''Hello, Dolly!'' is a 1964

musical Musical is the adjective of music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...

with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays '' Our Town'' and '' The Skin of Our Teeth'' — ...

's 1938

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity or ...

'' The Merchant of Yonkers'', which Wilder revised and retitled '' The Matchmaker'' in 1955. The musical follows the story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, a strong-willed matchmaker, as she travels to

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York (state), New York, after New York City and Buffalo, New York, Buffalo. The popul ...

, to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder. ''Hello, Dolly!'' debuted at the

Fisher Theater The Fisher Building is a landmark skyscraper located at 3011 West Grand Boulevard in the heart of the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. The ornate 30-story building, completed in 1928, is one of the major works of architect Albert Kahn, and ...

in Detroit on November 18, 1963, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick, and moved to Broadway in 1964, winning 10

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

, including Best Musical. These awards set a record which the play held for 37 years. The show album ''Hello, Dolly! An Original Cast Recording'' was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. The album reached number one on the Billboard album chart on June 6, 1964, and was replaced the next week by Louis Armstrong's album '' Hello, Dolly!'' Louis Armstrong also was featured in the film version of the show, performing a small part of the song "Hello, Dolly!". The show has become one of the most enduring musical theater hits, with four Broadway revivals and international success. It was also made into the 1969 film '' Hello Dolly!'' by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...

, which won three Academy Awards, including Best Score of a Musical Picture and was nominated in four other categories, including

Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

at the

42nd Academy Awards The 42nd Academy Awards were presented April 7, 1970, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. For the second year in a row, there was no official host. Awards were presented by seventeen "Friends of Oscar": Bob Hope, Jo ...

History

The plot of ''Hello, Dolly!'' originated in the 1835 English play ''A Day Well Spent'' by John Oxenford, which

Johann Nestroy Johann Nepomuk Eduard Ambrosius Nestroy (; 7 December 1801 – 25 May 1862) was a singer, actor and playwright in the popular Austrian tradition of the Biedermeier period and its immediate aftermath. He participated in the 1848 revolutions an ...

adapted into the farce ''

Einen Jux will er sich machen ''Einen Jux will er sich machen'' (1842) (''He Will Go on a Spree'' or ''He'll Have Himself a Good Time''), is a three-act musical play, designated as a Posse mit Gesang ("farce with singing"), by Austrian playwright Johann Nestroy. It was adap ...

'' (''He Will Go on a Spree'' or ''He'll Have Himself a Good Time'') in 1842.

adapted Nestroy's play into his 1938 farcical play ''The Merchant of Yonkers''. That play was a flop, so he revised it and retitled it as '' The Matchmaker'' in 1954, expanding the role of Dolly (played by

Ruth Gordon Ruth Gordon Jones (October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) was an American actress, screenwriter, and playwright. She began her career performing on Broadway at age 19. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, Gordon gained internati ...

)."Hello Dolly! – New Wimbledon Theatre"
IndieLondon, March 2008 ''The Matchmaker'' became a hit and was much revived and made into a 1958 film starring

Shirley Booth Shirley Booth (born Marjory Ford; August 30, 1898October 16, 1992) was an American actress. One of only 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, Booth was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony ...

. The role of Dolly Gallagher Levi was originally written for

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary '' Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

but she turned it down, as did

Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in ''South Pacific'' (194 ...

—although both eventually played it. Merrick then auditioned Nancy Walker, but he hired Carol Channing who originated the role of Dolly.Kenrick, John
" 'Hello, Dolly!' article"
Musicals101.com Director Gower Champion was not the producer's first choice, but Hal Prince and others turned it down, among them

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

and Joe Layton. ''Hello, Dolly!'' had rocky tryouts in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

and Washington, D.C. After receiving the reviews, the creators made major changes to the script and score, including the addition of the song "Before the Parade Passes By". The show was originally entitled ''Dolly, A Damned Exasperating Woman'', then ''Call on Dolly'', but Merrick changed it upon hearing Louis Armstrong's version of "Hello, Dolly". The show became one of the most iconic Broadway shows of the latter half of the 1960s, and running for 2,844 performances, was the longest-running musical in Broadway history for a time.

Synopsis

Sources: Tams-Witmark Guide to Musical Theatre Masterworks Broadway

Act I

As the nineteenth becomes the 20th century, all of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

is excited because widowed but brassy Dolly Gallagher Levi is in town ("Call on Dolly"). Dolly makes a living through what she calls "meddling" – matchmaking and numerous sidelines, including dance instruction and

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

lessons ("I Put My Hand In"). She is currently seeking a wife for grumpy Horace Vandergelder, the well-known half-a-millionaire, but it becomes clear that Dolly intends to marry Horace herself. Ambrose Kemper, a young artist, wants to marry Horace's weepy niece Ermengarde, but Horace opposes this because Ambrose's

vocation A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. People can be given information about a new occupation through student orientation. Though now often used in non-religious ...

