Carmello is current musical theater royalty, but she won't sell a ticket. Not full price anyway. I'm curious that they haven't looked for an above-the-title name. The material is too rarefied to attract a wide audience; I don't think it has anything to do with Gifford's track record. On film she's been played by Faye Dunaway, fictionalized by everyone from Barbara Stanwyck to Agnes Moorehead. I'm a big fan of Carmello's, but on Broadway, at 137 bucks a pop, the show needs a star, preferably a big one.
Ironically, Kathie Lee herself would sell more tickets, if she played the role.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling