A lot of people - even Tony award winners like Betty, have long breaks in between Broadway shows. The bulk of her career has always been performing live in concert.
She may be absent from Broadway but Betty is always working. She currently stars as Gran'ma on the AMC series PREACHER and fills in her hiatus gap with concerts and other projects. I'm sure appetizing elements were factored in her offer to lead the HELLO, DOLLY! Revival Tour, which is why she obviously took it. She can afford to pick and choose her projects at this stage in her career. I'm sure she's offered quite a bit of Broadway projects she chooses to pass on. The HELLO, DOLLY! Revival Tour could just be her wanting to travel the country with a nice extended stay in each city. Her concerts are one-nighters so she's in and out in hours never seeing the city she's performing in.
Betty lives on a working ranch in Texas, and I know for a fact has turned down a handful of Broadway/long-term offers in the past, because of the financial/practical implications that would be required for her to be away from her ranch for an extended period of time. Over the years, she has preferred concerts and short runs, although I guess for the right project (like the HELLO DOLLY tour) she's willing to commit to a longer run.
She also is a regular fixture on M. Night Shyamalam’s films. And as Brody and others pointed out, she’s not based in NY.
I do wonder which roles she could have legitimately played in Broadway productions over the past few years. I’d certainly love to hear her sing “Pink” at some point. And I’ve only listened to her performance in GREY GARDENS, but based on that and the reviews she’s gotten for it, it’d be incredible if she played the role in NY (not necessarily on Broadway).
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
I often wonder what she would've done as Anna Madrigal in the Tales of the City musical in SF in 2011. She was originally announced, and was replaced by Judy Kaye (who was delightful - as she always is). Very different personas, though.
I know nothing about the background - and as a character and play is being developed, changes happen. (I actually happened to be talking to Armistead Maupin the day after it was announced, and it seemed he was disappointed when he mentioned it.)
I caught her at Feinstein's in SF a few months ago and she was wonderful. I look forward to seeing her Dolly. Updated On: 7/7/18 at 06:42 PM
I got to see her and Tovah Feldshuh in a production of Arsenic and Old Lace at the Dallas Theater Center. Directed by Scott Schwartz. Costumes by William Harvey Long. It was a fun show.