does not guarantee a steady living. Ambrose enlists Dolly's help, and they travel to

to visit Horace, who is a prominent citizen there and owns Vandergelder's Hay and Feed. Horace explains to his two clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, that he is going to get married because "It Takes a Woman" to cheerfully do all the household chores. He plans to travel with Dolly to New York City to march in the Fourteenth Street Association Parade and propose to the widow Irene Molloy, who owns a hat shop there. Dolly arrives in Yonkers and "accidentally" mentions that Irene's first husband might not have died of natural causes, and also mentions that she knows an heiress, Ernestina Money, who may be interested in Horace. Horace leaves for New York and leaves Cornelius and Barnaby to run the store. Cornelius decides that he and Barnaby need to get out of Yonkers. They'll go to New York, have a good meal, spend all their money, see the stuffed whale in Barnum's museum, almost get arrested, and each kiss a girl! They blow up some tomato cans to create a terrible stench as a pretext to close the store. Dolly mentions that she knows two ladies in New York they should call on: Irene Molloy and her shop assistant, Minnie Fay. She tells Ermengarde and Ambrose that she'll enter them in the polka competition at the upscale Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in New York City so Ambrose can demonstrate his ability to be a breadwinner to Horace. Cornelius, Barnaby, Ambrose, Ermengarde and Dolly all take the train to New York ("Put on Your Sunday Clothes"). Irene and Minnie open their hat shop for the afternoon. Irene wants a husband, but does not love Horace Vandergelder. She declares that she will wear an elaborate hat to impress a gentleman ("Ribbons Down My Back"). Cornelius and Barnaby arrive at the shop and pretend to be rich. Horace and Dolly arrive at the shop, and Cornelius and Barnaby hide from him. Irene inadvertently mentions that she knows Cornelius Hackl, and Dolly tells her and Horace that even though Cornelius is Horace's clerk by day, he's a New York playboy by night; he's one of ''the'' Hackls. Minnie screams when she finds Cornelius hiding in the armoire. Horace is about to open the armoire himself, but Dolly, Irene and Minnie distract him with patriotic sentiments related to subjects like Betsy Ross and The Battle of the Alamo shown in the famous lyrics "Alamo, remember the Alamo!" ("Motherhood March"). Cornelius sneezes, and Horace storms out, realizing there are men hiding in the shop, but not knowing they are his clerks. Dolly arranges for Cornelius and Barnaby, who are still pretending to be rich, to take the ladies out to dinner to the Harmonia Gardens restaurant to make up for their humiliation. She teaches Cornelius and Barnaby how to dance since they always have dancing at such establishments ("Dancing"). Soon, Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby, and Minnie are happily dancing. They go to watch the great 14th Street Association Parade together. Alone, Dolly decides to put her dear departed husband Ephram behind her and to move on with life "Before the Parade Passes By". She asks Ephram's permission to marry Horace, requesting a sign from him. Dolly catches up with the annoyed Vandergelder, who has missed the whole parade, and she convinces him to give her matchmaking one more chance. She tells him that Ernestina Money would be perfect for him and asks him to meet her at the swanky Harmonia Gardens that evening.

Act II

Cornelius is determined to get a kiss before the night is over, but Barnaby isn't so sure. As the clerks have no money for a carriage, they tell the girls that walking to the restaurant shows that they've got "Elegance". At the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, Rudolph, the head waiter, prepares his service crew for Dolly Gallagher Levi's return: their usual lightning service, he tells them, must be "twice as lightning" ("The Waiters' Gallop"). Horace arrives with his date, but she proves neither as rich nor as elegant as Dolly had implied; furthermore she is soon bored by Horace and leaves, as Dolly had planned she would. Cornelius, Barnaby, and their dates arrive, unaware that Horace is also dining at the restaurant. Irene and Minnie, inspired by the restaurant's opulence, order the menu's most expensive items. Cornelius and Barnaby grow increasingly anxious as they discover they have little more than a dollar left. Dolly makes her triumphant return to the Harmonia Gardens and is greeted in style by the staff ("Hello, Dolly!") She sits in the now-empty seat at Horace's table and proceeds to eat a large, expensive dinner, telling the exasperated Horace that no matter what he says, she will not marry him. Barnaby and Horace hail waiters at the same time, and in the ensuing confusion each drops his wallet and inadvertently picks up the other's. Barnaby is delighted that he can now pay the restaurant bill, while Horace finds only a little spare change. Barnaby and Cornelius realize that the wallet must belong to Horace. Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby and Minnie try to sneak out during "The Polka Contest", but Horace recognizes them and spots Ermengarde and Ambrose as well. The ensuing free-for-all culminates in a trip to night court. Cornelius and Barnaby confess that they have no money and have never been to New York before. Cornelius declares that even if he has to dig ditches the rest of his life, he'll never forget the day because he had met Irene. Cornelius, Barnaby, and Ambrose then each profess their love for their companion ("It Only Takes A Moment"). Dolly convinces the judge that their only crime was being in love. The judge finds everyone innocent and cleared of all charges, but Horace is declared guilty and forced to pay damages. Dolly mentions marriage again, and Horace declares that he wouldn't marry her if she were the last woman in the world. Dolly angrily bids him "So Long, Dearie", telling him that while he's bored and lonely, she'll be living the high life. The next morning, back at the hay and feed store, Cornelius and Irene, Barnaby and Minnie, and Ambrose and Ermengarde each set out on new life's paths. A chastened Horace Vandergelder finally admits that he needs Dolly in his life, but Dolly is unsure about the marriage until her late husband sends her a sign. Vandergelder spontaneously repeats a saying of Ephram's: "Money is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread about, encouraging young things to grow." Horace tells Dolly life would be dull without her, and she promises in return that she'll "never go away again" ("Hello, Dolly" (reprise)).

