Talkin' B'way Review of Rachel York in Hello, Dolly!- Page 2

[Dover]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 3:07am

Hey all. I'm the PSM on the production, maybe I can clear some stuff up.

The set is from the '94 revival. It was in storage in New Orleans during Katrina and thankfully most of it survived, but there were a few parts (like the flying Hoffman House piece for "Elegance") that did not come with the set and had to be built.

Most of the ensemble costumes are original, but the vast majority of the principals' costumes are from Costume World. I don't know if that's because the originals were destroyed or just not part of the same rental package.

And yes, the pictures are from dress rehearsals. The hat Rachel is wearing in "Dolly" is not the one she's wearing now. Now she has giant forward-swept feathers (not quite as giant as Carol's in DollyPop's pic, but more along those lines). No jewelry came with the costumes, so while she does wear a large necklace, it's not part of the official design per se, and was obtained on the morning of the first performance, so it's not in the pics.

I'm glad everybody is enjoying the show. It's been an absolute pleasure to work on, and I too hope Rachel goes on to revitalize Dolly in more high-profile productions.

[Parks]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 3:28am

She is really incredible--she can play anything. And WHAT a voice!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 3:43am

She seems a little young to be playing Dolly, but that might be because I'm used to listening to Carol sing Dolly in her 70s. I agree that Rachel is brilliant. She certainly looks stunning.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 10:12am

CATS,

If you saw Rachel in this, the age question would be banished once and for all. She's totally believable because of her charisma and command of the stage and character. She's giving her own unique interpretation and it works beautifully. She conveys the necessary maturity, but she also has this youthful spirit that "comes alive again" in "Before the Parade Passes By." It's a great moment! She begins the sequence with "Love, Look in My Window" which establishes what she's been missing since Ephraim's death. Then she gives the "oak leaf" speech which shows her realizing how much she's cut herself off from life. This leads into "Parade" which starts out as a decision to get back in the game then builds into a joyous celebration as she sees all the beauty around her. What a great finish to Act I!!!

I think a lot of people remember Dolly from Channing's LAST revival when she was in her 70s, which makes people think she has to be old. But as someone said earlier, she was only 43 when she did the role the first time. She was still in her "prime" and was not that much older than Irene Molloy.

And Dover, thanks for the clarification about the sets and costumes. That's fun to know!