It was all in good fun - Hugh took it very well, but this is the first time in a while I've seen an actor "break."
And it was the signature style of last Rudin show, i.e. Midler played both Dolly and Bette-as-Dolly. It was remarkably successful, the meta experience of watching a great star become a character yet steal moments to remind us she knew she was on a Broadway stage (famously, during the title number). I usually resist such behavior, but she pulled it off, always able to take us back into Dolly's world. And of course, Jackman did it in Boy from Oz. Yet that was a different piece, one that had a built in performative presentation in its DNA. One can cynically say: at these prices, audiences aren't going to object. They're there to bask in the star's performance, and likely will do so no matter what Jackman does.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Updated On: 1/29/22 at 09:04 AM