Characters

* Dolly Gallagher Levi: A widow in her middle years who has decided to begin her life again. She is a matchmaker, meddler, opportunist, and a life-loving woman. * Horace Vandergelder: The proprietor of a Hay & Feed store and a client of Dolly Gallagher Levi's. A well-known half-a-millionaire and widower, he is gruff, authoritative, and set in his ways. * Cornelius Hackl: Vandergelder's chief clerk who yearns for one exciting day in New York City. Energetic, enthusiastic, and adventurous young man who has a sweet innocence about him. * Barnaby Tucker: An assistant to Cornelius at Vandergelder's Hay & Feed store. He is sweet, naïve, energetic, and a follower. * Irene Molloy: A widow and a beautiful, smart, fun-loving milliner with a hat shop in New York City. Dolly has introduced her to Horace Vandergelder but she yearns for romance. * Minnie Fay: A young girl who works in Irene's hat shop. Irene's assistant, she is naïve, strait-laced, fresh, and a follower. * Ambrose Kemper: A young and explosive struggling artist seeking to marry Ermengarde. * Ermengarde: The young niece of Horace Vandergelder. She cries often and wants her independence and to marry Ambrose. * Ernestina Money: An eccentric-looking girl in need of Dolly's matchmaker services. * Rudolf Reisenweber: Maître d' of the Harmonia Gardens restaurant. * Judge: A white-whiskered night court judge. Easily moved to tears by romance. * Mrs. Rose: An old friend of Dolly's.

Characters and original cast

Broadway cast replacements

Broadway 1964 *Dolly Gallagher Levi:

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in ''St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role in ...

(November 12, 1967),

Marie Bryant Marie Bryant (November 6, 1919 – May 23, 1978) was an American dancer, singer and choreographer, described as "one of the most vivacious black dancers in the United States". Biography Bryant was born in Meridian, Mississippi, moving with her fa ...

(standby),

Thelma Carpenter Thelma Carpenter (January 15, 1922 – May 14, 1997) was an American jazz singer and actress, best known as "Miss One", the Good Witch of the North in the movie ''The Wiz''. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Fred and Mary C ...

(alternate from February 1969; temporary replacement for Bailey from September 8 to October 8, 1969),

(March 28, 1970), Novella Nelson (understudy),

Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes, and ...

(December 26, 1969), Bibi Osterwald (November 6, 1967),

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reig ...

(June 12, 1967),

Martha Raye Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including Broadway. She was honored ...

(February 27, 1967),

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role in ''Kitty Foyle'' ...

(August 9, 1965) *Horace Vandergelder:

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocali ...

(November 12, 1967), Richard Deacon,

Max Showalter Max Gordon Showalter (June 2, 1917 – July 30, 2000), sometimes credited as Casey Adams, was an American film, television, and stage actor, as well as a composer, pianist, and singer. He appeared on more than 1,000 television programs. One ...

(March 13, 1967) *Cornelius Hackl: Will Mackenzie, Russell Nype (March 28, 1970) *Barnaby Tucker: Danny Lockin (Barnaby from the 1969 film) *Irene Molloy: Ernestine Jackson *Minnie Fay: Georgia Engel (December 26, 1969), Leland Palmer (June 30, 1967) *Ernestina: Mabel King (November 12, 1967)"''Hello, Dolly!'' 1964 Person List"
Playbill Vault, accessed September 6, 2019 Broadway 2017 *Dolly Gallagher Levi:

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

"''Hello, Dolly!'' Replacements 2017–2018"
ibdb.com, accessed September 6, 2019Stasio, Marilyn
"Broadway Review: Bernadette Peters in ‘Hello, Dolly!’"
''Variety'', February 22, 2018 *Dolly Gallagher Levi: Donna Murphy (alternate at certain performances only) *Horace Vandergelder:

Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...

*Cornelius Hackl: Santino Fontana *Barnaby Tucker: Charlie Stemp *Ernestina:

Alli Mauzey Alli Mauzey (born in Anaheim Hills, California) is an American actress and singer best known for her performance as Glinda in the Broadway and 1st national tour productions of ''Wicked'' and for originating the role of Lenora in the musical ''C ...

Notable 2019 U.S. Tour replacements

*Dolly Gallagher Levi: Carolee Carmello"Carolee-Carmello-Walks-the-Passerelle"
Playbill, September 25, 2019 *Horace Vandergelder: John Bolton

