The HELLO, DOLLY! National Tour Thread — Page 5

And even a house with a subscription base has a lot of empty seats to fill. Even if the show didn't need a name, it will be a lot easier to pick up 'press' and 'television appearances' having one.

Perhaps let me rephrase -- there will be more press opportunities having a name. Bigger stories, more features, more TV time etc. It can make a difference.

If I were to try and defend the team surely they'd have auditioned her/made sure she is the right fit? This team hasn't made a poor casting decision yet. We were all saying DHP wouldn't fit before he stepped on stage. I personally can't see her in the role, but maybe they are seeing something we aren't seeing or haven't seen yet.

broadwayboy222 said: "In addition I still await Jackie Hoffman’s Ernestina. Just imagine the absolute riot that would be. Though I fully understand that she would do Broadway not the tour. :)"

OK, this made me laugh because I initially read this as "...Jackie Hoffman's Ermengarde" and I thought, wow, they'd have to bring back Carol as Dolly to make this even halfway believable. That's not saying that Jackie couldn't play Ermengarde.

I haven't seen it mentioned before, but I saw Betty in a production of Arsenic and Old Lace opposite Tovah Feldshuh (directed by Stephen Schwartz's son, whose name escapes me), and she was hilarious! And she was sweet and charming when she came out after the show. Well to be fair, someone who worked at the theater went and told her I was there to say hi cause it was literally only me and my friend left in the lobby, so she knew it was going to be a fan. But still. I mean she can exude sweetness. It's been years, but just look at her role in the movie version of Carrie!

Fabulously weird is perfect

I read these boards but I never post. I actually registered and logged in just to add to the discussion (for whatever it's worth on a thread that seems to have wrapped up a couple weeks ago).

I guess I am having a hard time understanding where the idea comes from that Betty Buckley can't be "warm". It really surprises me people can say that about this performer. To be fair, I have never seen her in live theater, so that may disqualify my opinion right off the bat. But I've seen a lot of her TV and film work and I always found her very versatile, with the capacity to exude a lot of warmth and sweetness.

I'm a child of the 70s and there is a reason she was so beloved as stepmom Abby Bradford on Eight is Enough. Also, in Brian DePalma's 1976 film version of Carrie, she is basically one of the only sources of warmth in the entire movie and a pretty powerful one at that. She spends a good deal of her screen time being angry and tough (for good reasons) as gym teacher Miss Collins, but her scenes with Sissy Spacek where she takes on the role of compassionate protector are pretty darn touching and real. And she was really fantastic in last years Split with James McAvoy as his psychiatrist.

I suppose the difference between stage and film is more significant than I am grasping? Well, thanks for letting me share my opinion! (I want to see her in Dolly, btw.)