

"

She seems completely miscast to me. Wrong style of comedy.

 

Right?  I love her, and Dolly!  is obviously a vehicle for a variety of women, but I don't see her in this. 

 

[markypoo]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 8:45pm

Neither did I.

And the best she could do vocally was carry a tune.  Channing was better.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 9:09pm

Have you seen Sally Struthers do the title number? It's on YouTube

[NoName3]

Posted: 5/18/17 at 9:36pm

I came to New York just a bit too late to see the original production but I knew several people who saw Diller. They all said she played the part straight, as written, and was excellent.

ETA Thanks to BrodyFosse for the photos.

Updated On: 5/18/17 at 09:36 PM