Musical numbers

;Act I * Overture – Orchestra * "Call On Dolly" – Ensemble * "I Put My Hand In" — Dolly * "It Takes a Woman" — Horace, Men * "It Takes a Woman(Reprise)" – Dolly * "World, Take Me Back" – Dolly* * "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" — Cornelius, Barnaby, Dolly, Ambrose, Ermengarde, and Ensemble * "Ribbons Down My Back" — Irene * "Ribbons Down My Back (Reprise)" – Irene * "Motherhood March”— Dolly, Irene, and Minnie Fay * "Dancing" — Dolly, Cornelius, Barnaby, Irene, Minnie Fay, and Ensemble * "Love, Look in My Window" – Dolly* * "Before the Parade Passes By" — Dolly and the Company** * "Finale Act I: Before the Parade Passes By" – Dolly ;Act II * Entr'acte – Orchestra * "Penny in My Pocket" – Vandergelder^ * "Elegance" – Cornelius, Barnaby, Irene, and Minnie Fay * "The Waiters' Gallop" – Rudolph and the Waiters * " Hello, Dolly!" – Dolly, Rudolph, Waiters, Cooks * "The Waiters' Gallop (Reprise)" – Rudolph and Waiters * "The Polka Contest" – Ambrose, Ermengarde, Irene, Cornelius, Minnie Fay, Barnaby, and the Contestants*** * "It Only Takes a Moment" – Cornelius, Irene, Ensemble * "So Long Dearie" – Dolly * "Hello, Dolly!" (Reprise) – Dolly and Vandergelder * "Finale Act II: Hello, Dolly! / Dancing / It Only Takes a Moment / Put On Your Sunday Clothes / Hello, Dolly!" — The Company *Song cut before Broadway Opening, reinstated when Ethel Merman joined to play Dolly.
**Song was not included in the original version. During the tryouts in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, Gower Champion invited Charles Strouse and Lee Adams to consult on improvements to the musical. David Merrick was aware of their involvement, but Jerry Herman was not, even though Strouse was under impression that Herman knew about it. Strouse and Adams suggested re-working the ending of Act I, wrote a new song "Before the Parade Passes By" and sent it to Champion. By the time the next set of tryouts in Washington began, a different number with the same name, written by Herman, was included in the show. After Strouse and Adams threatened to sue the production, they were given a songwriting credit for the song. That conflict led to an eight-year-long feud between Gower and Michael Stewart on one side and Strouse and Adams on the other. The official songwriting credits as listed with

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

have Adams, Herman and Strouse as co-writers.
***Song replaced "Come and Be My Butterfly" during Broadway Run. ^Horace Vandergelder's solo "Penny in My Pocket", although it received rave responses out of town, was cut prior to the Broadway opening for reasons of time. For the 2017 Broadway Revival, it was added back in as the opening of Act Two in front of the curtain. It is not, however, included in the licensed version for stock and amateur productions from Tams Witmark. The song "Elegance", though credited to Herman, was written by

Bob Merrill Henry Robert Merrill Levan (May 17, 1921 – February 17, 1998) was an American songwriter, theatrical composer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He was one of the most successful songwriters of the 1950s on the US and UK single charts. He wrote ...

for the 1957 show '' New Girl in Town'' but deleted from the original production.

Productions

Original Broadway production

The musical, directed and

choreographed Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick, opened on January 16, 1964, at the

St. James Theatre The St. James Theatre, originally Erlanger's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 246 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, it was designed by Warren and Wetmore in a neo-Georgian style a ...

and closed on December 27, 1970, after 2,844 performances. Carol Channing starred as Dolly, with a supporting cast that included David Burns as Horace,

Charles Nelson Reilly Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

as Cornelius,

Eileen Brennan Eileen Brennan (born Verla Eileen Regina Brennen; September 3, 1932 – July 28, 2013) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the satire '' Divorce American Style'' (1967), followed by a supporting role in Peter Bogdanovich's '' The ...

as Irene, Jerry Dodge as Barnaby, Sondra Lee as Minnie Fay,

Mary Jo Catlett Mary Jo Catlett (born September 2, 1938) is an American actress. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', providing the voice of Mrs. Puff. She is also known for originating the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Br ...

as Ermengarde, and Igors Gavon as Ambrose. Although facing competition from '' Funny Girl'' with

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

, ''Hello, Dolly!'' swept the

in 1964, winning awards in ten categories (out of eleven nominations) that tied the musical with the previous record keeper ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'', record that remained unbroken for 37 years until '' The Producers'' won twelve Tonys in 2001. Pearl Bailey Ed Sullivan Show 1968

After Channing left the show, Merrick employed prominent actresses to play Dolly, including

, who started on August 9, 1965;

, starting on February 27, 1967;

, from June 12, 1967, to November 5, 1967;

(in an all-black version with

as Horace) starting on November 12, 1967 (with

as her alternate);

, as of December 26, 1969; and

(after having turned down the lead at the show's inception) from March 28, 1970, to December 27, 1970. Two songs cut prior to the opening – typical belt style songs "World, Take Me Back" and "Love, Look in My Window" – were restored for Merman's run.

Jo Anne Worley Jo Anne Worley (born September 6, 1937) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Her work covers television, films, theater, game shows, talk shows, commercials, and cartoons. Worley is widely known for her work on the comedy-variety sho ...

was Channing's original standby but she never went on. She later played Dolly in regional and

summer stock In American theater, summer-stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock th ...

productions. Bibi Osterwald was the standby for Dolly following Worley's and Channings' departures, subbing for all the stars, including Bailey, despite the fact that Osterwald was white.

and Novella Nelson also covered for the role of Dolly. Bailey received a Special Tony Award in 1968. The show received rave reviews, with "praise for Carol Channing and particularly Gower Champion." The original production became the longest-running musical (and third longest-running show) in Broadway history up to that time, surpassing ''My Fair Lady'' and then being surpassed in turn by ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 190 ...

.'' The Broadway production of ''Hello Dolly!'' grossed $27 million. ''Hello, Dolly!'' and ''Fiddler'' remained the longest-running Broadway record holders for nearly ten years until '' Grease'' surpassed them. ;Tour and regional Dollys Carole Cook, (the second actress to play the title role, after Channing, appearing in Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

productions), Dorothy Lamour,

Eve Arden Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades. Beginning her film career in 1929 ...

Ann Miller Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American retired actress and former dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood cinema musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her earl ...

Michele Lee Michele Lee is an American actress, singer, dancer, producer, and director. She is known for her role as Karen Fairgate MacKenzie on the prime-time soap opera ''Knots Landing'' (1979–1993), for which she was nominated for a 1982 Emmy Award ...

, Edie Adams, and

Yvonne De Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Hollywood film star in the 1940s and 1950s, made several recordings, and late ...

played the role on tour.

Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work in the entertainment indus ...

appeared with the Kenley Players as Dolly in the summer of 1979.

Molly Picon Molly Picon ( yi, מאָלי פּיקאָן; born Malka Opiekun; February 28, 1898 – April 5, 1992) was an American actress of stage, screen, radio and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller. She began her career in Yidd ...

appeared as Dolly in a 1971 production by the North Shore Music Theatre of

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

Lainie Kazan Lainie Kazan (born Lainie Levine; May 15, 1940) is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for ''St. Elsewhere'' and the 1993 Tony Award for Best Featured Act ...

starred in a production at the Claridge Atlantic City. Vicki Lawrence played the role twice, once for Sacramento Music Circus and once for Glendale Music Theatre. Both Tovah Feldshuh and

Betsy Palmer Betsy Palmer (born Patricia Betsy Hrunek; November 1, 1926 – May 29, 2015) was an American actress, who was known as a regular supporting film and Broadway actress and television guest star, as a panelist on the game show '' I've Got a Secret' ...

played Dolly in productions by the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live ...

Marilyn Maye Marilyn Maye McLaughlin (born April 10, 1928) is an American jazz singer, cabaret singer, and musical theater actress. She began her career as a young child, performing in Kansas in concerts and on the radio. After graduating from high school, ...

also starred in several regional productions and recorded a full album of the score.

Sally Struthers Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) is an American actress and activist. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton) on ''All in the Family'', for which she won two Em ...

led a U.S. tour in 2014.

Original Australian Production

The Australian production was produced by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd. and opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney on 27 March 1965. Carole Cook was imported to star, making her the second woman to play the role of Dolly Levi. Jack Goode played Horace, alongside Bill Millican as Cornelius,

Jill Perryman Jill Perryman AM, MBE (born 30 May 1933) is an Australian former stage and screen actress and singer. Combining both her stage acting and her singing, she featured in numerous musical theatre roles, over eight decades and spanning 70 years of ...

as Irene, Tikki Taylor as Minnie Fay, and Brian Hannan as Barnaby. Australian choreographer Betty Pounder was employed to stage the musical numbers. Jill Perryman served as understudy to Carole Cook.

Nancye Hayes Nancye Lee Bertles AM ( Hayes; born January 1943), billed under her maiden name as Nancye Hayes, is an Australian actress, dancer, singer and choreographer/director and narrator. She has been a leading figure in Australian musical theatre si ...

was featured in the ensemble as well as understudying the part of Irene Molloy. After a successful season in Sydney, the show went on to play

Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1,700-seat theatre in Melbourne's East End Theatre District, Australia. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Vi ...

, and His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland in 1966.'

Australian revivals

In 1995 a new Australian tour was presented by Gordon Frost.

, who starred as Irene Molloy in the 1965 production, starred as Dolly Levi. The production opened at the State Theatre, Melbourne, followed by

Lyric Theatre, Brisbane The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank precinct. Opened in 1985, it includes the Lyric Theat ...

, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney,

Festival Theatre, Adelaide Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia's first multi-purpose arts centre and the home of South Australia's performing arts, was built in the 1970s, designed by Hassell Architects. The Festival Theatre opened in June 1973 with the rest of the centr ...

and His Majesty's Theatre, Perth. The Production Company has staged ''Hello, Dolly!'' at the State Theatre, Melbourne twice: first in 2002, starring

Amanda Muggleton Amanda Lillian Muggleton (born 12 October 1951)"Muggleton, Amanda, 1951 ...

, then again in 2017, starring

Marina Prior Marina Prior (born 18 October 1963) is an Australian soprano and actress with a career mainly in musical theatre. From 1990 to 1993, she starred as the original Christine Daaé in the Australian premiere of ''The Phantom of the Opera'', opposite ...

Original London production

''Hello, Dolly!'' premiered in the

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on December 2, 1965, and ran for 794 performances. Champion directed and choreographed, and the cast starred

as Dolly (after she, as well as Merman, had turned down the role for the original run of the show) and Loring Smith as Horace Vandergelder. Smith had created the Horace role in the original Broadway production of '' The Matchmaker'', Johnny Beecher as Barnaby, Garrett Lewis as Cornelius, Mark Alden as Ambrose Kemper, and Marilynn Lovell as Irene Molloy.

Dora Bryan Dora May Broadbent, (7 February 1923 – 23 July 2014), known as Dora Bryan, was a British actress of stage, film and television.Broadway: *November 6, 1975 – December 28, 1975,

Minskoff Theatre The Minskoff Theatre is a Broadway theater on the third floor of the One Astor Plaza office building in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1973, it is operated by the Nederlander Organization and is named aft ...

– Starring

and Billy Daniels in an all-black production (42 performances) *March 5, 1978 – July 9, 1978,

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by Carrère and Hasti ...

– Starring Carol Channing and Eddie Bracken (147 performances) *October 19, 1995 – January 28, 1996,

– Starring Carol Channing and

Jay Garner Jay Montgomery Garner (born April 15, 1938) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who in 2003 was appointed as Director of the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, mak ...

(116 performances) *April 20, 2017 – August 25, 2018, Shubert Theatre – Starring

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden Gl ...

and

David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is an American actor and director of stage, film and television. He starred as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom '' Frasier'' from 1993 to 2004, and won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Scree ...

(550 performances) In the

the show has been revived three times (to date, November 2019): *1979 – Starring Carol Channing at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto ...

and

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...

*January 3, 1984 – April 27, 1984 – Starring female impersonator Danny La Rue as Dolly at the Prince of Wales Theatre *July 30, 2009 – September 12, 2009 – Starring Samantha Spiro (Dolly) and Allan Corduner (Horace) at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park. Spiro won the

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

for her performance. In 1989, there was a UK tour of the show directed and choreographed by Paul Kerryson, starring Dora Bryan. Kerryson went on to direct the show again in 2014 at the Curve Theatre in Leicester UK, starring Janie Dee. On 22 November 2019, it was announced that a new production would run for a limited season at the Adelphi Theatre starring

Imelda Staunton Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...

, Jenna Russell and

Andy Nyman Andrew Nyman (born 13 April 1966) is an English actor, director, writer and magician. Early life and career Nyman was born on 13 April 1966 in Leicester, Leicestershire. His first noteworthy performance was in 2000 as Keith Whitehead in '' Dead ...

from 11 August 2020, with direction by Dominic Cooke. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, the show has been postponed until 2022.

2017 Broadway revival/national tour

Bette Midler Hello Dolly Broadway (34654432724)

On January 19, 2016, it was announced that

would play the title role in a Broadway revival of ''Hello, Dolly!''. Previews began March 15, 2017, officially opening on April 20, 2017, at the Shubert Theatre. The production was produced by

Scott Rudin Scott Rudin (born July 14, 1958) is an American film, television, and theatre producer. His films include the Academy Award-winning Best Picture '' No Country for Old Men,'' as well as '' Uncut Gems'', '' Lady Bird, Fences, The Girl with the Dr ...

, directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle.

played Horace Vandergelder. Other principal casting for this revival included

Kate Baldwin Katherine Baldwin (born May 2, 1975) is an American singer and actress known for her work in musical theater. She received a Tony Award nomination for her work in the 2009 Broadway revival of '' Finian's Rainbow''. She also co-starred opposite B ...

as Irene Molloy, Gavin Creel as Cornelius Hackl, Jennifer Simard as Ernestina Money,

Taylor Trensch Taylor Hunt Trensch (born May 3, 1989) is an American stage and film actor. Early life and education Trensch was born in Tampa, Florida. He began his education at Howard W. Blake High School in Tampa, Florida. He was an acting major and stud ...

as Barnaby Tucker,

Will Burton Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

as Ambrose Kemper,

Melanie Moore Melanie Moore (born September 17, 1991) is an American professional dancer and actress best known as the winner of the eighth season of the U.S. reality television competition ''So You Think You Can Dance''. According to the results announced ...

as Ermengarde, and Beanie Feldstein as Minnie Fay. Donna Murphy played the role of Dolly at Tuesday evening performances beginning in June 2017, as well as covering Midler's holiday dates. She played her final performance on January 7, 2018. Midler, Pierce, Trensch, and Feldstein left the production on January 14, 2018.McPhee, Ryan
"Bette Midler, David Hyde Pierce, Taylor Trensch, Beanie Feldstein Bid Farewell to ''Hello, Dolly!'' January 14"
Playbill, January 14, 2018

took over the role of Dolly with previews from January 20, 2018, officially on February 22, 2018, and

took over the role of Horace Vandergelder.McPhee, Ryan
"Bernadette Peters Will Succeed Bette Midler in Broadway's ''Hello, Dolly!''"
Playbill, September 5, 2017 Charlie Stemp assumed the role of Barnaby Tucker on January 20, 2018. Santino Fontana temporarily played the role of Cornelius Hackl from March 2018 to May 6 while Gavin Creel recovered from back surgery. Creel returned to the role on May 8, 2018. Before Fontana's temporary engagement, understudy Christian Dante White played the role of Cornelius. The production closed on August 25, 2018, with Midler and Hyde Pierce returning to play Dolly and Horace (respectively) from July 17, 2018, to closing.

Betty Buckley Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, she was inducted into the American ...

played the title role in the first national tour of the 2017 Broadway revival, which began performances in Cleveland, Ohio in October 2018 in the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square, after a tryout in Utica, New York in September 2018.

International productions

*The Israeli production in 1968–1970 starred Hanna Maron as Dolly Levi, one of the most famous actress on the Israel theater, on the "Alhambra" theater, produced by

Giora Godik Giora Godik (1921–1977) was a Polish-born Jewish Israeli theater producer and impresario, famous for bringing musical comedies to Israel. Called the "King of musicals," the 2007 film documentary, " Waiting for Godik", tells the story of his ...

, also starring Shraga Friedman as Horace Vandergelder,

Gadi Yagil Gadi may refer to: Places * Gadi, Nepal, a village development committee in Parsa District in the Narayani Zone of southern Nepal * Gadi Bayalkada, a village development committee in Surkhet District in the Bheri Zone of mid-western Nepal Pe ...

as Cornelius Hackl and Tzipi Shavit as Minnie Fay. The musical was a huge success and Dolly remains one of Maron's lovable roles. The musical was translated to Hebrew by Haim Hefer, a well-known songwriter and poet. *In 1967, the Argentine singer and actress

Libertad Lamarque Libertad Lamarque Bouza (; 24 November 1908 – 12 December 2000) was a Mexican-Argentine actress and singer, one of the icons of the Golden Age of Argentine and Mexican cinema. She achieved fame throughout Latin America, and became known as " ...

starred the first

Spanish language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a world language, global language with more than 500 millio ...

version of the musical in the Teatro Manolo Fabregas of

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...

. Lamarque also starred the musical in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

the same year. *In 1985, Cuban diva Rosita Fornés played Dolly in a Cuban production of ''Hello, Dolly'' by the Teatro Karl Marx in Havana, Cuba. She also played the role in Camaguey City and in a television production under director Manolo Rifat. *In 1989, Canadian theatre actress Nonnie Griffin played Dolly in a 10-month run of ''Hello Dolly'' in Toronto. *In 1996, Mexican cinema star

Silvia Pinal Silvia Pinal Hidalgo (born 12 September 1931) is a Mexican actress. She began her career in the theater, venturing into cinema in 1949. Her film work and popularity in her native country led her to work in Europe (Spain and Italy). Pinal achiev ...

starred in a new version of the musical opposite Ignacio Lopez Tarso in the Teatro Silvia Pinal, in

. * In 2018, the Mexican actress and singer Daniela Romo starred in a new Mexican version of the musical in the

Teatro de los Insurgentes Teatro de los Insurgentes ( en, Theater of the Insurgents) is a theater located on Mexico City's Avenida de los Insurgentes. It was built by José María Dávila in 1953 as part of President Miguel Alemán's program of urban renewal. Dávila ...

in Mexico City. * In 2020, Lucía Galán (half of the

Pimpinela Joaquín and Lucía Galán, better known as Pimpinela ( Spanish for ''pimpernel'') are an Argentine duo famous for singing romantic musical pieces and known for their original singing style. They have sold over 12 million records in Argentina an ...

singing duo) starred in the Argentinian version of the musical in the

Teatro Opera The Teatro Opera (''Opera Theatre'') is a prominent cinema and theatre house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Introduction The Teatro Opera (officially called Opera Orbis Seguros for commercial advertising reasons), is located at 860 Avenida Corrien ...

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...

Tours

starred in a US tour, starting in April 1965 and playing in 11 cities. The production also toured in Japan,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

for a special USO performance for U.S. troops. *A second US tour began in September 1965, headed by Channing, and ran for two years and nine months.

and Dorothy Lamour were replacements. *Bailey and Calloway headed an all-Black tour in 1967 prior to their Broadway run, which was given a second cast album. *In 2008,

Anita Dobson Anita Dobson (born 29 April 1949) is an English stage, film and television actress, and singer. She is best known for her role from 1985 to 1988 as Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 1986, she reached number four in the UK Sing ...

toured in the UK. *

appeared as Dolly in the 50th anniversary tour of the musical, starting in October 2013. *A tour of the 2017 Broadway revival began touring the U.S. in September 2018 in Utica, New York starring

. The cast includes Lewis J. Stadlen as Horace Vandergelder, Nic Rouleau as Cornelius, Analisa Leaning as Irene Molloy, Jess LeProtto as Barnaby, Kristen Hahn as Minnie Fay, Garret Hawe as Ambrose Kemper, Morgan Kirner as Ermengarde, and Jessica Sheridan as Ernestina. Buckley ended her run in the tour on August 25, 2019; Carolee Carmello took over as Dolly on September 24, 2019, in Kansas City, Missouri.Gans, Andrew
"Betty Buckley Ends Run in National Tour of ''Hello, Dolly!'' August 25"
Playbill, August 25, 2019 The other cast changes effective in September 2019 include John Bolton as Horace, with new cast playing Cornelius, Barnaby, Minnie Fay, and Ambrose.McPhee, Ryan
"See Who’s Joining Carolee Carmello in the New Company of'' Hello, Dolly!'' Tour"
Playbill, September 4, 2019 The tour's last stop was in Rochester, NY in March 2020.

Critical reception

Opening night reviews of the original production were generally positive, and Carol Channing's performance as Dolly Gallagher Levi was greatly acclaimed; however, some reviewers criticized the score and the libretto, implying that Channing's performance was responsible for the efficacy of the show. In his review of the opening night performance, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' theatre critic Howard Taubman wrote

''Hello, Dolly!'' ... has qualities of freshness and imagination that are rare in the run of our machine-made musicals. It transmutes the broadly stylized mood of a mettlesome farce into the gusto and colors of the musical stage. ... Mr. Herman's songs are brisk and pointed and always tuneful ... a shrewdly mischievous performance by Carol Channing. ... Making the necessary reservations for the unnecessary vulgar and frenzied touches, one is glad to welcome ''Hello, Dolly!'' for its warmth, color and high spirits.

John Chapman of the ''

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Ta ...

'' lauded Carol Channing's performance, declaring her "the most outgoing woman on the musical stage today – big and warm, all eyes and smiles, in love with everybody in the theatre and possessing a unique voice ranging somewhat upward from a ''basso profundo''." He also wrote, "I wouldn't say that Jerry Herman's score is memorable."Suskin, Steven. ''Opening Night on Broadway: A Critical Quotebook of the Golden Era of the Musical Theatre'', pp. 297–301. Schirmer Books, New York, 1990.

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

critic Richard Watts, Jr., wrote,

The fact that 'Hello, Dolly!''seems to me short on charm, warmth, and the intangible quality of distinction in no way alters my conviction that it will be an enormous popular success. Herman has composed a score that is always pleasant and agreeably tuneful, although the only number that comes to mind at the moment is the lively title song. His lyrics could be called serviceable.

In the ''

New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the ''New-York Tribune'' acquired the ''New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and competed ...

'', Walter Kerr wrote,

''Hello, Dolly!'' is a musical comedy dream, with Carol Channing the girl of it. ... Channing opens wide her big-as-millstone eyes, spreads her white-gloved arms in ecstatic abandon, trots out on a circular runway that surrounds the orchestra, and proceeds to dance rings around the conductor. ... With hair like orange sea foam, a contralto like a horse's neighing, and a confidential swagger, he isa musical comedy performer with all the blowzy glamor of the girls on the sheet music of 1916.

Kerr perceived deficiencies in the libretto, though, stating that the "lines are not always as funny as Miss Channing makes them". John McClain of the New York Journal American particularly praised the staging of the musical, saying that

Gower Champion deserves the big gong for performance beyond the call of duty. Seldom has a corps of dancers brought so much style and excitement to a production which could easily have been pedestrian. ... It is difficult to describe the emotion he song "Hello, Dolly!"produces. Last night the audience nearly tore up the seats as she led the parade of waiters in a series of encores over the semi-circular runway that extends around the orchestra pit out into the audience, ... a tribute to the personal appeal of Miss Channing and the magical inventiveness of Mr. Champion's staging.

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

1978 Broadway revival

1979 West End revival

1995 Broadway revival

2009 Open Air Theatre revival

2017 Broadway revival

Recordings

The

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ar ...

cast recording A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...

of the original Broadway production was released in 1964. It was the number-one album on the ''Billboard'' pop albums chart for seven weeks, the top album of the year on the Year-End chart and won a

Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more play ...

. In 1965, a recording of the original London production was released. In 1967, RCA Victor released a recording of the all-black Broadway replacement cast, featuring Pearl Bailey, who also starred in the unrecorded 1975 revival. The movie soundtrack was released in 1969. On November 15, 1994, the 1994 revival cast recording was released. The 2017 Broadway Revival cast recording was released on May 12, 2017, featuring the songs now sung by Bette Midler, David Hyde Pierce, Kate Baldwin, and Gavin Creel.

Cultural influence

*In 1964, Armstrong's recording of the song, " Hello, Dolly!", rose to number one on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' pop chart, making Armstrong, at age 62, the oldest person ever to accomplish that feat. In the process, Armstrong dislodged

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

"Can't Buy Me Love" from the number-one position they had occupied for 14 consecutive weeks with three different songs. *The title song was sung in the 1999 film ''

Dick Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to: Media * ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia * Dicks (band), a musical group * ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film * "Dick" (song), a 2019 song by Starboi3 featuring Doja Cat Names ...

'' by actor

Dan Hedaya Daniel G. Hedaya (born July 24, 1940) is an American actor. He established himself as a supporting actor, often playing sleazy villains or wisecracking supporting characters. He has had supporting roles in films such as '' True Confessions'' (198 ...

, playing President Richard Nixon. *The red satin, sequin-bedecked costume, designed by Freddy Wittop, that Channing wore during ''Hello, Dolly!'' was donated to the Smithsonian by Channing and theatrical producer Manny Kladitis, following the thirtieth anniversary tour of the show. It has been displayed at the

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

. While Miss Channing's Harmonia Gardens gown is in the Smithsonian, the remainder of the original Freddy Wittop costumes are now housed in the permanent collection of the Costume World Broadway Collection, a theatrical museum dedicated to Broadway costuming located in

Pompano Beach, Florida Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2 ...

."Broadway Collection"
costumeworld.com, accessed April 2, 2012

Footnotes

References

* * *Bovsun, Mara

barbra-archives.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-08. *

imagi-nation.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-08. *

External links

Internet Broadway Database listing for all productionsCharles Nelson Reilly's autobiographical film, in which he discusses ''Hello Dolly''"Long Runs on Broadway as of February 2017"TUTS study guide
{{Authority control 1964 musicals American plays adapted into films Broadway musicals Culture of Yonkers, New York Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Musicals based on plays Musicals by Jerry Herman Musicals by Michael Stewart (playwright) Plays set in New York City Plays set in the 19th century Tony Award for Best Musical West End musicals A Day Well Spent Tony Award-winning musicals